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The Bankers’ Subversion of the Rule of Law, Notary and Land Records edition

The Bankers’ Subversion of the Rule of Law, Notary and Land Records edition


Abigail C. Filed-

Hi

For the next couple of weeks, I’m one of the David Dayen subs at FireDogLake–no one person could fill his shoes–and this post ran there earlier today. This version is slightly updated but essentially the same.

One way to see the double standard at the heart of the foreclosure fraud—one set of laws for the bailed out banks, one for the rest of us—is to focus on the role of notaries public, and then consider that role in light of what our Supreme Court said about notaries in 1984, in a case called Bernal v. Fainter, Secretary of State of Texas.

First, let’s recap the role of notaries in the foreclosure fraud crisis: Notaries are the people who verify that someone actually is who they say they are when that person signs a document. Because banks and their agents industrialized “Document Execution” as part of their foreclosure business model, notaries did not do their jobs. Notaries’ failure to verify identities has been so complete that many people will sign as one person, say, “Linda Green.” Notaries have also been told to sign documents using one name, and then notarize their own “surrogate” signature. “Well, what’s the big deal?” bank defenders say. Beyond the fact that there’s no “business convenience” exception to following the rule of law, consider Bernal.

Bernal involved Texas’s requirement that all notaries be citizens; lawful permanent resident aliens need not apply. Bernal challenged the Constitutionality for the citizenship requirement. To rule on the question, the Court had to consider what notaries did, and whether or not what notaries did was so political, so central to representative democracy, that limiting being a notary to citizens was rational. In finding that notaries were important but not political officers of the state, the Court made some observations of note.

[REALITY CHECK]

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Onewest Bank v Cumberbatch | NYSC “failed to offer any evidence to demonstrate the establishment of a FDIC receivership in connection with IndyMac Bank, F.S.B.”

Onewest Bank v Cumberbatch | NYSC “failed to offer any evidence to demonstrate the establishment of a FDIC receivership in connection with IndyMac Bank, F.S.B.”


NEW YORK SUPREME COURT – QUEENS COUNTY

ONEWEST BANK, FSB as successor in
Interest to INDYMAC BANK, FSB
Plaintiff,

-against-

KATHLEEN CUMBERBATCH,
Defendant.

EXCERPT:

A plaintiff establishes that it has standing where it demonstrates that it is both the
holder or assignee of the subject mortgage and the holder or assignee of the underlying note
(see Bank of N.Y. v Silverberg, 86 AD3d 274 [2011]; U.S. Bank, N.A. v Collymore,
68 AD3d 752 [2011]).

The subject mortgage names IndyMac Bank, F.S.B. as the lender,3 and the note is
made payable to IndyMac Bank, F.S.B. and does not bear any endorsement. Plaintiff
OneWest alleged in its complaint, and when seeking the judgment, that it is the “holder” of
the subject mortgage and underlying note. It makes no claim that it is a holder of the subject
mortgage and note based upon the assignment4 offered by defendant Cumberbatch in support
of her motion. Rather, plaintiff OneWest asserts that IndyMac Bank, F.S.B. went into
receivership and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), as receiver, transferred
the assets of IndyMac Bank, F.S.B. to IndyMac Federal Bank, FSB on July 11, 2008.

Plaintiff OneWest also asserts that all assets of IndyMac Federal Bank, FSB, including the
subject note, thereafter were sold on March 19, 2009 to OneWest.

Plaintiff OneWest, however, has failed to offer any evidence to demonstrate the
establishment of a FDIC receivership in connection with IndyMac Bank, F.S.B., the note was
part of the assets of such FDIC receivership, or the FDIC, as receiver, transferred such assets
to IndyMac Federal Bank, FSB. Furthermore, the copy of the bill of sale presented by
plaintiff OneWest indicates that the FDIC, as receiver of IndyMac Federal Bank, FSB, sold
only those “Assets,” as defined in a “Servicing Business Asset Purchase Agreement” dated
March 19, 2009, to OneWest. Plaintiff OneWest has not presented evidence of the
establishment of an FDIC receivership in connection with IndyMac Federal Bank, FSB, or
a copy of the March 19, 2009 agreement (or relevant parts thereof), to show the subject note
was one of the assets sold to OneWest. Nor has plaintiff OneWest presented any evidence
that it was in physical possession of the note at the time of the commencement of the action
and the note was endorsed in its favor or in blank (see UCC § 1-201[20] [“ ‘[h]older’ means
a person who is in possession of a document of title or an instrument or an investment
certificated security drawn, issued or indorsed to him or to his order or to bearer or in
blank”]). Under these circumstances, defendant Cumberbatch has presented a possible
meritorious defense based upon lack of standing (see generally Bank of N.Y. v Silverberg,
86 AD3d 274 [2011]; U.S. Bank, N.A. v Adrian Collymore, 68 AD3d 752 [2009]).

[…]

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Review Finds Possible Flaws in More Than 138,000 Bank Foreclosures

Review Finds Possible Flaws in More Than 138,000 Bank Foreclosures


Not this word again “Flaw”…it’s FULL   B L O W N   FRAUD!

Why wasn’t this review done prior to any settlement? Because they never began any investigation.

DealBook-

The nation’s biggest banks may have put the huge $25 billion settlement over bad foreclosure practices behind them, but that doesn’t mean their mortgage troubles are over.

A separate review — this time by independent consultants on behalf of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency — flagged more than 138,000 cases for possible flaws in the foreclosure process at the nation’s largest mortgage servicers. Those include foreclosures involved with the so-called robo-signing scandal, in which bank representatives churned through hundreds of documents a day in foreclosure proceedings without reviewing them for accuracy.

[DEALBOOK]

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Fed Targets Eight More Firms in Foreclosure Probe

Fed Targets Eight More Firms in Foreclosure Probe


NYT-

Federal regulators are poised to crack down on eight financial firms that are not part of the recent government settlement over home foreclosure practices involving sloppy, inaccurate or forged documents.

Last week, a senior Federal Reserve official recommended fines for these additional financial institutions, raising questions about how deep foreclosure problems run through the banking industry.

In addition, judges, lawyers and advocates for homeowners say that people are still losing their homes despite improper documentation and other flaws in the foreclosure process often involving these firms.

The eight firms cited by the Federal Reserve — HSBC’s United States bank division, SunTrust Bank, MetLife, U.S. Bancorp, PNC Financial Services, EverBank, OneWest and Goldman Sachs — should be fined for “unsafe and unsound practices in their loan servicing and foreclosure processing,” Suzanne G. Killian, a senior associate director of the Federal Reserve’s Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, told lawmakers last month in a House Oversight Committee hearing in Brooklyn.

[NEW YORK TIMES]

Click here to read Judge Schack Slams Foreclosure Firm Rosicki, Rosicki & Associates, P.C. “Conflicted Robosigner Kim Stewart”, the case mentioned in the article.

Click here to read about robo-signer Marti Noriega in OREGON DISTRICT COURT ISSUES A TRO AGAINST MERS, BofA and LITTON, the case mentioned in the article.

