Wepsic v. Josephson (In Re Wepsic)

231 B.R. 768, 1998 WL 1037587
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. California
DecidedSeptember 1, 1998
Docket19-00446
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 231 B.R. 768 (Wepsic v. Josephson (In Re Wepsic)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wepsic v. Josephson (In Re Wepsic), 231 B.R. 768, 1998 WL 1037587 (Cal. 1998).

Opinion

*769 MEMORANDUM DECISION

JOHN J. HARGROVE, Bankruptcy Judge.

On April 10, 1998, debtor Dianne Mannion Wepsic (“Wepsic”) filed this adversary complaint against Jackie Josephson (“Josephson”) to determine the allowance of Josephson’s claim and the validity and extent of Josephson’s secured status. Wepsic alleged that Josephson violated the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”) and California law 1 and, therefore, sought to avoid Josephson’s secured lien on her residence. The parties filed cross motions for summary judgment.

This Court has jurisdiction to determine this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1334 and 157(b)(1) and General Order No. 312-D of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. This is a core proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(B) and (K).

FACTS

On October 24, 1996, Wepsic obtained a loan from Josephson in the amount of $76,560 which was secured by a second deed of trust on her residence in Del Mar. The purpose of the loan was to pay off an existing second trust deed securing an obligation to Sea Coast Financial in the amount of $26,593.98 and to obtain a substantial amount of cash for her personal use. A California licensed real estate and mortgage broker, John Con-Ion (“Conlon”) assisted the parties with the loan documentation. Wepsic was provided with a number of documents, 2 including inter alia, the Truth in Lending Disclosure Statement (“Disclosure Statement”). The loan closed on or about November 1, 1996, with monthly interest payments of $892.56 per month, commencing December 1, 1996. The final payment of one month’s interest plus the principal balance was due on December 1, 2003.

*770 After payment of the prior second trust deed and fees and costs associated with the loan, Wepsic received net proceeds in cash of $37,176.98. In addition, six months of payments, for payments due December 1, 1996 through May 1, 1997, were held in escrow by Josephson and subsequently credited for the first six months of payments. The loan’s interest rate was 13.99% per annum.

Wepsic defaulted when her first payment came due on June 1, 1997. Wepsic also defaulted on her payments to the first trust deed holder causing Josephson to advance $18,137.78 prior to Wepsic filing her bankruptcy.

On October 20, 1997, Wepsic filed her chapter 13 bankruptcy petition. Wepsic initially scheduled Josephson’s debt as secured, but on March 28, 1997, Wepsic filed a Notice of Rescission with Josephson regarding the loan agreement between them. Wepsic amended her schedules to reflect the debt owed to Josephson as unsecured in the amount of $48,000.

Wepsic’s Del Mar residence is allegedly worth between $1.3 and $1.6 million. [Trial Transcript 16:20-21], After subtracting the secured obligations on the property, including Josephson’s interest, Wepsic has over $500,000 in equity. Wepsic’s residence is currently listed for sale.

Josephson is a 54-year-old retired individual who invested a portion of her life savings in this loan.

DISCUSSION

A. STANDARD FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT.

Rule 56(c) of the Federal Rule Civil Procedure (“FRCP”) made applicable to adversary proceedings by Fed. R. Bankr.P. 7056, provides that summary judgment:

[S]hall be rendered forthwith 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 3 and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.

FRCP 56(c).

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has summarized the standards for granting summary judgment as follows:

We must determine, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmov-ing party, whether there are any genuine issues of material fact and whether the district court correctly applied the relevant substantive law. Hughes v. U.S., 953 F.2d 531, 541 (9th Cir.1992).... The party moving for summary judgment must show by “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, ... that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); see Hughes, 953 F.2d at 541. Once the moving party meets its initial burden, the nonmoving party must go beyond the pleadings and, by its own affidavits or by the depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, come forth with specific facts to show that a genuine issue of material fact exists. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e); see Hughes, 953 F.2d at 541-42. When the nonmoving party relies only on its own affidavits to oppose summary judgment, it cannot rely on con-clusory allegations unsupported by factual data to create an issue of material fact. See U.S. v. 1 Parcel of Real Property, 904 F.2d 487, 492 n. 3 (9th Cir.1990) (citing Marks v. U.S., 578 F.2d 261, 263 (9th Cir.1978)).

*771 Hansen v. U.S., 7 F.3d 137, 138 (9th Cir.1993).

Josephson admits to several errors in making the loan, 4 but contends she is entitled to summary judgment because any violations of the TILA were merely technical. Alternatively, Josephson contends she is entitled to reformation of the loan documents to conform to the parties’ intentions at the time of contracting.

Wepsic moves for summary judgment on the grounds that there is no issue of material fact with respect to Josephson’s violations of the TILA Therefore, Wepsic alleges she is entitled to rescind the loan transaction as a matter of law.

B. Truth in Lending Violations.

The TILA is a disclosure statute, codified at 15 U.S.C. §§ 1601-1667

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

James v. GMAC Mortgage LLC
772 F. Supp. 2d 307 (D. Maine, 2011)
Garcia v. Wachovia Mortgage Corp.
676 F. Supp. 2d 895 (C.D. California, 2009)
In Re Williams
330 B.R. 534 (M.D. Louisiana, 2005)
Ray v. Citifinancial, Inc.
228 F. Supp. 2d 664 (D. Maryland, 2002)
Alicea v. Citifinancial Services, Inc.
210 F. Supp. 2d 4 (D. Massachusetts, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
231 B.R. 768, 1998 WL 1037587, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wepsic-v-josephson-in-re-wepsic-casb-1998.