U.S. Bank Trust v. Bouras

CourtSuperior Court of Maine
DecidedNovember 16, 2016
DocketCUMre-16-148
StatusUnpublished

This text of U.S. Bank Trust v. Bouras (U.S. Bank Trust v. Bouras) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
U.S. Bank Trust v. Bouras, (Me. Super. Ct. 2016).

Opinion

STATE OF MAlNE . STATE OF MAINE ';umberland. s~. Clerl(sOffice SUPERIOR COURT CUMBERLAND, SS. CIVIL ACTION NOV 17 2016 DOCKET NO. CUMSC-RE-16-148

U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ~ECEIVED ) ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR ) WATERFALL OLYMPIC MASTER ) FUND GRANTOR TRUST, SERIES I, ) Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale ) Title to Real Estate is Involved Plaintiff, ) ) 11 Town Hall Place & 8 Pleasant St. v. ) Brunswick, ME 04011 ) Cumberland County Registry of DIMITRI J. BOURAS, ) Deeds, Book 25946, Page 1 ) Defendant. )

ORDER AND JUDGMENT

Before the court are (1) Defendant's motion to dismiss Plaintiffs complaint for

commercial foreclosure and breach of contract, (2) Plaintiffs motion for summary judgment. 1

The court elects to decide both motions without oral argument. See M.R. Civ. P. ,(b )(7).

For the following reasons, Defendant's motion is denied and Plaintiffs motion 1s

granted.

I. Background

On March 31, 2008, Defendant executed and delivered to Banco Popular North America

("Banco") a promissory note in the amount of $420,000.00. (Supp. S.M.F. ~ 2.) To secure the

note, Defendant executed and delivered to Banco a mortgage on property located at 11 Town

Hall Place and 8 Pleasant Street, which does not serve as Defendant's primary residence. (Id.

~~ 3-4, 12.) Also on March 31, 2008, Defendant executed and delivered to Banco an

1 Also before the court is the purported entry of appearance of 11 Town, LLC, which was filed November 8, 2016. 11 Town, LLC is not named as a party-in-interest in the case and has not filed any motion to intervene. An alleged party-in-interest cannot simply enter an appearance in a pending case-a motion to intervene is necessary. Also, the entry of appearance refers to a counterclaim that has not been filed in this case (and that cannot be unless intervention is granted). Accordingly, the entry of appearance is a nullity and is not addressed further.

1 assignment of rents collected at 11 Town Hall Place and 8 Pleasant Street. (Id. ~~ 5-6.) On

October 2, 2014, Banco endorsed the note to Sutherland Asset I, LLC, which subsequently

endorsed the note in blank. (Id. ~ 7.) On December 16, 2014, Banco assigned the mortgage and

assignment of rents to vVaterfall Olympic Master Fund Grantor Trust, Series I. (Id. ~ ~ 8-9. )

Plaintiff US Bank Trust National Association brings this action as Trustee for Waterfall

Olympic Master Fund Grantor Trust, Series I.

Plaintiff alleges that Defendant has defaulted on the note, mortgage, and assignment of

rents and that, as a result, Defendant owes: the remaining principal balance of $388,492.20, plus

interest of $63,518.18, late fees of $2,051.03, processing fees of $850.00, advances of $8,724.92,

and attorneys' fees and costs of $7,527.65. (Id.~~ 11, 14.)

Plaintiff filed a complaint on May 5, 2016. In the complaint, Plaintiff alleged: count I,

foreclosure and count II, breach of contract. Also on May 5, 2016, Plaintiff filed a motion for

appointment of a receiver. On June 10, 2016, the court appointed Kevin O'Donovan to act as

receiver. Defendant was served on June 8, 2016 and answered the complaint on June 27, 2016.

The case went to foreclosure mediation, but was removed from the foreclosure diversion

program because the property is not the Defendant's primary residence.