Last from this article is the one and only Erica Johnson-Seck…

INDYMAC FED. BANK FSB v. GARCIA | NYSC Vacates Default JDGMT “Robo-Signer, Fraudulent Erica Johnson-Seck Affidavit”

Full Deposition Of ERICA JOHNSON SECK Former Fannie Mae, WSB Employee

[NYSC] Judge Finds Issues With “NOTE AMOUNTS”, Robo Signer “ROGER STOTTS” Affidavit: ONEWEST v. GARCIA

[NYSC] JUDGE SCHACK TAKES ON ROBO-SIGNER ERICA JOHNSON SECK: DEUTSCHE BANK v. MARAJ (1) (64.591)

[NYSC] JUDGE SCHACK TAKES ON ROBO-SIGNER ERICA JOHNSON SECK: DEUTSCHE BANK v. HARRIS (2) (70.24)

[NYSC] JUDGE SCHACK TAKES ON ROBO-SIGNER ERICA JOHNSON SECK: ONEWEST BANK v. DRAYTON (3)

Wall Street Journal: Foreclosure? Not So Fast

ONEWEST BANK ‘ERICA JOHNSON-SECK’ ‘Not more than 30 seconds’ to sign each foreclosure document

INDYMAC’S/ONEWEST FORECLOSURE ‘ROBO-SIGNERS’ SIGNED 24,000 MORTGAGE DOCUMENTS MONTHLY

WM_Deposition_of_Erica_Johnson-Seck_Part_I

Deposition_of_Erica_Johnson-Seck_Part_II

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[Video] Oral Arguments; Washington Supreme Court, BAIN v. MERS and Selkowitz v. Litton Loan Servicing

[Video] Oral Arguments; Washington Supreme Court, BAIN v. MERS and Selkowitz v. Litton Loan Servicing


Counsels for Kristin Bain & Kevin Selkowitz attorneys Melissa Huelsman and Richard Jones (great voice) did a FANTASTIC, OUTSTANDING JOB!!!

BOMBSHELL: Listen and watch when they ask MERS’ counsel “Who is the holder of the note”? HE DOES NOT KNOW & CANNOT ANSWER!

Oral arguments: Bain v. Mortgage Electronic Registration Sys, et al and Selkowitz v. Little “Litton” Loan Servicing, LP, et al. (May a party be a lawful beneficiary under WA’s Deed of Trust Act if it never held the promissory note secured by the deed of trust?)

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State Supreme Court to rule on legality of mortgage recording system (MERS)

State Supreme Court to rule on legality of mortgage recording system (MERS)


KOMO NEWS-

For the first time, a local homeowner’s fight to keep a house is headed to the state Supreme Court.

What happens there will effect thousands of people who’ve taken out mortgage loans in the past 10 years. If you own property, you need to know about a system known as MERS.

MERS stands for Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems. It was created by the real estate finance industry to simplify the process of transferring mortgage loans.

But struggling homeowners complain MERS also conceals the true note holder when your mortgage is sold to investors.

Kristen Bain’s comfortable condo in Tukwila is tied up in the MERS debate. First, she had to sue her mortgage broker and the lender for predatory lending and failure to provide proper documentation as required by law.

[KOMO NEWS]

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Amicus Brief of Washington State Attorney General Robert M. McKenna – Bain v. Metropolitan Mortgage and Selkowitz v. Litton Loan Servicing LP “MERS”

Amicus Brief of Washington State Attorney General Robert M. McKenna – Bain v. Metropolitan Mortgage and Selkowitz v. Litton Loan Servicing LP “MERS”


SUPREME COURT OF
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

KRISTIN BAIN

vs

METROPOLITAN MORTGAGE GROUP INC. et al

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Bain v. MERS (Wash. Supreme Court) Amicus of Atty Shawn Newman on behalf of Organization United for Reform (OUR) – Washington

Bain v. MERS (Wash. Supreme Court) Amicus of Atty Shawn Newman on behalf of Organization United for Reform (OUR) – Washington


Bain v. Metropolitan is set for hearing on March 15. This is an amicus from attorney Shawn Timothy Newman for Organization United for Reform (OUR) – Washington.

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Robo-Signing Redux: Servicers Still Fabricating Foreclosure Documents

Robo-Signing Redux: Servicers Still Fabricating Foreclosure Documents


American Banker did an outstanding, superb job with this article. Please read.

American Banker-

Some of the largest mortgage servicers are still fabricating documents that should have been signed years ago and submitting them as evidence to foreclose on homeowners.

The practice continues nearly a year after the companies were caught cutting corners in the robo-signing scandal and about six months after the industry began negotiating a settlement with state attorneys general investigating loan-servicing abuses.

Several dozen documents reviewed by American Banker show that as recently as August some of the largest U.S. banks, including Bank of America Corp., Wells Fargo & Co., Ally Financial Inc., and OneWest Financial Inc., were essentially backdating paperwork necessary to support their right to foreclose.

[AMERICAN BANKER]

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Tellado v. INDYMAC MORTGAGE SVS | PA Dist. Court “OneWest Bank shall refund all payments made under the contract, cancel and return any negotiable instrument”

Tellado v. INDYMAC MORTGAGE SVS | PA Dist. Court “OneWest Bank shall refund all payments made under the contract, cancel and return any negotiable instrument”


JOSE TELLADO AND MARIA TELLADO, Plaintiffs,

v.


INDYMAC MORTGAGE SERVICES, a division of OneWest Bank, FSB, Defendant.

Civil Action No. 09-5022.

United States District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania.

August 8, 2011.

MEMORANDUM

PETRESE B. TUCKER, District Judge.

After a bench trial in this matter on November 8, 2010, and pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 52(a), the Court makes the following Findings of Fact:

1. This is an action for damages in connection with the mortgage refinancing services received by Plaintiffs, Jose and Maria Tellado, for their residential real property located at 519 Morris Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (the “Property”).

2. Plaintiffs, who are husband and wife, are also low-income senior citizens who speak primarily Spanish.

3. On or around June 2007, Plaintiff Jose Tellado heard a Spanish-language radio advertisement for mortgage refinance services. Plaintiff Mr. Tellado called the telephone number provided in the advertisement and reached a man named Carlos Enrique, and the two conversed exclusively in Spanish.

4. Mr. Enrique assisted Plaintiff Jose Tellado with the submission of a loan application. Mr. Enrique also arranged for a closing agent to visit the Tellado home with the loan documents.

5. On July 3, 2007, Mr. Philip Bloom, a closing agent and notary, came to the Property with the loan documents. Mr. Bloom acted as a representative of Indymac Bank, F.S.B., and had been provided instructions on how to conduct the loan closing. Plaintiffs received a copy of these instructions.

6. Plaintiffs saw the final loan terms for the first time in their home at closing.

7. The loan transaction, from the initial contact with Mr. Enrique until the loan closing, was conducted in Spanish.

8. The loan documents provided at the loan closing, including the Note, the Mortgage, and the Notice of Right to Cancel, were provided in English.

9. One of the loan documents received by the Plaintiffs was a Notice of Right to Cancel, a model form mandated by the Truth in Lending Regulation Z, referenced in section 226.23 of title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Appendix H.

10. Plaintiffs’ daughter, Marcelina Fuster, was present at the closing, at the suggestion of Mr. Enrique, to act as an interpreter. She assisted in translating the closing agent’s verbal instructions, as well as his explanations of the loan documents, from English to Spanish for the Plaintiffs. Ms. Fuster did not have the opportunity to read, nor to translate the loan documents themselves.

