Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Meyers

108 A.D.3d 9, 966 N.Y.S.2d 108

This text of 108 A.D.3d 9 (Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Meyers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Meyers, 108 A.D.3d 9, 966 N.Y.S.2d 108 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Dickerson, J.

[11]*11Introduction

The much-publicized subprime mortgage crisis, the impact of which would be difficult to exaggerate, devastated the financial markets, domestically and globally (see Jenny Anderson & Heather Timmons, Why a U.S. Subprime Mortgage Crisis Is Felt Around the World, NY Times, Aug. 31, 2007). A primary component of this phenomenon was an explosion in mortgage foreclosures in this country, beginning in 2007 (see Hon. Mark C. Dillon, The Newly-Enacted CPLR 3408 for Easing the Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis: Very Good Steps, but not Legislatively Perfect, 30 Pace L Rev 855, 855-856 [2010]; Nelson D. Schwartz, Can the Mortgage Crisis Swallow a Town?, NY Times, Sept. 2, 2007). In an effort to address the mortgage foreclosure crisis in New York, the legislature passed the Subprime Residential Loan and Foreclosure Law (see L 2008, ch 472; see also Hon. Mark C. Dillon, 30 Pace L Rev at 856). This law enacted, among other statutes, CPLR 3408, effective on August 5, 2008 (see L 2008, ch 472, § 3).

CPLR 3408 provides for mandatory settlement conferences in certain residential foreclosure actions (see former CPLR 3408). In 2009, shortly after the passage of the Subprime Residential Loan and Foreclosure Law, the legislature amended a number of the recently enacted statutes, including CPLR 3408 (see L 2009, ch 507). The purposes of the amendments were to allow more homeowners at risk of foreclosure to benefit from consumer protection laws and opportunities to prevent foreclosure; to establish certain requirements for plaintiffs in foreclosure actions obligating them to maintain the subject properties; to establish protections for tenants living in foreclosed properties; and to strengthen consumer protections aimed at defeating “rescue scams” (Governor’s Approval Mem, Bill Jacket, L 2009, ch 507 at 5). The 2009 amendments include a provision requiring that “[b]oth the plaintiff and defendant shall negotiate in good faith to reach a mutually agreeable resolution, including a loan modification, if possible” (CPLR 3408 [f]).

While CPLR 3408 (f) requires the parties at a settlement conference to negotiate in good faith, that section “does not set forth any specific remedy for a party’s failure” to do so (Hon. Mark C. Dillon, 30 Pace L Rev at 875). In the absence of specific statutes and rules to establish the consequences for a party’s failure to comply with the good-faith obligation imposed by CPLR 3408 (f), the Supreme Court here fashioned its own remedy. While we agree with the Supreme Court’s finding that the [12]*12plaintiff lender failed to negotiate in good faith, for the reasons which follow, we conclude that the remedy employed by the court, which compels the plaintiff to modify its loan agreement, cannot stand.

Factual and Procedural Background

On September 2, 2009, the plaintiff Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as successor to Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Inc. (hereinafter Wells Fargo), commenced this action in the Supreme Court, Suffolk County, to foreclose on three consolidated mortgages. The mortgaged premises were located in Deer Park. The defendant Paul Meyers (hereinafter Paul) allegedly executed the underlying note, and Paul and the defendant Michela Meyers (hereinafter Michela) (hereinafter together the defendants) were the mortgagors.

In its complaint, Wells Fargo alleged that the defendants defaulted on the consolidated mortgages by failing to make the monthly payment due on February 1, 2009, and that Wells Fargo elected to call due the entire amount secured by the consolidated mortgages, in the principal sum of $310,467.70, plus interest at a rate of 5.75% accruing from January 1, 2009. Wells Fargo also alleged that it was the holder of the note and mortgage being foreclosed. However, Wells Fargo subsequently indicated that the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, commonly known as Freddie Mac, was actually the owner of the note and mortgage, and Wells Fargo was the servicer.

According to the defendants, when they refinanced their loan in 2004, their initial monthly payments were approximately $2,200. By December 2008, the payments had increased to $2,785.64. At some point, Paul, a New York City Police Officer, had his overtime hours decreased, and he also lost his second job. In or about November 2008, Michela contacted Wells Fargo about a loan modification. The defendants did not receive a response from Wells Fargo until January 2009. Michela was informed that the defendants would be required to default on the mortgage for a period of three months in order to qualify for a modification.

Although they had never previously defaulted on their monthly mortgage payments, based on the instructions of Wells Fargo representatives, the defendants stopped tendering their monthly mortgage payments. During the following three months, Michela called Wells Fargo “every couple of weeks” for assistance. According to Michela, in April 2009, a Wells Fargo [13]*13representative informed her that the defendants had been accepted into a loan modification program. To initiate the program, the defendants were required to make a down payment in the sum of $2,826.50. According to Michela, she had already submitted the down payment, along with a hardship letter and the financial documentation requested by Wells Fargo. However, Michela claimed that the Wells Fargo representatives repeatedly told her that Wells Fargo had misplaced the documents, and that they required updated documents.

In August 2009, the defendants received a trial modification offer from Wells Fargo under the Federal Home Affordable Modification Program (also referred to as the Home Affordable Mortgage Program [hereinafter HAMP]). This initial modification offer required the defendants to make three trial payments in the amount of $1,955.49. The defendants signed the forms to accept the trial modification offer on September 1, 2009. The defendants made the trial payments. Michela contacted Wells Fargo to inquire about final modification status, and she was informed that the matter remained under review.

The initial modification offer indicated, among other things, that, so long as the defendants complied with the terms of the offer, Wells Fargo would not foreclose on the mortgage during the trial period. Nonetheless, Wells Fargo commenced this foreclosure action on September 2, 2009. Wells Fargo representatives would later state that they “had no idea” why the defendants had been served with a summons and complaint.

Thereafter, Wells Fargo informed the defendants that, due to a miscalculation, a second three-month trial period was required with slightly lower monthly payments. The defendants accepted the second HAMP trial modification offer and made the trial payments of approximately $1,898 per month. However, on April 28, 2010, Wells Fargo sent the defendants a letter denying their request for modification. The letter indicated that the defendants did not qualify for a HAMP modification since their monthly housing expense was less than 31% of their gross monthly income.

According to Michela, when the parties appeared for a conference before a referee, Wells Fargo indicated that it would send the defendants another modification offer within five to seven days. However, on May 20, 2010, the defendants received another letter indicating that Wells Fargo could not modify the terms of the mortgage.

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Bluebook (online)
108 A.D.3d 9, 966 N.Y.S.2d 108, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wells-fargo-bank-na-v-meyers-nyappdiv-2013.