Residential Funding Company v. Terrace Mortgage Company

725 F.3d 910, 2013 WL 4007552, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 16288
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedAugust 7, 2013
Docket12-2569
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 725 F.3d 910 (Residential Funding Company v. Terrace Mortgage Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Residential Funding Company v. Terrace Mortgage Company, 725 F.3d 910, 2013 WL 4007552, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 16288 (8th Cir. 2013).

Opinion

BYE, Circuit Judge.

Residential Funding Company, LLC (“Residential”), sued Terrace Mortgage Company (“Terrace”), alleging Terrace breached the parties’ contract when it refused to repurchase thirteen loans Residential had purchased from Terrace. The district court 1 granted Residential’s motion for summary judgment. Terrace appeals and we affirm.

*914 I

Terrace originates residential mortgage loans. On May 18, 1994, Terrace and Residential signed a contract which allowed Terrace to sell to Residential loans Terrace had originated. The contract incorporated the “Residential Funding Seller and Servicer Guides” (“Client Guide”). Appellant’s App. 8. By signing the contract, Terrace acknowledged it had received and read the Client Guide and made the representations contained within it. Id. at 8-9.

The Client Guide contained the following important provisions:

1. “[Terrace] is fully liable for any misrepresentation or breach of warranty [in each loan Residential purchased from Terrace] regardless of whether [Terrace] or [Residential] actually had, or reasonably could have been expected to obtain, knowledge of the facts giving rise to such misrepresentation or breach of warranty.” Id. at 337.
2. Each of the loans Terrace sells to Residential “is in compliance with ... all representations, warranties, and requirements contained in this Client Guide.” Id. at 341.
3. Each of the following events, among others, constitutes an Event of Default:
a. “[Terrace] ... breaches any of the representations, warranties, or covenants set forth in this Client Guide.” Id. at 356.
b. “The Borrower or any other person or entity involved in the Loan transaction or in its underwriting or documentation ... has made any false representation and/or has failed to provide information that is true, complete and accurate in connection with such transaction, whether or not [Terrace] was a party to or had knowledge of such misrepresentation or incorrect information.” Id.
4. “If [Residential] determines that an Event of Default has occurred with respect to a specific Loan, [Terrace] agrees to repurchase the Loan and its servicing ... within 30 days of receiving a repurchase letter or other written notification from [Residential].” Id. at 357 (emphasis removed).
5. “[Terrace] may appeal [Residential’s] decision by providing any additional information or documentation it believes may affect [Residential’s] determination. ... [Residential] will in its sole discretion determine the validity of any appeal filed by [Terrace]. If [Residential’s] decision remains firm following an appeal, [Terrace] shall repurchase the Loan and its servicing ... within 10 days of notification by [Residential], in writing, that the appeal has been denied.” Id. at 362.
6. “[Terrace] shall indemnify [Residential] from all losses, damages, penalties, fines, forfeitures, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees, judgments, and any other costs, fees and expenses resulting from any Event of Default. This includes, without limitation, liabilities arising from (i) any act or failure to act, (ii) any breach of warranty, obligation, or representation contained in the Client Contract....” Id. at 364 (emphasis removed).
7. “[Residential] is not required to demand repurchase within any particular period of time, and may elect not to require immediate repurchase. However, any delay in making this demand does not constitute a waiver by [Residential] of any of its rights or remedies.” Id. at 358.
8. “[Residential] may waive any default by [Terrace] in the performance of [Terrace’s] obligations hereunder and its consequences, but only by a written *915 waiver specifying the nature and terms of such waiver.”

Id. at 357. For some time, this arrangement served the parties quite well. When a loan repurchase issue arose, Residential and Terrace arranged a solution without resorting to the terms of the Client Guide. But when the real estate market worsened, so did the parties’ relationship. Residential made more repurchase demands, and the parties were unable to negotiate a resolution.

In 2008, Residential demanded Terrace repurchase thirteen loans. 2 Terrace did not repurchase them. Residential then filed this suit in Hennepin County District Court in November 2009, alleging Terrace breached the contract and was required to indemnify Residential for the attorneys’ fees and costs it incurred in pursuing the suit. Terrace removed the action to federal court. Residential moved for summary judgment on both counts. The district court granted Residential’s motion. It concluded the Client Guide, which the contract incorporated, stated Terrace was solely responsible for misrepresentations and inaccuracies in the loans it sold to Residential and Residential was authorized to determine whether those misrepresentations and inaccuracies existed. Accordingly, Terrace was required to repurchase the thirteen loans at issue. Further, the district court found the contract plainly required Terrace to make Residential whole upon Residential’s request and indemnify Residential for all attorneys’ fees and costs. In a subsequent order, the court awarded Residential $193,332.10 in attorneys’ fees and $16,575.57 in costs. Terrace then filed this timely appeal.

II

Terrace’s arguments are legion. Briefly summarized, it contends the district court incorrectly (1) interpreted the contract to give Residential the authority to determine whether Terrace breached parts of the Client Guide; (2) concluded Residential did not waive its right to insist Terrace repurchase loans, despite a nonwaiver provision in the contract; (3) resolved several issues with respect to specific loans against Terrace; (4) concluded Residential adequately proved its damages; and (5) concluded Residential was entitled to attorneys’ fees and expenses.

“We review a district court’s grant of summary judgment de novo, viewing the facts in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party and giving that party the benefit of all reasonable inferences that can be drawn from the record.” Marlowe v. Fabian, 676 F.3d 743, 746 (8th Cir.2012). Summary judgment is appropriate if there is no genuine issue of material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(a). To establish a genuine factual issue, a party “may not merely point to unsupported self-serving allegations.” Anda v. Wickes Furniture Co., 517 F.3d 526, 531 (8th Cir.2008) (internal quotation and citation omitted).

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Bluebook (online)
725 F.3d 910, 2013 WL 4007552, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 16288, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/residential-funding-company-v-terrace-mortgage-company-ca8-2013.