11. Plaintiffs are unable to read English and did not understand the contents of the documents that they were signing at closing. At the time of the closing, Plaintiffs had the intention of entering into a fixed rate mortgage. Plaintiffs were unaware that the first ten years of payments under the loan would not be applied to the principal, that the loan had an adjustable rate, or that the loan documents contained falsified information concerning their monthly income.

12. In connection with the July 3, 2007 transaction, Plaintiffs purchased the mortgage refinancing services for a price in excess of $25. The original lender in this transaction was Indymac Bank, F.S.B.

13. Subsequently, on July 11, 2008, Indymac Bank, F.S.B. went into receivership, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was appointed its receiver. As a result, certain assets and liabilities of Indymac Bank, F.S.B., including the Plaintiffs’ mortgage loan, were transferred to Indymac Federal Bank, F.S.B., for which the FDIC served as conservator.

14. Under a Master Purchase Agreement (the “MPA”) dated March 18, 2009, Defendant OneWest Bank, FSB (“OneWest Bank”), acquired the Plaintiffs’ loan, formerly held by Indymac Bank, F.S.B., from the FDIC.

15. In the MPA, Defendant agreed to assume certain liabilities associated with loans acquired from the FDIC. In Section 4.02 of the MPA, there are enumerated certain liabilities that the Defendant did not assume, however, such excluded liabilities are unclear, as Schedule 4.02(a) referenced in the MPA detailing excluded liabilities was not provided to the Court.

16. On August 5, 2009, Plaintiffs sent a Notice of Cancellation to Indymac Mortgage Services, a division of Defendant OneWest Bank, alerting the entity of Plaintiffs’ intention to file suit if a favorable response was not received within ten (10) days.

17. OneWest Bank failed to provide any response to the Notice of Cancellation within (10) ten days after receiving such notice. OneWest Bank responded to Plaintiffs in a letter dated October 15, 2009, denying Plaintiffs’ request to rescind the mortgage loan transaction.

18. After commencing this action on August 24, 2009, Plaintiffs began escrowing their monthly payments.

19. Plaintiffs ceased escrowing payments upon receipt from OneWest Bank of a Notice of Intention to Foreclose. Plaintiffs continued to make monthly payments to prevent foreclosure on the Property during the pendency of this action.

20. As of November 8, 2010, the bench trial date in this matter, Plaintiffs were up to date on their payment obligations under the loan at issue.

21. Plaintiffs seek:

a) Determination that the mortgage on their home is void following their submission to OneWest Bank of a notice of cancellation, as required under 73 P.S. § 201-7(g).

b) Determination that, by failing to honor the Notice of Cancellation and inform Plaintiffs of their intent to collect the proceeds of the loan within ten (10) business days as required under 73 P.S. § 201-7 (g), OneWest Bank has forfeited the right to any further payment.

c) If the mortgage is not cancelled, Plaintiffs seek in the alternative triple damages based on the amount of refunded payments they would have received, and the security instrument that would have been terminated if Defendant had taken the appropriate steps to cancel the loan as follows:

i) Triple damages based on the amount of payments made by Plaintiffs to date, at least $30,043.36, for a total of $90,130.08, pursuant to 73 P.S. § 201-9.2(a).

ii) Actual damages in the amount of the security instrument that OneWest failed to terminate, and which OneWest retains as a lien against Plaintiff’s home, in the amount of $115,000.00, pursuant to 73 P.S. § 201-9.2(a).

Conclusions of Law

A. Plaintiffs Asserted a Valid Claim for Damages Arising From OneWest’s Failure to Cancel the Mortgage Transaction

1. A Federal Law Preempts only State Law Directly in Conflict with the Scope of Such Federal Law

a) Generally, the law of preemption, which has its roots in the Supremacy Clause, dictates that federal law preempts state law when Congress has shown intent to create federal regulation in a particular field so pervasive as to leave no room for state supplementation.

b) Pursuant to 12 C.F.R § 545.2, The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) has the “plenary and exclusive power . . . to regulate all aspects of the operations of Federal savings associations, as set forth in section 5(a) of the [Home Owners Loan] Act. This exercise of the Office’s authority is preemptive of any state law purporting to address the subject of the operations of a Federal savings association.”

c) The OTS, however, makes an exception for, inter alia, state contract and commercial laws which only incidentally affect the lending operations of Federal savings associations or are otherwise consistent with the purpose of the regulation. 12 C.F.R. § 560.2(c)(1).

d) While the Third Circuit has not yet ruled on the preemptive relationship between the Home Owners Loan Act (“HOLA”) and the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, 73 P.S. §201-7 (“UTPCPL”), the Southern District of New York held that the New York Consumer Fraud Statute is not directly aimed at lenders, and has only an incidental impact on lending relationships without creating any conflict with the federal objectives identified in 12 C.F.R. § 560.2. Binetti v. Wash. Mut. Bank, 446 F. Supp. 2d 217 (S.D.N.Y. 2006).

e) In Binetti, the Southern District of New York pointed to a December 24, 1996, OTS opinion which concluded that the New York Consumer Fraud Statute is the type of commercial law designed to “establish the basic norms that undergird commercial transactions” that the OTS has indicated it does not intend to preempt. Id. at 219.

f) A state law that generally dictates the underpinnings of fair trade practices is distinguishable from a state law that is directly aimed at lenders, which courts See have consistently held to be preempted by HOLA and similar federal acts. Binetti v. Wash Mut. Bank at 220 (citing 1999 OTS LEXIS 4).

g) The Court, finding Binetti instructive, holds thatthe Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (“UTPCPL”) governs the customs and practices surrounding commercial transactions generally, and thus is not preempted by HOLA.

h) Similarly, the UTPCPL is not preempted by the Truth in Lending Act.

I) The Truth in Lending Act preempts state law only where the state law is in conflict. Jamal v. WMC Mortg. Corp., 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5076 (E.D. Pa. Mar. 28, 2005).

j) As noted in Jamal, “the TILA provides in relevant part at 15 U.S.C. § 1610(a)(1),

`Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section [relating credit and charge card application and solicitation disclosures], this part and parts B and C of this subchapter do not annul, alter, or affect the laws of any State relating to the disclosure of information in connection with credit transactions, except to the extent that those laws are inconsistent with the provisions of this subchapter and then only to the extent of the inconsistency. . . .'”

k) The Court in Jamal further notes that, “[s]imilarly, Regulation Z, 12 C.F.R. § 226.28(a) states in pertinent part:

`Inconsistent disclosure requirements. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section [relating to special rule for credit and charge cards], state law requirements that are inconsistent with the requirements contained in chapter 1 (General Provisions), chapter 2 (Credit Transactions), or chapter 3 (Credit Advertising) of the act and the implementing provisions of this regulation are preempted to the extent of the inconsistency. . . .'”

l) The Truth in Lending Act, which focuses on consumer credit disclosures, is not preempted by the UTPCPL, a state law only which generally governs commercial transactions, and is not aimed at federal consumer credit practices.

