Trustees of MacIntosh Condominium Ass'n v. FDIC

908 F. Supp. 58, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20291, 1995 WL 763420
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedDecember 19, 1995
DocketNos. 94-30252 KPN to 94-30258 KPN
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 908 F. Supp. 58 (Trustees of MacIntosh Condominium Ass'n v. FDIC) 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
Trustees of MacIntosh Condominium Ass'n v. FDIC, 908 F. Supp. 58, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20291, 1995 WL 763420 (D. Mass. 1995).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER OF COURT WITH RESPECT TO PLAINTIFF’S AND DEFENDANTS’ CROSS MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (Docket Nos. 12 and U)

NEIMAN, United States Magistrate Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Presently before the Court are Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment under Fed. R.Civ.P. 56 (Docket No. 14) and Defendant’s motion to dismiss or alternatively for summary judgment (Docket No. 12). Plaintiffs are the duly elected trustees of the Macintosh Condominium Association (“Association”), the organization of unit owners of the Macintosh Condominiums located at 385 Worthington Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. Defendant is the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) as receiver and liquidating agent for Heritage Bank for Savings. The matter concerns individual actions brought by the Association to collect unpaid common area charges on seven different condominium units. All seven actions involve common questions of fact and law.

On December 6, 1994, the parties’ motion to consolidate the seven cases was allowed by the Court in order to promote the speedy and inexpensive determination of the matter. In accord with the provisions of 28 U.S.C. 636(e) and Fed.R.Civ.P. 73, the parties also voluntarily consented to have a United States Magistrate Judge conduct any and all further proceedings in the case, including trial and an order for entry of final judgment. See Order of Reference dated January 10, 1995. For the reasons set forth below, the Court denies Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment, denies Defendant’s motion to dismiss and allows Defendant’s motion for summary judgment.

II. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

There are no genuine or material facts in dispute between the parties. Condominium units numbered 3B, 6G, 2B, 2A, 6B, 4G and 4A are all located in the Macintosh Condominiums. The units were all assessed monthly common charges in accord with the condominium documents, including the master deed and the trust. The owners of the subject condominium units fell significantly in arrears with respect to these common charges. In addition, the owners of the units fell in arrears with respect to payment of first mortgage notes on each of the units. All the mortgages were originally granted to and held by Heritage Bank for Savings.

The FDIC, a party-in-interest, became receiver and liquidating agent for Heritage Bank for Savings when the bank failed. On June 10,1994, the FDIC sent to the Association by certified mail, return receipt requested, a Mortgagee’s Notice of Sale of Real Estate by which the Association was notified that a foreclosure auction for each of the units was scheduled for June 28, 1994 at 12:00 noon. Included with the letter was the Mortgagee’s Notice of Sale of Real Estate. See Motion to Dismiss or Alternatively for Summary Judgment, Exhibit A. On June 28, 1994, the FDIC conducted the foreclosure sale of the units and entered the highest bid for each of the units, which bids were accepted by the auctioneer. On July 13, 1994, the FDIC sent a letter to the Association’s counsel, informing him that the foreclosure sale had resulted in the purchase by the FDIC of the units and indicating that the FDIC’s property manager would be in contact with the Association “concerning common charges due from the date of the foreclosure sale forward for the units purchased ...” Id., Exhibit B. The foreclosure deed to the FDIC for each unit was executed on August 29, 1994 and recorded with the Hampden County Registry of Deeds on September 19, 1994.

On July 18, 1994, the FDIC received from the Association a Notice of Delinquency to First Mortgagee, dated July 7, 1994, with regard to each of the units. In each notice, the Association indicated that the owners of the particular condominium unit were delinquent in the payment of common expenses. The delinquencies were also said to carry legal fees of $495 for each unit. These same notices, dated variously in July of 1994, were [61]*61sent to those individuals who were owners of the condominiums prior to the foreclosure on June 28, 1994. Subsequently, on July 21, 1994, thirty day notices pursuant to M.G.L. ch. 183A, § 6 were sent out by the Association’s attorney. This Notice to Mortgagee of Intent to Institute Action to Enforce Lien now included higher legal fees in the amount of $795 for each of the units.

On August 15, 1994, the FDIC, through counsel, wrote to the Association’s counsel and acknowledged receiving the notices with respect to the Association’s claim that common charges, which became delinquent during ownership of the property by the previous owners of the property, were never paid. The FDIC informed counsel, however, that the Association “could only have a lien superior to that [f]irst mortgage if a lawsuit to enforce the lien was brought prior to the foreclosure sale.” Id., Exhibit C. There being no evidence that a suit was filed, the FDIC asserted that the foreclosure sale extinguished the Association’s liens against the units and declined payment of condominium fees prior to June 28, 1995.

By letter dated August 16, 1994, the Association’s counsel informed the FDIC of his disagreement with the interpretation of the Massachusetts Condominium Act. See id., Exhibit A. Counsel also indicated that the FDIC would be responsible for six months of common area charges, attorney’s fees and costs and that nothing required the filing of a suit by the Condominium Association prior to the foreclosure sale. Id.

On August 29, 1994, the Association commenced suit against each of the unit owners and the FDIC as a party-in-interest, claiming a priority afforded by the Massachusetts Condominium Act, M.G.L. eh. 183A, for unpaid common charges, costs, and attorney’s fees and seeking payment. The suits were originally filed in the Springfield district court. The Association alleged that the former owners of the condominiums owed the condominium fees and that those unpaid fees were a lien on the condominium (Count II) and that the lien had “super priority” status to the extent of any fees which became due in the six months prior to the institution of the action (Count III). The Association also named as defendants any individual or institution who might have held a second mortgage on the various condominiums.

All of the non-FDIC Defendants, i.e., the former owners and holders of second mortgages, defaulted in the state court. Each matter was then removed to this Court by the FDIC pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 1819(b)(2)(B), which enables the FDIC to remove any action from a state court to an appropriate United States District Court, and 28 U.S.C. § 446, which establishes the procedure for removal. Since Count I of each of the Association’s complaints is directed at the individual former owners of the applicable condominium, only Counts II and III are before this Court. As indicated, the seven individual actions have been consolidated.

III. MOTION TO DISMISS

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Bluebook (online)
908 F. Supp. 58, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20291, 1995 WL 763420, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/trustees-of-macintosh-condominium-assn-v-fdic-mad-1995.