Velasco v. Security National Mortgage Co.

823 F. Supp. 2d 1061, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 118956, 2011 WL 4899935
CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedOctober 14, 2011
DocketCV. No. 10-00239 DAE KSC
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 823 F. Supp. 2d 1061 (Velasco v. Security National Mortgage Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Velasco v. Security National Mortgage Co., 823 F. Supp. 2d 1061, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 118956, 2011 WL 4899935 (D. Haw. 2011).

Opinion

ORDER: (1) GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTIONS TO DISMISS; AND (2) DISMISSING WITH PREJUDICE PLAINTIFFS’ SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT

DAVID ALAN EZRA, District Judge.

On October 13, 2011, the Court heard Defendants BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP (“BAC”), Bank of America (“BOA”), and Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.’s (“MERS”) Motion to Dismiss (Doc. #47) and Defendant Security National Mortgage Company’s (“Security”) Motion to Dismiss (Doc. # 48.). James H. Fosbinder, Esq., appeared at the hearing on behalf of Plaintiffs Absalon S. Velasco, Say P. Velasco, and Garry S. Velasco (collectively, “Plaintiffs”); Patricia J. McHenry, Esq., appeared at the hearing on behalf of Defendants BAC, BOA, and MERS; Michael C. Bird, Esq., appeared on behalf of Defendant Security. After reviewing the motions and the supporting and opposing memoranda, the Court GRANTS Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss and DISMISSES WITH PREJUDICE Plaintiffs’ Second Amended Complaint.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiffs executed a note dated December 21, 2007, which is secured by a mortgage that was recorded in the Bureau of Conveyances on December 28, 2007 (“Mortgage”).1 (“SAC,” Doc. # 45 Ex. A.) [1064]*1064The real property at issue in this loan transaction is located at 534 Kuikahi Drive, Wailuku, Hawaii 96793 (the “Subject Property”). (Id.) Defendant Security is listed on the Mortgage as the originating lender and MERS is listed as the mortgagee “acting solely as nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns.” (Id.) On August 26, 2009, MERS executed an assignment, which purports to transfer to BAC Home Loans Servicing “all of its right, title and interest” in the Mortgage (“Assignment”). (SAC, Ex. B.) This Assignment was recorded in the State of Hawaii Bureau of Conveyances on January 12, 2010 as Document Number 2010-004727. (Id.) On or about December 24, 2009, BAC recorded a Notice of Mortgagee’s Intention to Foreclose Under Power of Sale, which advised of BAC’s intention to sell the Subject Property. (SAC, Ex. C.)

On April 23, 2010, Plaintiffs filed a Complaint in this Court against Defendants Security, BOA, MERS, BAC, and Does 1-20 (collectively, “Defendants”), alleging that Plaintiffs had been lured into a predatory mortgage loan. (Doc. # 1.) On September 16, 2010, Defendants BAC and BOA filed a Motion to Dismiss, or in the Alternative, for a More Definite Statement (“First Motion”). (Doc. # 12.) On January 13, 2011, the Court granted the First Motion and dismissed the Complaint with leave to amend. (Doc. # 31.) On February 11, 2011, Plaintiffs filed a First Amended Complaint (“FAC”). (Doc. # 32.) On February 25, 2011, Defendants BAC, BOA, and MERS filed a Motion to Dismiss the FAC (“Second Motion”). (Doc. #34.) Security filed a Motion for Joinder on April 19, 2011. (Doc. # 38.) On May 24, 2011, 2011 WL 2117008, the Court granted both the Second Motion and the Motion for Joinder and dismissed the FAC with leave to amend. (Doc. #44.) On June 9, 2011, Plaintiffs filed a Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”). (Doc. # 45.) Plaintiffs allege the following causes of action in the SAC:

Count I: Slander of Title. (SAC ¶¶ 46-54.)
Count II: Conspiracy to Slander Title. (SAC ¶¶ 55-63.)
Count III: Unfair or Deceptive Acts and Practices. (SAC ¶¶ 64-72.)
Count IV: Breach of Contract. (SAC ¶¶ 73-78.)

On June 28, 2011, BAC, BOA, and MERS filed the instant Motion to Dismiss the SAC. (Doc. # 47.) On June 29, 2011, Security filed a separate Motion to Dismiss the SAC. (Doc. #48.) On August 22, 2011, Plaintiffs filed an Opposition to BAC, BOA, and MERS’ Motion to Dismiss.2 (Doc. # 62.) On August 30, 2011, BAC, BOA, and MERS filed a Reply in support of their Motion. (Doc. # 66.)

STANDARD OF REVIEW

1. Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim

Pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“Rule”), a motion to dismiss will be granted where the plaintiff fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. A complaint may be dismissed as a matter of law for one of two reasons: “(1) lack of a cognizable legal [1065]*1065theory, or (2) insufficient facts under a cognizable legal claim.” Robertson v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., 749 F.2d 530, 534 (9th Cir.1984) (citation omitted). Allegations of fact in the complaint must be taken as true and construed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. See Livid Holdings Ltd. v. Salomon Smith Barney, Inc., 416 F.3d 940, 946 (9th Cir.2005).

A complaint need not include detailed facts to survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss. See Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555-56, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007). However, in providing grounds for relief, a plaintiff must do more than recite the formulaic elements of a cause of action. See id. at 556-57, 127 S.Ct. 1955; see also McGlinchy v. Shell Chem. Co., 845 F.2d 802, 810 (9th Cir.1988) (“[Cjonclusory allegations without more are insufficient to defeat a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim.”) (citation omitted). “The tenet that a court must accept as true all of the allegations contained in a complaint is inapplicable to legal conclusions,” and courts “are not bound to accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (internal quotations and citations omitted). Thus, “bare assertions amounting to nothing more than a formulaic recitation of the elements” of a claim “are not entitled to an assumption of truth.” Moss v. U.S. Secret Service, 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir.2009) (“[T]he nonconclusory ‘factual content,’ and reasonable inferences from that content, must be plausibly suggestive of a claim entitling the plaintiff to relief.”) (internal quotations and citations omitted).

A court looks at whether the facts in the complaint sufficiently state a “plausible” ground for relief. See Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955. A plaintiff must include enough facts to raise a reasonable expectation that discovery will reveal evidence and may not just provide a speculation of a right to relief. Id. at 586, 127 S.Ct. 1955. When a complaint fails to adequately state a claim, such deficiency should be “exposed at the point of minimum expenditure of time and money by the parties and the court.” Id. at 558, 127 S.Ct. 1955 (citation omitted). If a court dismisses the complaint or portions thereof, it must consider whether to grant leave to amend. Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1130 (9th Cir.2000) (finding that leave to amend should be granted “if it appears at all possible that the plaintiff can correct the defect”) (internal quotations and citations omitted).

II. Sua Sponte Dismissal

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Bluebook (online)
823 F. Supp. 2d 1061, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 118956, 2011 WL 4899935, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/velasco-v-security-national-mortgage-co-hid-2011.