Radian Insurance v. Deutsche Bank National Trust Co.

638 F. Supp. 2d 443, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60997, 2009 WL 2096261
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJuly 15, 2009
DocketCivil Action 08-2993
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 638 F. Supp. 2d 443 (Radian Insurance v. Deutsche Bank National Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Radian Insurance v. Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., 638 F. Supp. 2d 443, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60997, 2009 WL 2096261 (E.D. Pa. 2009).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM RE: MOTIONS TO DISMISS AND MOTIONS TO STAY

BAYLSON, District Judge.

This case arises from a dispute over three insurance policies issued by Plaintiff, Radian Insurance, Inc. (“Plaintiff’ or “Radian”) to Defendant Deutsche Bank National Trust Company (“Deutsche Bank”). Presently before the Court is a Motion to Dismiss for failure to state a claim, filed by Deutsche Bank. Also before the Court are Motions to Dismiss, or In the Alternative, Stay Pending Arbitration, filed by Defendants Financial Guaranty Insurance Company (“FGIC”), Ambac Assurance Corporation (“Ambac”), and MBIA Insurance Corporation (“MBIA”) (hereinafter, collectively, the “Certificate Insurers”). In addition, Radian has filed a Motion to Stay the arbitrations. For the reasons set forth below, this Court will grant the Certificate Insurers’ Motions to Stay Pending Arbitration, in part, and deny Deutsche Bank’s Motion to Dismiss, without prejudice, as well as Radian’s Motion to Stay the arbitrations.

I. Background Information

A. Facts

Plaintiff filed its Complaint seeking a declaratory judgment to establish its right *446 to rescind the three Insurance Policies (the 2006-2B Policy, 2006-3 Policy, and 2007-1 Policy; collectively, “the Policies”) it had issued to Deutsche Bank. Plaintiff asserts it is entitled to rescission because Deutsche Bank allegedly breached certain warranties made therein or otherwise made fraudulent misrepresentations.

Each of the Policies at issue insured individual mortgages, which were originated by IndyMac and then bundled or pooled together into a corresponding trust (the 2006-2B Trust, 2006-3 Trust, and 2007-1 Trust; collectively, the “Trusts”) pursuant to a Pooling Agreement between Deutsche Bank and Defendants IndyMac MBS and IndyMac Bank, F.S.B. (Compl. ¶¶ 17-18, 20-21, 24-25). Deutsche Bank, the named trustee of the Trusts, issued certificates from the Trusts, backed by the mortgages in the pool, and sold those certificates, called Home Equity Mortgage Loan Asset Backed Certificates, to investors. (Compl. ¶¶ 19, 22, 26). Defendant IndyMac MBS was the depositor for the Trusts and Defendant IndyMac Bank, F.S.B. was the sponsor, seller, and servicer of the Trusts. (Compl. ¶ 17). The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) intervened in this suit once it was appointed Receiver for IndyMac MBS and Conservator for Indy-Mac Federal Bank, F.S.B. 1 (Doc. 5).

Under the Policies, Deutsche Bank would submit claims for defaulting mortgages to Plaintiff, and Plaintiff would then undertake an adjustment process to determine if the loan complied with the warranties and representations in the Policies. (Compl. ¶ 35). Those representations and warranties, referenced in § 2.3 of the Policies, pertain to the loans’ conformity with the underwriting guidelines and with other coverage eligibility requirements. (Compl. ¶¶ 39-41, 47). If the defaulting loan satisfied the conditions for coverage set forth in the Policy, Radian would cover the loss for Deutsche Bank. (Compl. ¶¶ 32-35). However, if the defaulting mortgage did not meet the conditions for coverage, it was ineligible under the Policy, and Radian could refuse to cover any loss resulting from that loan defaulting. (Compl. ¶ 36). For each Trust, the Policies required that the total amount of loss from eligible defaulted loans exceed an agreed upon deductible amount before Radian would begin paying Deutsche Bank for the loss. (Compl. ¶ 32). 2

In addition to the insurance issued by Plaintiff for the underlying mortgages, each certificate issued from the Trusts was insured by a secondary insurer. FGIC provided coverage for the 2006-2B certifi *447 cates; Ambac provided coverage for the 2006-3 certificates; and MBIA provided coverage for the 2007-1 certificates. (Compl. ¶¶ 28-30). Each of those insurance companies (collectively, the “Certificate Insurers”) was named as a third-party beneficiary under the corresponding insurance policy between Radian and Deutsche Bank. (Compl. ¶¶ 28-30).

In its Complaint, Plaintiff alleges that “through the adjustment process, Radian has determined that an extraordinarily high percentage of the claims tendered by the Insured for coverage under the Policies relate to Loans that do not conform to the applicable representations and warranties.” (Compl. ¶ 44). Plaintiff then alleges that “the extremely large proportion of Loans subject to rescission or denial indicates that the representations and warranties were materially false when made.” (Compl. ¶45). Plaintiff suggests that it relied on those warranties and representations, which concerned the loans’ eligibility for coverage, when agreeing to the Policies and determining the premiums it would pay. (Compl. ¶¶ 46, 67-70). Accordingly, Plaintiff argues that the entire Policies should be rescinded on the grounds of either fraud, mistake or breach of warranty, (Compl. ¶¶ 74, 82), though Plaintiff asserts breach of warranty as its primary ground for rescission, (Pi’s Response to Ambac’s Motion to Dismiss, Doc. 66 at 9-11; 3 Hr’g Tr. Pg. 23).

After Plaintiff filed its Complaint, the Certificate Insurers made demands for arbitration to determine the eligibility for coverage of certain defaulting loans that were denied by Plaintiff in its adjustment process. The Certificate Insurers then filed in this litigation Motions to Stay Pending Arbitration, attaching their demands for arbitration as exhibits. (Doc. 33; Doc. 38-3; Doc. 49-3). In requesting the stay, the Certificate Insurers rely on the Policies’ mandatory arbitration provisions, which they assert give them a right to arbitration as third-party beneficiaries. Those provisions read, in relevant part, as follows:

Unless prohibited by applicable law, or otherwise mutually agreed by the Company and Insured, all controversies, disputes or other assertions of liability or rights arising out of or relating to this Policy, including the breach, interpretation or construction thereof, shall be settled by arbitration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company or the Insured both retain the right to seek a declaratory judgment from a court of competent jurisdiction on matter of interpretation of this Policy.

(Doc. 1, Exs. A, B, C, § 7.4). The clause in the Policies naming the Certificate Insurers as third-party beneficiaries reads in relevant part,

The Certificate Insurer shall be a third party beneficiary of this Policy and shall be entitled to rely upon and directly enforce the provisions of this Policy against the Company, provided, however, that to the extent that any enforcement of the provisions of this Policy is being sought by the Insured, such enforcement shall control.

(Doc. 1, Exs. A, B, C, § 7.8).

B. Procedural History

Plaintiff filed its Complaint for declaratory relief in this Court on June 26, 2008. (Doc. 1). The following day, IndyMac filed a separate declaratory judgment action in California state court, IndyMac Bank, *448 F.S.B. v.

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Bluebook (online)
638 F. Supp. 2d 443, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60997, 2009 WL 2096261, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/radian-insurance-v-deutsche-bank-national-trust-co-paed-2009.