Suero v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.

123 F. Supp. 3d 162, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108981, 2015 WL 4919999
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedAugust 18, 2015
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 13-13014-JGD
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 123 F. Supp. 3d 162 (Suero v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Suero v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., 123 F. Supp. 3d 162, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108981, 2015 WL 4919999 (D. Mass. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER ON CROSS-MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

DEIN, United States Magistrate Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

The plaintiffs, Ramon and Rosanna Sue-ro (the “Sueros”), have brought this action against the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, commonly known as “Freddie Mac,” in order to challenge Freddie Mac’s refusal to sell. their foreclosed home to Boston Community Capital (“BCC”), a not-for-profit lender -that purchases foreclosed homes at them current fair market value, and resells or leases them- back to the former homeowners. At the time it refused to sell the Sueros’ former property to BCC, Freddie Mac was carrying out policies that prohibited it from -selling foreclosed real estate to entities that intended to resell the property to the former borrower. By their claims in this action, the Sue-ros allege, inter alia, that Freddie Mac’s implementation of those policies violates the Non-Profit Buyback Provision of the Massachusetts Foreclosure Law, Mass) Gen. Laws ch. 244, § 35C(h) (“Section 350(h)”), and constitutes' an unfair or deceptive act or practice that violates Mass. [164]*164Gen. Laws eh. 93A (“Chapter 93A”). Since 2008, the Federal Housing and Finance Agency (“FHFA” or “Agency”) has been acting as both the regulator and Conservator of Freddie Mac pursuant to the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, 12 U.S.C. § 4501 et seq. (“HERA”). FHFA has intervened in this action, and is participating in the defense of the claims that the Sue-ros have brought against Freddie Mac.1

The matter is presently before the court on the “Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment” (Docket No. 46). It is also before the court on Freddie Mac’s and FHFA’s “Cross-Motion for Partial Summary Judgment” (Docket No. 63). By their motions, each of the parties contends that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on Count I of the Verified Complaint. Pursuant to Count I, the Sueros are seeking to hold Freddie Mac liable for the alleged violations of Section 35C(h) and Chapter 93A,' and to obtain declaratory and/or injunctive relief requiring Freddie Mac to sell the Sueros’ former home to BCC.

The threshold issue raised by the parties’ cross-motions is whether HERA’s anti-injunction clause precludes this court from considering the plaintiffs’ state law claims on-the merits.2 That clause provides that “no court may take any action to restrain or affect the exercise of powers or functions of the [FHFA] as a conservator” of Freddie Mac. 12 U.S.C. § 4617(f). The defendants contend that an order compelling Freddie Mac to sell the foreclosed property to BCC would constitute an unlawful restraint on the Conservator’s statu-. tory authority to dispose of an asset of the conservatorship on terms that it deems appropriate. In response, however, the plaintiffs argue that the anti-injunction provision is inapplicable because the defendants have failed to show that FHFA took any action or exercised its powers as a Conservator with respect to Freddie Mac’s sales of foreclosed homes.

This is not the first time these issues have arisen in the context of a lawsuit challenging Freddie Mac’s refusal to sell foreclosed property to BCC. In Massachusetts v. Fed. Hous. Fin. Agency, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by its then-Attorney General, Martha Coakley, brought claims against Freddie Mac, FHFA and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) alleging, inter alia, that Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s refusal to sell foreclosed homes to BCC violated Section 35C(h) of the Massachusetts Foreclosure Law and constituted an unfair or deceptive business. practice in violation of Chapter 93A. See Massachusetts v. Fed. Hous. Fin. Agency, 54 F.Supp.3d 94, 97 (D.Mass.2014) (the “Commonwealth Action”). As in this case, the plaintiff in that action sought to enjoin Freddie Mac from enforcing its policy on sales of foreclosed homes. Id. On July 14, 2014, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) & (6) in which they argued that the anti-injunction provision of HERA barred the court from granting such relief. Id. On October 21, 2014, the court (Stearns, J.), issued a decision allowing the motion to dismiss, holding that HERA’s anti-injunc[165]*165tion clause applied and that the court lacked authority to consider the Commonwealth’s claims on the merits. Id. at 101-02.

Following Judge Stearns’ issuance of his decision in the Commonwealth Action, this court heard oral argument on the pending motions for summary judgment and took the matter under advisement. Shortly thereafter, the Commonwealth filed a notice of appeal in the Commonwealth Action. Because the appeal presented issues that were identical to the issues presented to this court on summary judgment, it was prudent to await a ruling from the First Circuit before addressing the parties’ cross-motions. Accordingly, this court continued to hold the matter under advisement pending a decision from the Court of Appeals.

Eventually, the defendants notified this court that the Commonwealth, by its new Attorney General, Maura Healey, had filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss its appeal in the Commonwealth Action, and that the First Circuit had allowed the motion and entered Judgment accordingly. (Docket No. 96 at Ex. A). The record does not indicate why the .Commonwealth decided to abandon its appeal. In any event, as a result of that action, Judge Stearns’ decision in the Commonwealth Action remains unchallenged, and the issues presented on summary judgment in the present case must now be decided without the benefit of a ruling from the First Circuit.

After careful consideration of the undisputed facts set forth in the record, as well as the parties’ written submissions and their oral arguments, this court finds that HERA’s anti-injunction clause bars this court’s jurisdiction over the claims asserted in Count I of the Sueros’ complaint. Therefore, and for all the reasons set forth below, the plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment as to Count I is DENIED, and the defendants’ cross-motion for partial summary judgment as to Count I is ALLOWED.

II. STATEMENT OF FACTS3

The following facts are undisputed unless otherwise indicated.

[166]*166The Parties

The plaintiffs, Ramon and Rosanna Sue-ro, are the former owners and current occupants of residential property that is located on Elder Street in Dorchester, Massachusetts (the ‘'Property”). (PF ¶ 1). The Sueros purchased the Property for $283,000 on August 31, 2006. (Id. ¶ 3). They refinanced their mortgage approximately two years later, on August 7, 2007. (Id. ¶ 4). In connection with the refinancing, the Sueros granted a mortgage to the Mortgage Hlectronic Registration System for $298,000. (Id.). The mortgage was subsequently assigned to Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC (“Ocwen”), which became the servicer of the loan. (See id. ¶ 5; DR ¶ 5; Compl. (Docket No. 1) at Ex. I ¶ 2). This case arises out of events that occurred after the Sueros defaulted on their mortgage and Ocwen foreclosed on their home.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
123 F. Supp. 3d 162, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108981, 2015 WL 4919999, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/suero-v-federal-home-loan-mortgage-corp-mad-2015.