2. Plaintiffs have a valid claim under the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, 73 P.S. § 201-7 (UTPCPL) against OneWest Bank.

a) The loan transaction which Plaintiffs entered into on July 3, 2007 is governed by the door-to-door sales provisions of the UTPCPL. 73 P.S. § 201-7.

b) Under 73 P.S. § 201-7, the right to cancel is afforded “to any consumer who agrees to purchase goods or services with a value of $25 or more `as a result of or in connection with’ contact between the seller and the consumer at the consumer’s home.” Burke v. Yingling, 446 Pa. Super. 16, 21 (1995).

c) At trial, the Court determined that OneWest Bank qualifies as a seller within e definition of the UTPCPL.

d) In this case, the service provided, mortage refinancing, had a value of well over twenty-five dollars ($25).

e) Additionally, such services were contracted as a result of contacts between the Plaintiffs and One West Banka Plaintiffs’ residence, including a telephone call placed by Mr. Tellado from his joome, and the loan closing which occurred at the residence. Thus, as in Fowler v. Rauso, 425 B.R. 1657 (Bankr. E.D. Pa. 2010), the contacts made at the residence of the consumers result in this transaction falling within the scope of 73 P.S. § 201-7.

e) Under the door-to-door sales provision of the UTPCPL, at the time of the sale or contract the buyer shall be provided with a notice of cancellation written in the same language as that principally used in the oral sales presentation and also in English. 73 P.S. § 201-7(b).

f) The buyer shall also be informed in the notice to cancel that he may avoid the contract or sale by providing the seller with a written notice of cancellation within three business days after the date of the transaction. 73 P.S. § 201-7(b).

g) IndyMac Bank, F.S.B., the original mortgagee, did not provide any documents in Spanish, the language of the sales presentation, nor did IndyMac Bank, F.S.B. provide additional notifications of the right to cancel within three business days near the signature line of the Note or Mortgage, as required by the UTPCPL. 73 P.S. § 201-7(b).

h) Thus, IndyMac Bank F.S.B., a division of OneWest Bank, failed to provide proper notice of Plaintiffs’ right to cancel the transaction under the UTPCPL.

i) Further, the door-to-door sales notice to cancel requirements of the UTPCPL are not preempted by HOLA because they only incidentally affect the lending operations of OneWest and are consistent with the purpose of the HOLA.

j) The Court finds that “[t]he UTPCPL is a law of general applicability, and not targeted directly at banking or lending.” Poskin v. TD Banknorth, N.A., 687 F. Supp. 2d 530 (W.D. Pa. 2009).

k) While the Third Circuit has not issued a ruling directly addressing the issue at hand, courts within the Ninth Circuit have provided some guidance.

l) In Reyes v. Premier Home Funding, Inc., 640 F. Supp. 2d. 1147 (N.D.Cal. 2009), the Court considered HOLA’s preemption of the California Translation Law (CTA), which requires that a translation of a contract or agreement be provided in the language in which the contract or agreement was negotiated. The Court held that the CTA was not preempted by HOLA because it did not require any specific statements, information or other content to be disclosed and because it only affects lending incidentally. Id. at 1155 (emphasis added).

m) Reyes, as well as the case at issue, is distinguishable from several other Ninth Circuit cases which called for federal preemption of state regulations.

n) Where the state regulation in question regards specific processing, servicing, or disclosure policies or concerns the substantive financial terms of the loan, preemption has been deemed necessary. See Parcray v. Shea Mortg., Inc., 2010 WL 1659369 (E.D. Cal. Apr. 23, 2010)(concluding that HOLA preempts Cal. Civ. Code § 2923.5 because it “concerns the processing and servicing of [the plaintiff]’s mortgage”); Odinma v. Aurora Loan Servs., 2010 WL 1199886 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 23, 2010); Murillo v. Aurora Loan Servs., LLC, 2009 WL 2160579 (N.D. Cal. July 17, 2009); Silvas v. E*Trade Mortg. Corp., 421 F. Supp. 2d 1315 (S.D. Cal., 2006) (concluding that where federal law preempts an “entire field,” a state’s provision of remedies for a violation of federal law amounts to a form of state regulation of the affected area and is thus preempted).

o) As in Reyes, the Court finds that notice of right to cancel in this matter was incidental to the larger mortgage refinancing transaction, and thus is not preempted by HOLA or TILA, as discussed above.

B. Plaintiffs Fulfilled their Burden of Proof and are Entitled to Damages under the PA UPTCPL

1. The cancellation period provided for in 73 P.S. § 201-7(e) shall not begin to run until buyer has been informed of his right to cancel and has been provided with the required copies of the “Notice of Cancellation.”

2. Because Plaintiffs never received the proper notification of their right to cancel under the UTPCPL, the cancellation period provided for in 73 P.S. § 201-7(e) had not begun to run at the time Plaintiffs sent a Notice of Cancellation to Defendant on August 5, 2009.

3. Because no valid notice of cancellation was issued to Plaintiffs, Plaintiffs’ Notice of Cancellation was sent within the required time constraints pursuant to 73 P.S. § Plaintiffs are not required to show actual losses for remedies to be triggered under 73 P.S. § 201-7(g).

4. Relief granted to Plaintiffs shall be as follows:

a) Defendant OneWest Bank shall refund all payments made under the contract, cancel and return any negotiable instrument executed by the Plaintiffs in connection with the mortgage refinancing, and take any action necessary or appropriate to terminate promptly any security interest created in the mortgage refinancing transaction. 73 P.S. § 201-7(g).

b) Under 73 P.S. 201-9.2(a), the Court may, in its discretion, award up to three times the actual damages sustained [due to “deceptive practices”, as statutorily defined], but not less than one hundred dollars ($100). The Court may provide such additional relief as it deems necessary or proper.

c) Because the acts in question do not rise to the level of unlawful deceptive practices required under 73 P.S. § 201-9.2(a), the Court declines to award damages permissible under this section.

An appropriate order follows.

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NY Judge Spinner Denies 86 Applications for JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AND SALE Due to No Affirmation by Plaintiff Counsel

NY Judge Spinner Denies 86 Applications for JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AND SALE Due to No Affirmation by Plaintiff Counsel


Excerpt:

Plaintiff has applied to this Court for the granting of a Judgment of Foreclosure & Sale pursuant to RPAPL § 1351. The express provisions of the Administrative Order of the Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts, no. A0548/10 require the filing of an Affirmation by Plaintiff’s counsel. No such Affirmation has been filed in this proceeding, in derogation of the aforesaid mandate. Accordingly, this application must be denied.

It is, therefore,

ORDERED that the within application by the Plaintiff shall be and the same is hereby denied without prejudice.

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FALSE STATEMENTS: In re Jessie M. Arizmendi, Bk. No. 09-19263-PB13, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of California

FALSE STATEMENTS: In re Jessie M. Arizmendi, Bk. No. 09-19263-PB13, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of California


By FRAUD DIGEST

False Statements

Brian Burnett
Freddie Mac
IndyMac Bank, FSB
MERS
OneWest Bank, FSB

Action Date: June 27, 2011
Location: San Diego, CA

California Bankruptcy Judge Laura Stuart Taylor has joined the ranks of judges who will not tolerate fraudulent documents produced by banks to foreclose. Judge Taylor entered an Order To Show Cause why OneWest Bank, FSB, should not incur “a significant coercive sanction intended to deter any future tender of misleading evidence to any court of this district.” Judge Taylor ordered OneWest to appear before her on July 29, 2011, to show cause as to why it should not be subject to compensatory and/or coercive sanctions, in the case In re Jessie M. Arizmendi, Bk. No. 09-19263-PB13, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of California. The case involves a motion for relief from stay filed by OneWest supported with a declaration of Brian Burnett, who declared under penalty of perjury that OneWest was the real party in interest in connection with the Motion because OneWest was the current beneficiary under the terms of a promissory note and Deed of Trust.

