Sovereign v. Deutsche Bank

856 F. Supp. 2d 1203, 2012 WL 724796, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28636
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedMarch 5, 2012
DocketNo. 3:11-CV-995-BR
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 856 F. Supp. 2d 1203 (Sovereign v. Deutsche Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sovereign v. Deutsche Bank, 856 F. Supp. 2d 1203, 2012 WL 724796, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28636 (D. Or. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

BROWN, District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on the Motion (# 59) to Dismiss by Defendants Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS), CitiMortgage (CM), and Cal-Western Reconveyance Corporation (CWRC)1 and the Motion (# 38) to Vacate Temporary Restraining Order by CM, MERS, and CWRC.2

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The following facts are drawn from Plaintiffs’ First Amended Verified Complaint (# 55).3

On approximately January 24, 2007, Plaintiffs entered into a refinance loan on their home, which is located at 401 Cherry Avenue, Oregon City, Oregon 97045. In exchange for their promise to repay the loan secured by a Deed of Trust in their home (which appears to have been recorded on January 31, 2007), Plaintiffs accepted a loan of approximately $333,000. The loan named Mortgageit, Inc. (MIT) as the Lender and Western Title and Escrow as Trustee and appointed MERS as nominee of the Lender and as beneficiary of the Deed of Trust. Although MIT is designated as the Lender in the loan documents, Plaintiffs allege MIT did not fund the loan, is not the lender in fact, and was instead a loan broker.

Plaintiffs allege they do not owe any obligation to the named Defendants and have not defaulted on the loan at issue.4

[1206]*1206Plaintiffs assert their mortgage was part of a pooling service that made numerous transfers of Plaintiffs’ mortgage that have not been properly recorded.

In August 2010 Plaintiffs sought a loan modification with CM. During that process the parties failed to reach an agreement to restructure the loan, and Plaintiffs assert CM instructed them to stop making payments on their mortgage.

On March 15, 2011, MERS assigned the Deed of Trust to CM and CM appointed CWRC as Trustee. Both actions were recorded in the Clackamas County records. On April 7, 2011, Plaintiffs received the Notice of Default and Election of Sale and the Trustee Notice of Sale from CWRC. These documents also were recorded in the Clackamas County records. Plaintiffs allege these recorded documents reflect unlawful or potentially fraudulent acts. Paragraphs 15-17 of the Amended Complaint set out Plaintiffs’ specific allegations in this regard:

14. On or about March 15,2011 CM claims to have become the successor in interest to the Plaintiffs Deed of Trust and through a document titled “Assignment of Deed of Trust” signed by Scott Schemer, Assistant Secretary of MERS and Notarized on the same day by Alex D. Grossman of Missouri. The document was entered into Clackamas County official records under the recorder’s number, 2011-019535, on March 30, 2011. See Exhibit 9 — Assignment of Deed of Trust.
15. On or about March 15, 2011 CWRC claims to have become the successor trustee or the Deed of Trust by and through a document titled “Substitution of Trustee,” signed by Scott Schemer, Vice President, CitiMortgage, Inc. and Notarized on the same day by Alex D. Grossman of Missouri. The document was entered into Clackamas County official records under the recorder’s number, 2011-019536, on March 30, 2011. See Exhibit 10 — Substitution of Trustee
16. On or about April 7, 2011 Plaintiffs received a document titled “Notice of Default and Election to Sell,” created, recorded and sent to Plaintiffs by CWRC, the signatory of which was Yvonne J. Wheeler, A.V.P. (presumably Assistant Vice President), a known robosigner, who signed the Notice on March 23, 2011. The Notice was not notarized until March 29, 2011 by Rosalyn Hall of California, leaving no doubt that Wheeler was not in the Notaries presence when Hall notarized the document. The document was entered into Clackamas County official records under the recorder’s number, 2011-019537, on March 30, 2011. See Exhibit 11 — Notice of Default and Election to Sell.
17. On or about April 7.2011 Plaintiffs received a document titled “Trustee’s Notice of Sale” from CWRC dated March 23, 2011 and signed by an unknown person, whose corporate capacity is absent and unknown. The document bears a certification stamp with the signature of Naomi Faisel, claiming “I CERTIFY THIS DOCUMENT IS A CORRECT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL.” The signature on the certification stamp and the signature as a designee for CWRC are different. No acknowledgement or jurat notarization is present. See Exhibit 12 — Trustee’s Notice of Sale. See also Plaintiffs’ Affidavit ¶ 8.

In their Amended Complaint Plaintiffs seek declaratory relief “as to the legal duties of the parties and their agents, especially those claiming Plaintiffs to be in [1207]*1207default and those claiming they are the entity entitled to payment” based on their allegations that (1) MIT was not the lender-in-fact on their original loan, (2) Defendants have not met the condition precedent under Oregon law (Or.Rev.Stat. § 86.735) for non-judicial foreclosures that require proof of the borrower’s default and of the entity entitled to payment, and (3) Defendants have not met the condition precedent under Oregon law for non-judicial foreclosure that requires all assignments of a mortgage to be recorded in the county records.

Plaintiffs seek the following specific declaratory relief and an award of costs in their Amended Complaint:

a. Declare that Defendants initiated this controversy by claiming Plaintiffs are in default to CM by causing to issue a Notice of Default and Election to Sell.
b. Declare Defendants failed to establish through evidence which would be admissible at trial, Plaintiffs are in default to CM or any another Defendant.
c. Declare Defendants failed to establish, through evidence which would be admissible at trial, the identity of the entity entitled to payment.
d. Declare Defendants, prior to foreclosure, failed to record in the Clackamas County land records assignments required by the Pooling and Service Agreement.
e. Declare that Defendant MERS does not possess the written authority in the Deed of Trust or anywhere else, from the original obligee, or any successor, authorizing MERS as nominee, mortgagee or beneficiary.
f. Declare the only signature on the Deed of Trust is that of Plaintiffs, i.e. counterparty signatures are absent.
g. Declare Defendant is barred from using a non-judicial foreclosure.

Am. Compl. at 10-11.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Although the nonjudicial sale of Plaintiffs’ home was originally scheduled for August 1, 2011, the parties reached an agreement to postpone the sale to September 1, 2011. Plaintiffs filed their original Complaint for Emergency Declaratory Relief on August 17, 2011. After a hearing, the Court enjoined the sale of Plaintiffs’ home by issuing a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO)(# 7) on August 31, 2011. At the hearing on August 31, 2011, the Court ordered Plaintiffs to post security in the amount of $500.00, which Plaintiffs paid on September 8, 2011.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
856 F. Supp. 2d 1203, 2012 WL 724796, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28636, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sovereign-v-deutsche-bank-ord-2012.