RENDON v. FISHMAN

CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedNovember 19, 2020
Docket2:19-cv-20290
StatusUnknown

This text of RENDON v. FISHMAN (RENDON v. FISHMAN) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
RENDON v. FISHMAN, (D.N.J. 2020).

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY JAVIER RENDON, Civil Action No.: 2:19-cv-20290 Plaintiff, v. OPINION& ORDER BRIAN FISHMAN; PHELAN HALLINAN DIAMOND & JONES, P.C., and SANTANDER BANK, N.A., Defendants. CECCHI, District Judge. This matter comes before the Court on two separate motions to dismiss pro se Plaintiff Javier Rendon’s (“Plaintiff”) Complaint (ECF No. 1, “Compl.”): (1) Defendants Brian Fishman, Esq. and Phelan Hallinan Diamond & Jones, P.C.’s (“PHD&J”) (together, the “Phelan Defendants”)motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) (ECF No. 6); and (2) DefendantSantander Bank, N.A.’s(“Santander”)motion to dismiss pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) (ECF No. 10). Plaintiff did not file an opposition to either motion. The Court decides this matter without oral argument pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 78(b). For the reasons set forth below, both motions to dismiss are GRANTED. I. BACKGROUND A. Factual Background1 On June 1, 2006, Plaintiffand an individual named Piedad Rendon2executedapromissory Note with First Hallmark Mortgage Corporation (“First Hallmark”) for a loan in the sum of $274,000. ECF No. 6-1, Exhibit A. To secure the loan, Plaintiff, Piedad Rendon, and Renata Bielecka, who later changed her name to Renata Rendon,3 (together, the “Borrowers”) also executed aMortgage with First Hallmark for a property located at 487 Highland Avenue, Clifton,

NJ 07011(the “Property”). ECF No. 6-1, Exh. B; seeCompl. at 3(“I executed & closed a refinance mortgage on June 1, 2006 withmy lender of record First Hallmark Mortgage Company[.]”). First Hallmark ultimately assigned the Mortgage to Sovereign Bank, N.A.,on September 18, 2012.ECF No. 6-1,Exh. F. The Phelan Defendants allege that the Borrowers thereafter defaulted on their loan obligations to Sovereign Bank, N.A. ECF No. 6 at 4, ¶ 8. On March 22, 2013, Sovereign Bank, N.A.,through its legal counsel, Defendant PHD&J,filed an action to foreclose the Property in the Superior Court of New Jersey (the “Foreclosure Action”). ECF No. 6-1, Exh. G. After the Borrowers failed to respond in the Foreclosure Action, default was entered on July 3, 2013. Id., Exh. H. The Phelan Defendants allege that, thereafter, Sovereign Bank, N.A. changed its name to

1 Allegations in the Complaint are supplemented with information from the Phelan Defendants’ motion to dismiss. ECF No. 6. When deciding amotion to dismiss, in addition to considering the allegations in the Complaint, the Court may also consider matters of public record. See Pension Ben. Guar. Corp. v. White Consol. Indus., Inc., 998 F.2d 1192, 1196 (3d Cir. 1993)(“To decide a motion to dismiss, courts generally consider only the allegations contained in the complaint, exhibits attached to the complaint and matters of public record.”). 2 Neither the Complaint nor the motions to dismiss explain Piedad Rendon’s relationship to Plaintiff. However,this fact is not material to the instant motions. 3 Neither the Complaint nor the motions to dismiss explain Renata Bielecka’s relationship to Plaintiff. This fact is also not material to the instant motions. Santander Bank, N.A. ECF No. 6 at 5, ¶ 11. On January 31, 2014, the Superior Court granted a motion to substitute the name of the foreclosure plaintiff from Sovereign Bank, N.A. to Santander Bank, N.A. (“Santander”).ECF No. 6-1, Exh. J. On April 19, 2018, the Superior Court granted a final judgment of foreclosure in favor of Santander (the “Final Judgment”). Id., Exh. K. The Superior Court ordered that: (1) Santander was entitled to $413,330 plus interest and counsel fees; (2)the Property “be sold to raise and satisfy the several sums of money due [to Santander];” (3) an execution be duly issued to the Sheriff of

Passaic County, commanding said Sheriff to sell the Property; and (4) the Borrowers be “absolutely debarred and foreclosed of and from all equity of redemption of, in and to [the Property].” Id., Exh. K. The Phelan Defendants allege that a sheriff’s sale of the Property was originally scheduled for June 12, 2018, but that the sale was adjourned twice by the Borrowers. ECFNo.6 at 5, ¶ 14. The sheriff’s sale was further delayed by Plaintiff’s filing of three petitions for bankruptcy protection, all of which were eventually dismissed. ECF No. 6-1, Exhs. L, M, N. Asheriff’s sale of the Property took place on November 13, 2018(the “Foreclosure Sale”).Compl. at 3 (“The Date 11/13/2018 sheriff sale done . . .”). Santander purchased the Property at the sale and a sheriff’s deed was delivered to Santander on December 19, 2018. ECF No. 6-1,Exh. O. On December 24, 2018, the Superior Court entered a writ of possession in favor of Santander. Id.,

Exh. P. According to the Phelan Defendants,the sheriff of Passaic County originally scheduled an eviction for March 19, 2019 but that the eviction was stayedbecause one of the Borrowers, Renata Rendon, filed two Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Petitions. ECF No. 6 at 5, ¶¶ 20–22. Following the dismissal of Renata Rendon’s second bankruptcy filing (ECF No. 6-1, Exh. Q) and an order of in rem relief from any bankruptcy stays to Santander (id.,Exh. R.),the Superior Court entered a writ of possession in favor of Santander on October 1, 2019. Id., Exh. T. Defendant Brian Fishman, Esq.issued a certification in support of the issuance of the writ of possession, in which he certified that he was an attorney and member of PHD&J. Id. An eviction of Plaintiff and all occupants from the Property was scheduled for November 18, 2019. Compl. at 3 (“on Nov 18, 2019 they are try[ing] to evict to gain possession”). After the eviction was scheduled, Plaintiff filed an emergent motion in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, seeking to stay the eviction, which was denied on November 15, 2019. ECF No. 6-1, Exh. U. On November 19, 2019, Plaintiff sought leave to file an emergent

motion with the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, to stay the eviction. Id., Exh. V. The Appellate Division denied Plaintiff’s request the same day because Plaintiff “never appealed the final judgment of foreclosure and waited until the day after the lockout to seek emergent relief in the Appellate Division.”Id., Exh. V. Plaintiff also filedarequest for permission to file an emergent motion in the New Jersey Supreme Court,which the Supreme Courtdenied on November 20, 2019. Id., Exh. W. The eviction took place on November 20, 2019. See Order Denying Defendant’s Motion to Challenge Court’s Jurisdiction, Santander Bank, N.A. v. Javier Rendon, et al., No. 9838-13 (N.J. Sup. Ct. Ch. Div., PassaicCty. Jan. 27, 2020) (denying plaintiff’s motion to challenge the Superior Court’s jurisdiction because “[a]pplication is moot. Eviction has taken place on Nov. 20,

2019. . .”) (emphasis added). B. Procedural History On November 14, 2019, Plaintiff filed the instant Complaint seeking to challenge the Foreclosure Action. ECF No. 1.

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RENDON v. FISHMAN, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rendon-v-fishman-njd-2020.