The Bank of New York v. Davis, J.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 15, 2016
Docket2073 EDA 2015
StatusUnpublished

This text of The Bank of New York v. Davis, J. (The Bank of New York v. Davis, J.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
The Bank of New York v. Davis, J., (Pa. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

J-A24001-16

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

THE BANK OF NEW YORK, FKA THE BANK IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEE FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA CERTIFICATE HOLDERS OF CWALT, INC. ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2007-ITI, MORTGAGE-PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-ITI

v.

JAMES R. DAVIS, JR. SHEILA DAVIS

Appellants No. 2073 EDA 2015

Appeal from the Order Entered June 23, 2015 In the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County Civil Division at No(s): 09791 May Term 2014

BEFORE: BOWES, OTT AND SOLANO, JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY BOWES, J.: FILED SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

James R. Davis, Jr. and Sheila Davis (collectively the “Davises”) appeal

from June 23, 2015 order granting summary judgment in favor of The Bank

of New York, f/k/a the Bank of New York as Trustee for the Certificate Holder

of CWALT, Inc. Alternative Loan Trust 2007-1T1, Mortgage-Pass-Through

Certificates, Series 2007-1T1 (“BNY”). We affirm.

We summarize the facts as presented by the trial court. See Trial

Court Opinion, 12/7/15, at 2-3. The Davises executed a mortgage, which

was recorded, securing the real property located at 1503 Grasshopper Road,

Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. This mortgage secured a promissory note J-A24001-16

the Davises provided to Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. (“Countrywide”) in

consideration of a loan to them in the amount of $420,880.72, with

payments to commence on March 1, 2007. On April 1, 2013, the Davises

defaulted on the note and mortgage by failing to make their monthly

payment. As a result, Countrywide provided them with the requisite notice

of default, Act 91 notice, and notice of its intention to foreclose.

On June 21, 2013, the mortgage was assigned to BNY. That

assignment was properly recorded, and, on May 2, 2014, BNY commenced

the underlying mortgage foreclosure action by the filing of a complaint in

mortgage foreclosure. The Davises filed an answer to BNY’s complaint,

attaching duly-signed copies of the mortgage and the note. Subsequently,

BNY filed a motion for summary judgment, which the court granted in its

favor. The Davises filed a timely appeal and complied with the court’s

directive to file a Rule 1925(b) statement of errors complained of on appeal,

and the court issued its Rule 1925(a) opinion.

The Davises raise one issue for our consideration: “Did the trial court

commit an error of law in granting foreclosing lender’s motion for summary

judgment when Appellee lacked ‘authority’ by not holding nor possessing a

prejudgment negotiated transfer of note through the chain of loan title?”

Appellant’s brief at 8.

Our scope and standard of review of a trial court’s order granting

summary judgment is as follows.

-2- J-A24001-16

In reviewing an order granting summary judgment, our scope of review is plenary, and our standard of review is the same as that applied by the trial court . . . [a]n appellate court may reverse the entry of a summary judgment only where it finds that the lower court erred in concluding that the matter presented no genuine issue as to any material fact and that it is clear that the moving party was entitled to judgment as a matter of law. In making this assessment, we view the record in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, and all doubts as to the existence of a genuine issue of material fact must be resolved against the moving party. Where our analysis involves solely questions of law, our review is de novo.

Thus, our responsibility as an appellate court is to determine whether the record either established that the material facts are undisputed or contains insufficient evidence of facts to make out a prima facie cause of action, such that there is no issue to be decided by the fact finder.

Gerber v. Piergrossi, 2016 WL 3414993 (Pa.Super. 2016) at *3 (citation

omitted).

The Davises contend that BNY lacks standing to foreclose on the

mortgage since it did not produce a properly endorsed or transferred note.

They assert further that, without proof that BNY is in possession of the note,

it lacks authority to foreclose. Thus, the Davises maintain, there exists a

genuine issue of material fact until BNY provides evidence that it holds their

note, and summary judgment is inappropriate.

The Honorable Thomas C. Branca authored a thorough and well-

reasoned opinion rejecting the Davises’ challenge to BNY’s standing to

foreclose. After reviewing the certified record and the parties’ briefs, we

affirm on the basis of the trial court’s opinion. See Trial Court Opinion,

12/7/15, at 7-10 (concluding BNY adequately demonstrated its status as real

-3- J-A24001-16

party in interest by attaching copies of the note, endorsed in blank, to its

complaint, and by attaching an affidavit to its motion for summary

judgment, to the effect that it was in possession of the original note; the

trial court observed the Davises did not offer evidence to contradict BNY’s

averments and did not seek discovery, but rather, attached a copy of the

same note to its answer to BNY’s complaint, thereby conceding that the

holder of the note was entitled to enforcement).

Order affirmed.

Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq. Prothonotary

Date: 9/15/2016

-4- Circulated 08/31/2016 02:43 PM

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA ClVIL ACTION - LAW

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON NO. 14~09791 FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS 2073 EDA 2015 TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICA TEHOLDERS OF CW ALT, INC. ALTERNTATIVE LOAN TRUST 2007*1 Tl. MORTGAOE-PASS~THROUGH: CERTIFICATES, SERlES 2007~1Tl 101,J..097'>1-IJOJf,12 'f"Wl ~ J:l'J P\C i1 W58<>7GJ Plaintiff Opinfon v. R~'l)tr.72593466 l'u::S0.00 ~ Ind. I~\)'· ~font(.'!)l'rulhon<>lllry

JAMES R. DAVIS, JR. AND SHEILA DAVIS: Defendants

OPINION

December 7, 2015

I. INTRODUCTION

James R. Davis, Jr. and Sheila Davis (collectively, "Defendants") appeal pro se'

from this Court's Order, dated June 23, 2015, granting Plaintiff, Bank of New York

Mellon f/k/a Bank ofNew York's ("BNY")2 Motion for Summary Judgment and

entering judgment, in rem) in favor of BNY and against Defendants in the amount of

$428,836.43, plus interest at the per diem rate of $6 J .33 until judgment is paid in full plus

any additional recoverable costs and charges collectible under the subject Mortgage. For

the reasons that follow, Defendants' appeal is without merit and the Court's Order, dated

June 23, 2015, should be AFFIRMED.

I While tho Court is cognizant of Defendants' prose status on appeal, Defendants are bound and obligated to comply with the relevant rules of procedural and substantive law. See Jones v, Rudenstetn, 585 A.2d 520, 522 {Pa, Super, Ct. 1991) (Citing Farretta v. California, 422 U.S. 806, 834 n. 46 (1975)). Of note, however, is Defendants' recent retention of David Michelson, Esquire, as counsel who filed his entry of appearance on Octoher 28, 2015.

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