According to the Burnett declaration, OneWest received its interest in the Trust Deed pursuant to an Assignment from MERS. The assignment of the Trust Deed and the Note showed the transfer from MERS as nominee for the original lender directly to OneWest in 2010.

At trial, however, OneWest’s witness, Charles Boyle, testified that the beneficiary of the loan was actually Freddie Mac. Based on this conflict, the Court required post-trial briefings.

According to the Court, “OneWest, in its post-trial brief, provided a standing argument based on a new version of the Note, which attached an allonge dated July 24, 2007 evidencing a transfer from Original Lender to IndyMac Bank, FSB and bore an endorsement in blank from IndyMac Bank, FSB. This was new information not presented in the OneWest Declaration and this note was not identical to the note authenticated by the OneWest Declaration and attached to the OneWest Proof of Claim.

This Court is concerned, thus, that OneWest provided false or misleading evidence to the Court and that OneWest did so willfully, maliciously, in bad faith, and/or for an inappropriate purpose.”

According to research by Fraud Digest, Brian Burnett has used many different job titles when signing mortgage-related documents for OneWest, often using different titles on the same day, including:

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Acoustic Home Loans;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Aegis Wholesale Corporation;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for American Brokers Conduit;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Beach First National Bank;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Credit Suisse Financial Corp.;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for CTX Mortgage Company, LLC;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for DHI Mortgage Company, Ltd.;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Express Capital Lending;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Finasure Home Loans, LLC;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for First Magnus Financial Corporation;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for First Meridian Mortgage;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Flick Mortgage Investors, Inc.;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Home Loan Center, Inc. d/b/a LendingTree Loans;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Impac Funding Corp., d/b/a Impac Lending Group;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for IndyMac Bank, FSB;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for LoanCity;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for MortgageIt, Inc.;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for NetBank, a Federal Savings Bank;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for New American Funding, a California Corporation;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Opteum Financial Services, LLC;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for OneWest Bank, FSB;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Quicken Loans, Inc.;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Sloan Mortgage Group, Inc.;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for Taylor, Bean & Whitaker;

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for TM Capital, Inc.

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for d/b/a Fedfirst Mortgage Corporation; and

– Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for UBS AG.

July 29, 2011, may be the day that Brian Burnett and OneWest are held accountable for the thousands of mortgage assignments – with false statements regarding the history and ownership of mortgages – presented to courts to foreclose.



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IN RE ARIZMENDI | CA Bank. Court Denies Stay, Order to Show Cause “Contempt, Sanctions, (2) ONEWEST Notes; 1 Endorsed, 1 Unendorsed” “MERS Assignment”

IN RE ARIZMENDI | CA Bank. Court Denies Stay, Order to Show Cause “Contempt, Sanctions, (2) ONEWEST Notes; 1 Endorsed, 1 Unendorsed” “MERS Assignment”


In re: Jessie M. Arizmendi, Debtor.
OneWest Bank FSB, its assignees and/or successors, Moving Party,
v.
Jessie M. Arizmendi, Debtor; Thomas H. Billingslea, Chapter 13 Trustee; and Indymac Mortgage Services, Junior Lien, Respondents.

Bk. No. 09-19263-PB13, RS No. CNR-2.

United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. California.

May 26, 2011.

Not for Publication

MEMORANDUM DECISION

LAURA S. TAYLOR, Bankruptcy Judge


EXCERPTS:

Additional Briefing.

At the trial, the Court carefully considered the demeanor of the various witnesses and the testimony provided. In connection with the trial, the Court also reviewed all other evidence and argument appropriately before the Court. Notwithstanding, however, significant questions continued, and the Court required additional briefing in connection with several issues as outlined in the Order Setting Briefing Schedule, Outlining Preliminary Determinations, and Establishing Procedures for Final Resolution of Issues (Dkt. No. 56) (the “Briefing Order”).

OneWest’s post-trial documents provided the analysis and argument required by the Briefing Order. But, these documents also contained factual assertions inconsistent with the OneWest Declaration and the Claim. OneWest now provided a standing argument based on a new version of the Note (the “Endorsed Note”).[3] The Endorsed Note attached an allonge dated July 24, 2007 evidencing a transfer from Original Lender to “IndyMac Bank, FSB” and bore an endorsement in blank from IndyMac Bank F.S.B. OneWest argued in connection therewith that it had enforcement rights under the Endorsed Note as a holder notwithstanding the admittedly accurate testimony at trial indicating that OneWest is a servicer for Freddie Mac and not the secured creditor. The OneWest post-trial memorandum also references a separate agreement with Freddie Mac, but fails to further evidence or discuss this agreement. The OneWest post-trial memorandum, finally, bases a standing argument on physical possession of the Endorsed Note and OneWest’s alleged status as a trust deed beneficiary based on the Assignment.

[…]

But, there are key assumptions that the Court must make in order for this set of facts to withstand scrutiny. And they are that OneWest, in fact, holds the Endorsed Note and held the Endorsed Note at all appropriate points in time. Frankly, the Court is not willing to make such assumptions at this time. OneWest attached the Unendorsed Note to both its Proof of Claim and the Declaration. The Declaration stated under penalty of perjury, that the Unendorsed Note was a true and accurate copy of the Note held by OneWest. The Proof of Claim implicitly stated the same and OneWest, of course, is obligated to provide only accurate information in connection with its Proof of Claim. The problem is that the Unendorsed Note does not bear the endorsement or attach the allonge found on the Endorsed Note, a document produced only after trial and the close of evidence. One West, thus, leaves the Court with the quandary of guessing which promissory note OneWest holds, whether and when One West held the Endorsed Note, and what the explanation is for the failure to provide the Endorsed Note prior to the close of evidence.[10]

A further evidentiary anomaly arises on account of the Assignment; MERS executed this document as a nominee for the Original Lender. But the allonge to the Endorsed Note makes clear that the Original Lender assigned its interests in the Note more than three years prior to execution of the Assignment. And rights under the Trust Deed follow the Note. Polhemas v. Trainer, 30 Cal. 686, 688 (1866). Thus, MERS’ purported assignment of the Trust Deed and the related note as nominee for the Original Lender and without a reference to either IndyMac Bank, FSB or Freddie Mac appears designed to disguise rather than to illuminate the facts.

And finally, even if OneWest’s second post-trial discussion of standing and submission of evidence were accurate, one thing remains clear: OneWest failed to tell the true and complete story in the OneWest Declaration and in the Claim.

The Court is concerned, as a result, that OneWest does not hold the Endorsed Note. But, perhaps more significantly, the Court is concerned that OneWest has determined that business expediency and cost containment are more important than complete candor with the courts. On these points, Ms. Arizmendi has a right to be heard, and the Court has a right to explanation.

