Wolf v. Federal National Mortgage Ass'n

830 F. Supp. 2d 153, 2011 WL 5881764, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135259
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Virginia
DecidedNovember 23, 2011
DocketCase No. 3:11-cv-00025
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 830 F. Supp. 2d 153 (Wolf v. Federal National Mortgage Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wolf v. Federal National Mortgage Ass'n, 830 F. Supp. 2d 153, 2011 WL 5881764, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135259 (W.D. Va. 2011).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

NORMAN K. MOON, District Judge.

In this action, Plaintiff Elayne Wolf (“Wolf’) seeks rescission of her home mortgage loan under the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”), 15 U.S.C. § 1601, et seq. On August 30, 2011, I denied Defendants’ motions to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), finding that they were moot in light of Wolfs filing of an amended complaint on August 22, 2011. However, I gave Defendants leave to re-file their motions within fourteen days, which they in turn did. This matter is now before the Court upon consideration of Defendants’ motions to dismiss Wolfs amended complaint. For the reasons that follow, I will grant Defendants’ motions.

I. Background

As amended, the complaint alleges that Wolf owned a home in Charlottesville, Virginia, and that on May 14, 2007, she refinanced her home mortgage loan through MetroCities Mortgage, LLC (“MetroCities”). Her loan from MetroCities was evidenced by a note secured by a deed of trust, and was secured by a lien on the home. One purpose of the home loan was to enable Wolf to refinance debt she owed to Countrywide Home Loans (“Countrywide”). The deed of trust named Mortgage Electronic Systems, Inc. (“MERS”) as the lender’s nominee, and MERS held legal title as to rights conveyed by the deed of trust and could take certain actions on behalf of the lender, including foreclosure.

Ultimately, Wolf defaulted under the terms of her mortgage loan, and, on or about March 12, 2010, she received a letter from the Law Offices of Shapiro & Burson, LLP informing her of her rights and alter[157]*157natives to foreclosure. On March 30, 2010, MERS assigned the deed of trust to BAC Home Loans Servicing LP (“BAC”), a former subsidiary of Defendant Bank of America, N.A. (“Bank of America”).1 On that same date BAC appointed Defendant Professional Foreclosure Corporation of Virginia (“PFC”) as substitute trustee in place of the original trustee under the deed of trust, Michael J. Barrett (“Barrett”). BAC instructed PFC to foreclose, and PFC advertised a foreclosure sale for May 5, 2010. On May 2, 2010, just a few days before the date of the scheduled foreclosure sale, Wolf attempted to rescind her mortgage loan pursuant to TILA by mailing a notice of rescission to BAC. As a result, BAC temporarily cancelled the foreclosure sale; however, PFC did later conduct the foreclosure sale in July 2010. Defendant Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) purchased the property at the foreclosure sale, and the property was transferred by trustee’s deed to Fannie Mae on or about October 7, 2010.

Thereafter, Fannie Mae instituted an unlawful detainer action against Wolf in the General District Court of Albemarle County. On March 18, 2011, the general district court entered an order awarding possession of the home to Fannie Mae. Subsequently, Wolf timely perfected an appeal to the Circuit Court of Albemarle County for a trial de novo.2 Wolf filed her initial complaint in this action on February 24, 2011 in the same court. PFC removed the action to this Court on March 21, 2011.

In her amended complaint, Wolf submits that she is entitled to have the home loan on which she defaulted rescinded pursuant to TILA. First, she alleges that the original lender, MetroCities, materially under-disclosed the applicable finance charge that was assessed as part of obtaining the loan. Second, Wolf alleges that her right to rescind the loan itself was not properly disclosed. In addition, Wolf asserts that both the assignment of the note from MERS to BAC and BAC’s appointment of PFC as substitute trustee were invalid. The amended complaint also arguably makes out claims for fraud (against Bank of America and PFC), defamation (against PFC), and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing (against Bank of America).3 With respect to relief, Wolf requests the entry of a declaratory judgment that her notice of rescission is valid and an order returning the home’s title to her. Additionally, Wolf seeks statutory damages under TILA, compensatory and punitive damages, and attorney’s fees.

II. Standard of Review

A motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) tests the legal sufficiency of a complaint to determine whether the plaintiff has properly stated a claim; “it does not resolve contests surrounding the facts, the merits of a claim, or the applicability of defenses.” Republican Party of N.C. v. Martin, 980 F.2d 943, 952 (4th Cir.1992). In considering a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, a court must accept all factual allegations in the complaint as true and must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the plaintiff. Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94, 127 S.Ct. 2197, 167 L.Ed.2d 1081 (2007). Le[158]*158gal conclusions in the guise of factual allegations, however, are not entitled to a presumption of truth. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1950-51, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). Although a complaint “does not need detailed factual allegations, a plaintiffs obligation to provide the grounds of his entitle[ment] to relief requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of a cause of action’s elements will not do.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (citations and quotations omitted). Thus, “[f]actual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level.” Id.

In sum, Rule 12(b)(6) does “not require heightened fact pleading of specifics, but only enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Id. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955. Consequently, “only a complaint that states a plausible - claim for relief survives a motion to dismiss.” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1950.4 If, after accepting all well-pleaded allegations in the plaintiffs favor, it appears that the plaintiff cannot prove any set of facts in support of his claim entitling him to relief, a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) should be granted. Edwards v. City of Goldsboro, 178 F.3d 231, 244 (4th Cir.1999).

III. Discussion

A. TILA

In enacting TILA, Congress found “that economic stabilization would be enhanced ... by the informed use of credit.” 15 U.S.C. § 1601(a). Accordingly, TILA’s principal goal is the “meaningful disclosure of credit terms.” Id. TILA’s rescission provisions support this goal.

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Bluebook (online)
830 F. Supp. 2d 153, 2011 WL 5881764, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135259, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wolf-v-federal-national-mortgage-assn-vawd-2011.