Ruman v. Jpmorgan Chase Bank, Nat'l Ass'n

369 F. Supp. 3d 748
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedSeptember 28, 2018
DocketCivil Action No. SA-17-CA-733-FB
StatusPublished

This text of 369 F. Supp. 3d 748 (Ruman v. Jpmorgan Chase Bank, Nat'l Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ruman v. Jpmorgan Chase Bank, Nat'l Ass'n, 369 F. Supp. 3d 748 (W.D. Tex. 2018).

Opinion

FRED BIERY, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Before the Court are: (1) Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Second Cause of Action Under Rule 12(b)(1) filed by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Deutsche Bank National Trust Company (hereinafter JPMC and DBNTC defendants) (docket # 10); (2) Plaintiff's Response and Opposition to Rule 12(b)(1) Motion to Dismiss filed by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Deutsche Bank National Trust Company f/k/a Bankers Trust Company of California, N.A., as Trustee for Long Beach Mortgage Loan Trust 2001-1 (docket # 18); (3) Defendants' Reply in Support of Their Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Second Cause of Action Under Rule 12(b)(1) (docket # 19); (4) Defendant Mortgage Contracting Services, LLC's Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) (docket # 24); (5) Plaintiff's Response and Opposition to Rule 12(B)(1) Motion to Dismiss Filed by Mortgage Contracting Services, LLC (docket # 26); and (6) Defendant Mortgage Contracting Services, LLC's Reply in Support of Its Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) (docket # 29). At issue in these motions is whether this Court has jurisdiction over plaintiff's second cause of action (Count II) which claims a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 3953 (Servicemembers Civil Relief Act or SCRA) by all three of the defendants.1

Title 50 U.S.C. § 3953 provides in part:

(a) Mortgage as security
This section applies only to an obligation on real or personal property owned by a servicemember that-*750(1) originated before the period of the servicemember's military service and for which the servicemember is still obligated; and
(2) is secured by a mortgage, trust deed, or other security in the nature of a mortgage.
(c) Sale or foreclosure
A sale, foreclosure, or seizure of property for a breach of an obligation described in subsection (a) shall not be valid if made during, or within one year after, the period of the servicemember's military service except-
(1) upon a court order granted before such sale, foreclosure, or seizure with a return made and approved by the court, or
(2) if made pursuant to an agreement as provided in section 3918 of this title.

Plaintiff contends that "[a]t no time have any of the Defendants filed an action in a court of competent jurisdiction seeking authority to seize the Property of Plaintiff, nor have any of the Defendants obtained a valid court order approving and authorizing the seizure of the Property." Complaint, docket # 1 at page 12. Defendants assert this Court lacks jurisdiction over this claim pursuant to the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA) because the defendants "acquired the mortgage loan at issue from the FDIC, as receiver for Washington Mutual Bank, and Plaintiff has not exhausted the administrative claims process with the FDIC." Defendants' Motion to Dismiss, docket # 10 at page 1-2; see Defendant Mortgage Contracting Services, LLC's Motion to Dismiss, docket # 24 at page 2 (FIRREA "bars any court from subject matter jurisdiction over any claim relating to an act or omission of an institution for which the FDIC acted as receiver without first going through the FDIC administrative claims process" which plaintiff has not done). Plaintiff responds by asserting that the "allegations of Count II of the Complaint sufficiently allege post-purchase misconduct of JPMC [and its contractor-agent MCS]2 to confer federal question jurisdiction on this Court by virtue of the allegations of a violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act ("SCRA") and specifically 50 U.S.C. 3953." In reply, defendants point out the plaintiff has conceded he has not filed an administrative claim with the FDIC and because plaintiff's allegations concerning the seizure of his property originated with Washington Mutual Bank, a failed bank placed in receivership with the FDIC, the administrative requirements of FIRREA cannot be avoided, and thus, this Court lacks jurisdiction over plaintiff's second cause of action.

Background

According to the complaint, plaintiff and his then-wife, Deborah A. Ruman, purchased real property in San Antonio on January 19, 2001. Plaintiff was not on active military duty at that time. Plaintiff and his then-wife executed a promissory note secured by a deed of trust in favor of S.A. Sterling Group, Inc. The deed of trust was subsequently assigned at various times to several different servicing companies, and ultimately JPMC "took over servicing the Deed of Trust in 2009 from Washington Mutual Bank "WaMU")." Complaint, docket # 1 at page 4. Currently, defendant DBNTC holds the Deed of Trust.

The United States Air Force called plaintiff to active military duty beginning *751on January 1, 2002. Plaintiff submitted to WaMu his written demand for protection under the SCRA along with a copy of his military orders. In 2003, plaintiff was still on active military duty when he entered into a payment arrangement with the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector to bring the taxes on his property current through monthly payment installments, which plaintiff paid on a timely basis. Despite this payment arrangement with the Bexar County taxing authority and the fact "he was essentially protected from tax foreclosure by 50 U.S.C. § 3991 after he began a period of active military duty, WaMu proceeded to initiate foreclosure proceedings on the Property and paid the entire amount of outstanding taxes on August 30, 2003." Id. at page 5.

On September 11, 2003, WaMu, by written correspondence, notified plaintiff it was initiating foreclosure proceedings based on the deed of trust. Although plaintiff opposed that action, WaMu refused to allow plaintiff to refinance his obligation with a VA guaranteed loan and insisted that the loan be paid in full immediately, including the lump sum WaMu had needlessly prepaid to Bexar County for the property taxes despite plaintiff's payment arrangement, despite the fact that the loan itself was current. In November of that same year, WaMu, through its attorneys and agent, sent a written Notice of Acceleration and Notice of Posting & Foreclosure to the plaintiff and on that same date, also sent a Notice of Trustee's Sale setting forth a sale date of December 2, 2003.

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Bluebook (online)
369 F. Supp. 3d 748, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ruman-v-jpmorgan-chase-bank-natl-assn-txwd-2018.