Further, this is not the first time that OneWest has provided less than complete information in the Southern District of California. See “Memorandum Decision Re Motion to Vacate Clerk’s Entry of Default and Motion to Dismiss Complaint; Order to Show Cause for Contempt of Court”, docket no. 39, Adv. Pro. 10-90308-MM (In re Doble; Bk. Case No. 10-11296) (Defendants, including OneWest, were neither candid nor credible in explaining failure to respond timely to complaint and submitted multiple and different notes as “true and correct”); “Order to Show Cause Why OneWest Bank, FSB and Its Attorneys Law Offices of Randall Miller and Christopher Hoo Should Not Appear Before the Court to Explain Why They Should Not Be Held in Contempt or Sanctioned”, docket no. 47, In re Carter, Bk. Case No. 10-10257-MM13 (among other things OneWest provides inconsistent evidence as to its servicer status); and “Order After Hearing to Show Cause Why Indymac Mortgage Services; OneWest Bank, FSB; Randall S. Miller & Associates, P.C.; Christopher J. Hoo; Barrett Daffin Frappier Treder & Weiss, LLP; and Darlene C. Vigil Should Not Appear Before the Court to Explain Why They Should Not Be Held in Contempt or Sanctioned”, docket no. 47, In re Telebrico, Bk. No. 10-07643-LA13 (Court concerned that OneWest provided evidence that was either intentionally or recklessly false).

The curious thing about these cases is that OneWest likely would prevail in each of them if it completely and candidly explained the basis for its motion and its standing in connection therewith. Undoubtedly, however, doing so is more costly than using a form declaration that is not customized as to the facts on a case by case basis and that is signed by an uninformed declarant. OneWest perhaps assumes that it really does not matter if the Court provides relief based on erroneous information. But, OneWest should remember an earlier theme in this decision and that is that the law is the law, rules are rules, and both must be obeyed. And, when it becomes clear that OneWest did not obey the rules, the Court can and, indeed, must act.

In short, the Court will not participate in a process where OneWest increases its profits by disobeying the rules of this Court and by providing the Court with erroneous information. The Court, thus, will take two steps. First, the Court will deny the Stay Motion without prejudice based first on the evidentiary problems that make it impossible for the Court to determine that OneWest is properly before the Court and that render evidence critical to OneWest’s prima facie case unreliable and second based on the Court’s inherent authority to regulate and control proceedings. Next, the Court hereafter will issue an order to show cause why One West should not be held in contempt and/or otherwise sanctioned. In connection therewith, the Court will consider a compensatory sanction to include a recovery of any costs Ms. Arizmendi would not have incurred but for OneWest’s improper actions. The compensatory sanction, frankly, could be quite limited. But, the Court also believes that a coercive sanction may well be appropriate. Given the orders to show cause that pre-date the one this Court will issue, it appears that the Court must create an economic disincentive for OneWest that will counter balance the economic benefit of a lack of complete candor. Further detail on the Court’s sanctions considerations will be set forth in the order to show cause and will not be further discussed here.

The Court finally notes that the order to show cause will issue only as to OneWest and possibly as to MERS. OneWest uses a variety of law firms. The Court was in a position to observe the demeanor of the lawyers handling this matter when the witness stated that OneWest was a mere servicer. The Court concludes based on this observation that they were unaware of this fact and unaware that OneWest supplied questionable documentary evidence. And frankly, there is nothing to be gained in pursuing the individual attorneys who must regularly appear in front of this Court. OneWest can simply change counsel and then be less than candid with a new set of attorneys.[11] The Court is interested in modifying OneWest’s behavior at an entity level, and any coercive sanction will be designed to achieve the same.

CONCLUSION

Based on the foregoing, the Stay Motion is denied without prejudice to the right of OneWest to refile a stay relief motion. In so doing, OneWest must provide declaratory evidence that explains when and how it obtained physical possession of the Endorsed Note and/or Unendorsed Note and that otherwise provides case specific evidence of standing given its servicer status.

[ipaper docId=57567731 access_key=key-22ffgxbli042xfmdtz1o height=600 width=600 /]

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The Law Offices of David J. Stern, P.A. v. OneWest Bank, FSB

The Law Offices of David J. Stern, P.A. v. OneWest Bank, FSB


Case Number: 0:2011cv61005
Filed: May 6, 2011
Court: Florida Southern District Court
Office: Fort Lauderdale Office
Presiding Judge: Judge William J. Zloch
Referring Judge: Magistrate Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum
Nature of Suit: Contract – Other Contract
Cause: 28:1332 Diversity
Jury Demanded By: None
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In re: DOBLE | CA BK Judge Rips Deutsche, MERS, LPS System & Multiple “True & Correct” Copies of Note

In re: DOBLE | CA BK Judge Rips Deutsche, MERS, LPS System & Multiple “True & Correct” Copies of Note


CESAR M. DOBLE,

v.

DEUTSCHE BANK NA T’L TRUST
COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE OF THE
HARBORVIEW MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST
2005-5, MORTGAGE LOAN PASSTHROUGH
CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-5
AND ONEWEST BANK, F.S.B.

Excerpts:

Instead, One West forwarded the Complaint to an outside vendor, Lender Processing Services (“LPS”), which is retained by One West to handle routine legal matters, but not litigation. LPS then exacerbated the problem by assigning an incorrect response date and sending the Complaint to the wrong outside counsel.

[…]

The most disconcerting misrepresentation to the Court was Defendants’ submission of multiple “true and correct”  copies of the Note under penalty of perjury without any endorsement from Plaza.  Whether the Note was endorsed is central to the merits ofthis case. When Defendants finally submitted an endorsed copy of the Note on November 8, 2010, they attempted to pass off the first three unendorsed copies of the Note as “illegible.” The first three copies of the Note were fully readable, so the phantom endorsement page was not a problem with legibility. The timing of this tardily produced endorsement, produced after several requests, suggests it was added only in response to the litigation.

To add to the Court’s incredulity, Defendants have never answered the Court’s specific questions as to when and under what circumstances this newly proffered endorsement was executed.

[…]

The first two causes of action seek damages and disallowance of Defendants’ secured and unsecured claims for lack of standing on four separate grounds: (a) MERS’ assignment of the DOT to One West and, in tum, One West’s assignment to Deutsche Bank, were invalid; (b) Defendants have no interest in the Note nor any right to enforce it under California law; (c) the assignment of the DOT to Deutsche Bank was not of public record; and (d) Defendants violated New York Trust law so that Deutsche Bank cannot be the owner of the Loan as a matter oflaw. Where a secured creditor cannot establish a right to enforce a loan, it has no standing to file or defend a claim, or to seek relief from stay. In re Gavin, 319 B.R. 27,32 (B.A.P. 1st Cir. 2004); In re Hayes, 393 B.R. 259,269-70 (Bankr. D. Mass. 2008).

Although the Court rejects Doble’s New York Trust claims and his avoiding power claim, the record here supports Doble’s first three standing claims. MERS had no authority to assign the DOT, under its terms and as a matter oflaw, without the authority to assign the Note. The Note was not assigned until it was endorsed by Plaza. Until that endorsement, the MERS’ assignments were a nullity. Deutsche Bank currently lacks authority to enforce the Loan as the assignee of Plaza, and will continue to lack authority until it records its assignment.

