U.S. Bank National Ass'n v. Smith

365 P.3d 389, 137 Haw. 53, 2016 Haw. App. LEXIS 9
CourtHawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 11, 2016
DocketNo. CAAP-14-0001018
StatusPublished

This text of 365 P.3d 389 (U.S. Bank National Ass'n v. Smith) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
U.S. Bank National Ass'n v. Smith, 365 P.3d 389, 137 Haw. 53, 2016 Haw. App. LEXIS 9 (hawapp 2016).

Opinion

Opinion of the Court by

FOLEY, J.

Defendants-Appellants Daniel Smith and Tammy Smith (together, Smiths) appeal from the following, entered on June 26, 2014 in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit1 (circuit court): (1) “Order Granting Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment for Ejectment Against Ml Defendants, Filed December 4, 2013;” (2) “Notice of Entry of Judgment/Order;” and (3) “Final Judgment Entered Against Ml Defendants.”

On appeal, the Smiths contend the circuit court erred by granting summary judgment in favor of Plaintiff-Appellee U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee, on Behalf of the Holders of the Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp Home Equity Pass Through Certificates, Series 2006-8 (U.S. Bank).

I. BACKGROUND

On September 5, 2006, the Smiths executed a promissory note (Note) from Lime Financial Services, Ltd. (Lime Financial). As security for the Note, the Smiths executed a mortgage (Mortgage) on the property located at 49-078 Johnson Road, Kaneohe, Ha-[54]*54wail 96744 (Property) to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS) as nominee for Lime Financial. On December 1, 2006, MERS assigned the Mortgage to U.S. Bank. The assignment was recorded in the State of Hawaii Bureau of Conveyances (Bureau of Conveyances) on August 13, 2007 as document number 2007-144774.

The Smiths failed to pay the amount due and owing according to the Note and Mortgage, and U.S. Bank sent the Smiths a notice of default on May 5, 2008. On July 16, 2009, U.S. Bank held a public auction of the Property and the Property was subsequently sold to U.S. Bank as the highest bidder. U.S. Bank executed a Quitclaim Deed for the Property and the Quitclaim Deed was recorded in the Bureau of Conveyances on September 23, 2009 as document number 2009-146406.

On October 20, 2009, U.S. Bank filed a “Complaint for Ejectment” (Complaint), alleging the Smiths were “still remaining on the [Property] as trespassers and/or uninvited guests and lessees.” On February 23, 2010, U.S. Bank filed a “Motion for Summary Judgment, and For Writ of Ejectment Against [the Smiths]” (First MSJ). On March 10, 2010, the Smiths filed a “Memorandum in Opposition to [U.S. Bank’s First MSJ]” (Memorandum in Opposition to First MSJ). In their Memorandum in Opposition to First MSJ, the Smiths argued, inter alia, that summary judgment in favor of U.S. Bank was not appropriate because the Note and Mortgage were void. Specifically, the Smiths argued that Lime Financial violated the Federal Truth-in-Lending Act (TILA) and engaged in Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices (UDAP) in violation of Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) chapter 480. The circuit court denied the First MSJ on March 29, 2010 after a hearing held March 17, 2010.2

On December 4, 2013, U.S. Bank filed a “Motion for Summary Judgment For Ejectment against [the Smiths]” (Second MSJ). The Smiths did not file a memorandum in opposition to U.S. Bank’s Second MSJ. Instead, on February 26, 2014, the Smiths’ counsel filed a “Declaration of Counsel for [the Smiths] in Opposition to [U.S. Bank’s Second MSJ]” (Declaration) stating that “because [U.S. Bank’s] motion raises nothing new and is therefore precluded, it should be denied by the Court for the reasons previously argued by [the Smiths] in their [Memo in Opposition to First MSJ], which is attached and reincorporated herein.” Counsel for the Smiths did attach the Memorandum in Opposition to First MSJ as an exhibit to the Declaration. The circuit court held a hearing on U.S. Bank’s Second MSJ on March 6, 2014 and took the matter under advisement.

On June 26, 2014, the circuit court entered its “Order Granting Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment for Ejectment Against All Defendants, Filed December 4, 2013,” granting U.S, Bank’s Second MSJ. In its order, the circuit comí; determined:

1. The three-year statute of repose under 15 U.S.C. § 1635(f) [ (2011) ] ha[d] expired on [the Smiths’] [TILA] claims.
2. [The Smiths’] UDAP defenses cannot be asserted against [U.S. Bank] because [U.S. Bank] did not originate the loan.
3. [U.S. Bank’s] [Second MSJ] is GRANTED for the reasons set forth above.
2. [sic] The non-judicial foreclosure held on July 16, 2009, for the Property ... is CONFIRMED.
3.[sie] The Court shall award, pursuant to [HRS] § 603-36, a Writ of Ejectment against [the Smiths] and all other persons claiming by, under and through [the Smiths’] possession of the Property.

On June 26, 2014, the circuit court also entered its “Final Judgment Entered Against [the Smiths],” the “Notice of Entry of Judg-menVOrder,” and the “Writ of Ejectment.”

On July 25, 2014, the Smiths filed their notice of appeal.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

[An appellate] court reviews a trial court’s grant of summary judgment de novo, O'ahu Transit Servs., Inc. v. Northfield Ins. Co., 107 Hawaii 231, 234, 112 [55]*55P.3d 717, 720 (2005). The standard for granting a motion for summary judgment is well settled:
Summary judgment is appropriate if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. A fact is material if proof of that fact would have the effect of establishing or refuting one of the essential elements of a cause of action or defense asserted by the parties. The evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. In other words, [the appellate court] must view all of the evidence and the inferences drawn therefrom in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion.
Price v. AIG Hawai'i Ins. Co., 107 Hawai'i 106, 110, 111 P.3d 1, 5 (2005) (original brackets and citation omitted).

Kamaka v. Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel, 117 Hawai'i 92, 104, 176 P.3d 91, 103 (2008).

III. DISCUSSION

A. TILA

The Smiths contend the circuit court erroneously found that the Smiths did not timely exercise them right to rescind their loan under TILA. In granting U.S., Bank’s Second MSJ, the circuit court found the Smiths could not bring a TILA claim to rescind the loan because “[t]he statute of repose under 15 U.S.C § 1635(f)[3] ha[d] expired on [the Smiths’] Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”) claims.”

15 U.S.C. § 1635(f) provides that “[a]n ob-ligor’s right of rescission shall expire three years after the date of consummation of the transaction or upon the sale of the property, whichever occurs first[,]” The United States Supreme Court in Jesinoski v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., — U.S. —, 135 S.Ct.

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Related

Harper v. Virginia Department of Taxation
509 U.S. 86 (Supreme Court, 1993)
Larry Jesinoski v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc.
729 F.3d 1092 (Eighth Circuit, 2013)
Oahu Transit Services, Inc. v. Northfield Insurance Co.
112 P.3d 717 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2005)
Price v. AIG Hawaii Ins. Co., Inc.
111 P.3d 1 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2005)
Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union v. Keka
11 P.3d 1 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2000)
Kamaka v. Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel
176 P.3d 91 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2008)
Jesinoski v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc.
135 S. Ct. 790 (Supreme Court, 2015)
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Bluebook (online)
365 P.3d 389, 137 Haw. 53, 2016 Haw. App. LEXIS 9, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/us-bank-national-assn-v-smith-hawapp-2016.