Plaintiff filed a motion for summary judgment on August 29, 2016 . Defendant has not

filed an opposition to Plaintiffs motion. Defendant filed a motion to dismiss with prejudice on

October 11, 2016. Plaintiff filed an opposition to Defendant's motion on October 28, 2016.

II. Analysis

A. Motion to Dismiss

Defendant argues that the court should dismiss Plaintiffs complaint with prejudice

because Mr. O'Donovan allegedly identified himself as the owner of 11 Town Hall Place and 8

Pleasant Street, broke into these properties, changed the locks, and negotiated a lease for an

2 apartment at 8 Pleasant Street. (Def.'s Mot. Dismiss 1.) Defendant's allegations do not offer a

basis for dismissal. See M.R. Civ. P . 12(b)(1)-(1). Further, the court has appointed Mr.

O'Donovan to act as receiver in this case, and his alleged actions are not inconsistent with his

responsibilities as receiver. (See 6/10/16 Order (2)(b)-(c), (h).) On this record, there is no

foundation for dismissing Plaintiffs complaint with prejudice.

B. Motion for Summary Judgment

Summary judgment is appropriate when the pleadings, depositions, answers to

interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no

genuine dispute of material fact and that any party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

M.R. Civ. P. 56( c). A genuine dispute exists "when sufficient evidence requires a fact-finder to

choose between competing versions of the truth at trial." Parrish v. Wright, 2003 ME 90, ~ 8,

828 A.2d 'i''i'S. "To avoid a summary judgment, the nonmoving party must respond by filing (1)

a memorandum of law in opposition to the motion for summary judgment; (2) a statement of

material facts in opposition, with appropriate record references; and (s) copies of the

corresponding record references." Levine v. R.B.K. Caly Corp., 2001 ME 71, ~ 6, 770 A.2d 653. I

Defendant has not filed the required material. Still, even when a summary judgment

motion is unopposed, the court has an independent obligation to review the entire record and

satisfy itself that the moving party is entitled to summary judgment.

By failing to file an opposing statement of material facts, Defendant has admitted the

facts contained in Plaintiffs statement of material facts. M.R. Civ. P. 56(h)(4). As a result,

there is no genuine dispute as to whether a contract exists between Plaintiff and Defendant.

Plaintiff has provided the note, mortgage, and assignment of rents, as well as the assignments

from Banco to Plaintiff (Supp. S.M.F. ~ ~ 2-9; Exs. A-E.) There also is no genuine dispute as to

whether Defendant is in default of the note, mortgage, and assignment of rents. Plaintiff has

3 provided a statement of Defendant's account with Plaintiffs servicer, KeyBank National

Association, which shows that Defendant is in default in the amount of $465,636 ..33. (Supp.

S.M.F. ~ 14; Ex. F.) The statement is supported by the affidavit of KeyBank employee Grant

vVinemiller, which meets the foundational requirements of the business records exception. M.R.

Evid. 80.3(6). As a result, no genuine dispute of fact exists on this record.

III. Conclusion

Based on the entirety of the record, the court concludes that Defendant's allegations

regarding Mr. O'Donovan do not warrant dismissal. Plaintiffs unopposed statement of material

facts shows that there is no genuine dispute as to whether Defendant breached its contract with

Plaintiff under the note, mortgage, and assignment ofrents.

The court further finds as follows:

1. The names and addresses of all parties and their counsel of record are:

Plaintiff U.S. Bank c/o Patrick C. Lever, Bar No. 5104 Attorney for Plaintiff Preti Flaherty Beliveau & Pachios LLP One City Center Portland, M~ 04101

Dimitri J. Bouras P.O. Box 1121 Kennebunkport, ME 04046

2. All parties received notice of the proceedings in this action, and the notice was given in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure.

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Related

Parrish v. Wright
2003 ME 90 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2003)
Levine v. R.B.K. Caly Corp.
2001 ME 77 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2001)
St. Paul Insurance v. Hayes
2001 ME 71 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2001)

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