[…]

III. CONCLUSION

The Court denies Defendants’ request to set aside the clerk’s entry of a default, but grants their Motion to Dismiss the portions of the first and second causes of action relating to Doble’s New York Trust claims and avoiding power claims. Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Doble’s third and fourth causes of action is also granted. As to the remainder of the first and second causes of action, the Court finds MERS’ limited role as beneficiary of the DOT did not provide talismanic protection against the myriad foreclosure deficiencies committed by Defendants [*47] regarding this Loan. MERS’ role did not provide Defendants the authority to enforce the DOT, the ability to assign the Note without an endorsement from Plaza, or an exception to their obligation to record the assignment to Deutsche Bank. The Court will allow Doble to produce additional evidence in support of his claims, but not his wife’s claims. The Court will disallow Defendants’ secured and unsecured claims without prejudice. Defendants may file an amended proof of claim in this case if they fully address the defects identified in this Memorandum Decision.

The Court orders Defendants to appear and show cause why they should not pay Doble’s attorneys fees for their conduct in this action, and schedules a status conference for April 28, 2011 at 3:00 in Department 1 of this Court.

Dated: April 14, 2011

/s/ Margaret M. Mann

[ipaper docId=54824981 access_key=key-1lk1l5qi5u0y0hqswz1u height=600 width=600 /]

In re: CESAR M. DOBLE, Chapter 13, Debtor,
CESAR M. DOBLE, Plaintiff,
v.
DEUTSCHE BANK NAT’L TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE OF THE HARBORVIEW MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2005-5, MORTGAGE LOAN PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-5 AND ONEWEST BANK, F.S.B., Defendants.

Bankruptcy No: 10-11296-MM13, AP: 10-90308-MM.

United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. California.

April 14, 2011.

MEMORANDUM DECISION RE MOTION TO VACATE CLERK’S ENTRY OF DEFAULT AND MOTION TO DISMISS COMPLAINT; ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT

MARGARET M. MANN, Bankruptcy Judge

Defendants OneWest Bank, F.S.B. (“OneWest”) and Deutsche Bank National Trust Company (“Deutsche Bank”), as Trustee of the HarborView Mortgage Loan Trust 2005-5, Mortgage Loan Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-5 Under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement Dated June 1, 2005, were defaulted by debtor Cesar Doble (“Doble”) when they failed to timely respond to the complaint in this action (“Complaint”). The Complaint challenges Defendants’ right to assert claims based upon a loan secured by Doble’s residence, and seeks damages for Defendants’ refusal to modify the loan. After the default, Defendants brought a Motion to Vacate Clerk’s Entry of Default and a Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs Complaint. The Court held several continued hearings on both motions, at which additional evidence and argument were presented.

Due to Defendants’ misconduct in this case and others that threatens the integrity of the judicial process the Court declines to set aside the default. The Court also issues an order to show cause why Defendants should not be held in contempt and ordered to pay Doble’s attorneys fees. Despite this ruling, the Court will not allow Doble relief he is not entitled to receive. The Court also grants much of the Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss. Further proceedings will be scheduled to determine the judgment to be entered in this case.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

A. The Loan

Doble and his wife Martha Doble own a residence located at 1466 Heatherwood Avenue in Chula Vista, California (“Property”). The Property is encumbered by a deed of trust (“DOT”) securing a promissory note (“Note”) payable on its face to Plaza Home Mortgage, Inc. (“Plaza”), executed in connection with a $650,000 loan (“Loan”) made by Plaza. The DOT identifies Plaza as “Lender,” and Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (“MERS”) as beneficiary. The DOT grants Lender the right to repayment of the Loan and performance of Borrower’s covenants, explicitly stating that MERS “holds only legal title to the interests granted by Borrower” and MERS may exercise “any or all… interests, including … the right to foreclose and sell the Property” only “if necessary to comply with law or custom.”[1]

The Dobles defaulted on the Loan a few years later and sought to take advantage of the federal Home Affordable Mortgage Program (“HAMP”) by modifying the Loan so they could afford the payments. After a trial loan modification was granted, the Dobles made two payments in the modified amount. Despite the last payment under the modified Loan being in default, the Dobles were offered a permanent modification to the Loan, which they attempted to accept. Thereafter, the Dobles made no more payments under the Loan.

B. The Bankruptcies

Martha Doble filed a chapter 13 bankruptcy case in 2009 (Case No. 09-16970-LA13, Bankr. S.D. Cal.), which was dismissed. Doble filed this Chapter 13 bankruptcy case on June 28, 2010. The Complaint filed by Doble the day after he filed bankruptcy seeks damages and equitable relief, alleging that Defendants have no secured or unsecured claims in this case, that they violated the automatic stay by seeking to foreclose on the DOT without owning the Loan, and that they failed to discharge their responsibilities regarding modifying the Loan. Based upon a slew of contradictory documents purporting to transfer interests in the Note and DOT among the Defendants, Plaza and MERS, OneWest and Deutsche Bank have each represented to the Court to be the owner of the Loan in both cases. One West has separately asserted it is the servicer of the Loan.

C. Defendants’ Failure to Respond to the Complaint

The summons to the Complaint established a response date of July 29, 2010. Together with the Complaint, the summons was promptly served and received by Defendants. Pursuant to their servicing agreement, Deutsche Bank forwarded the Complaint to OneWest’s legal headquarters in Pasadena on July 2. Deutsche Bank then apparently did nothing further to respond to the Complaint, and OneWest misplaced the Complaint, failed to calendar a response, and did not otherwise follow-up on the matter.

The Complaint resurfaced after a response was due. When it was found on August 4, OneWest compounded the error. It did not follow internal protocol, which would have required the Complaint be sent to its litigation office in Austin, Texas, for referral to outside counsel. Instead, OneWest forwarded the Complaint to an outside vendor, Lender Processing Services (“LPS”), which is retained by OneWest to handle routine legal matters, but not litigation. LPS then exacerbated the problem by assigning an incorrect response date and sending the Complaint to the wrong outside counsel. In a final mishap, outside counsel neglected to look at the response date on the summons, and then waited another week until August 11 to request an extension. By this point, the default had already been entered.

Defendants filed their Motion to Vacate the Default and their Motion to Dismiss the Complaint on August 31, 2010. Defendants initially offered a declaration of outside counsel to explain their failure to timely respond to the Complaint. Counsel averred that he received the assignment of the Complaint on August 4, with a referral form showing a due date of August 20, although Defendants’ Motion to Vacate contrarily states Defendants mistakenly believed the due date was August 11. Counsel apparently relied upon the incorrect due date on the referral form calculated by the outside vendor, and did nothing to confirm the correct response date, which was apparent from the face of the summons. Not until August 11 did counsel contact Doble to request an extension. Defendants were already in default by this time, and the extension was denied.[2]

Because the Defendants initially provided no reason for their failure to respond to the Complaint until after the response was overdue, the Court asked a series of questions regarding the improper calendaring. In response to the Court’s questions, Defendants submitted the declaration of OneWest employee, Charles Boyle, who was resident in the Austin, Texas office. This employee averred that, after receipt of the Complaint in Pasadena, the Complaint was inadvertently logged into an automated referral system by a non-legal staff employee who has since resigned. Boyle averred this error was discovered the first week of August by a supervisor who re-referred the Complaint to local counsel.

Since Defendants had still not answered many of the Court’s questions, the Court again requested more information. Specifically, the Court requested Defendants provide more information regarding: 1) Boyle’s personal knowledge of the events in Pasadena given his residence in Texas; 2) what happened to the Complaint during the first month after it was served, and 3) why outside counsel waited seven days to contact Doble after receiving the Complaint on August 4. Finally, at the hearing on December 16, 2010, in response to questions asked from the bench, counsel for Defendants provided a more complete story: the Complaint had been lost, there were multiple departures from protocol, and several attorneys had received the Complaint and not bothered to review it. After a final attempt to clarify some of the facts pertaining to ownership of the Loan and why Defendants failed to timely respond to the Complaint, the Court took the matter under submission on February 3, 2011.

II. ANALYSIS

A. Defendants have not Demonstrated Good Cause to Vacate the Clerk’s Default

Rule 55(c) permits the Court to set aside an entry of default only “for good cause.” Defaulting parties have the burden of proving good cause. Franchise Holding II, LLC v. Huntington Restaurants Group, Inc., 375 F.3d 922, 926 (9th Cir. 2004) (quoting TCI Group Life Ins. Plan, Life Ins. Co. of N. Am. v. Knoebber, 244 F.3d 691, 697 (9th Cir. 2001)).

To determine whether good cause exists, courts consider (1) whether the default is the result of the defaulting party’s” culpable conduct”; (2) whether the defaulting party has a” meritorious defense”; or (3) whether reopening the default would “prejudice”[3] the innocent party. United States v. Mesle, 615 F.3d 1085, 1091 (9th Cir. 2010).[4] The test for good cause is disjunctive, and the defaulting party must prove all three factors favor setting the default aside. Franchise Holding, 375 F.3d at 926; Mesle, 615 F.3d at 1091. If any one factor favors upholding the default, the Court need not set it aside. Id. However, all doubt should be resolved in favor of a trial on the merits. Id. While there was no prejudice to Doble for the delayed response, the Court is without doubt that Defendants’ pervasive misconduct alone precludes a finding of good cause to set aside the default.

To determine whether Defendants have a meritorious defense, the Court has evaluated Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss, including admitting evidence and taking judicial notice as requested of the documents of public record in the case. SeeLee v. City of Los Angeles, 250 F.3d 668, 689 (9th Cir. 2001). The Court agrees that Doble cannot state a claim for relief on his third, fourth, and part of his first and second causes of action, and dismisses these claims with prejudice. Upon a proper motion to enter a default judgment under Rule 55(b)(2), the Court will exercise its discretion to permit the submission of evidence from all parties on whether Doble can prove his prima facie case on the other claims. However, Defendants will be prohibited from presenting a case in defense of Doble’s claims because the default will be upheld. Fed. R. Evid. 210; Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(b)(2);

1. Defendants Are Culpable

A defendant’s conduct is culpable if it is consistent with a “devious, deliberate, willful, or bad faith failure to respond.” Mesle, 615 F.3d at 1092. Where a defendant’s actions are negligent, and not intentional, the defendant is not culpable. Id.; TCI, 244 F.3d at 698-99. For “legally sophisticated” defendants, however, intentionality is assumed because legally sophisticated parties are held to understand the consequences of their actions. Mesle, 615 F.3d at 1093. As large financial institutions, OneWest and Deutsche Bank are sophisticated parties.

Where sophisticated defendants are aware of the pendency of a suit, but are indifferent to the consequences of not responding, culpability may be found even when bad faith is absent. Franchise Holding II, 375 F.3d at 926 (defendant was culpable for failing to respond despite plaintiffs warning it would seek a default after side-agreement negotiations broke down); Direct Mail Specialists, Inc. v. Eclat Computerized Technologies, Inc., 840 F.2d 685, 690 (9th Cir. 1988)Oracle USA, Inc. v. Qtrax, Inc., No. C09-3334 SBA, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97630, at *12-*13 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 3, 2010) (defendant’s conduct was culpable when defendant did not respond to accommodate the convenience of the CEO, cost considerations, and its hope for a settlement); Markel Ins. Co. v. Dahn Yoga & Health Ctrs., Inc., No. C09-1221RSM, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 58763, at *11-*15 (W.D. Wash. May 17, 2010) (defendants were culpable where one failed to keep registered service agent updated on its address and another failed to inform itself that the client had waived a service problem). (defendant was culpable in not responding due to a mistaken belief service was improper);

Defendants’ conduct can only be described as an intentional disregard for their obligations to comply with Court procedures and provide candid answers to the Court’s questions. As in Franchise II, Oracle, Direct Mail, and Markel,[5] properly calendared the response date. Whether due to apathy or profit maximizing considerations, Defendants relied exclusively upon a non-attorney outside vendor, contrary to protocol, and failed to properly implement litigation procedures. See Franchise II, 375 F.3d at 926; Oracle, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97630, at * 10-12 (defendants failed to appropriately allocate corporate resources to respond to the litigation). This misplaced reliance on a non-attorney to calculate a response time is similar to the conduct of the defendants in Direct Mail and Markel, who erred in their analysis that service was improper. See Direct Mail, 840 F.2d at 690; Markel, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 58763, at *16 (“[Defendant] will not be heard to object that service was improper, nor blame its failure to respond … on poor document management policies.”). Defendants’ multiple errors are also thus distinguishable from Park v. U.S. Bank Nat’l Ass’n, No. 10cvf1546-WQH-WMc, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123119, at *8-*10 (S.D. Cal. Nov. 19, 2010), where the defendants’ failure to answer was the result of an unintentional administrative error rather than culpable misconduct. While the Court appreciates that mistakes happen and isolated negligence can be excusable neglect, see Pioneer, 507 U.S. at 407-08,[6] what happened here was not mere negligence. Defendants were aware of the suit and the consequences of the default, but repeatedly failed to follow their own protocols. Defendants have never explained why none of Defendants’ three attorneys

Compounding their culpability problems, the Court finds that Defendants’ initial explanation of the default was neither candid nor credible. A “devious” failure to respond is culpable. Mesle, 615 F.3d at 1092. The full story belies their initial characterization that their errors in handling the Complaint were minor and isolated. No less than six mistakes or breaches of protocol occurred in how the Complaint was handled: (1) both copies of the Complaint were not sent immediately to Boyle in Austin, Texas, where litigation was to be handled; (2) the Complaint was lost for a month; (3) when the Complaint was found on August 4, 2010, it was not sent to Austin as protocol demanded, but mistakenly logged into the non-attorney LPS system; (4) LPS miscalculated the response date for the Complaint; (5) LPS incorrectly assigned the response to a law firm who was not the appropriate counsel to handle litigation for OneWest; and (6) Outside counsel failed to check the correct response date and relied upon the LPS miscalculation. The Court cannot accept Boyle’s claim that new intake protocols have solved OneWest’s systemic problems. Defendants themselves could not fully explain what went wrong in their efforts to respond to the Complaint. Even after three tries, Defendants have left questions unanswered.

Defendants’ disregard for their obligations of candor to the Court and compliance with Court procedures, not only in connection with the entry of default, but also in the presentation of numerous other documents to the Court on the merits, is culpable. The default will not be set aside.

2. Defendants Acted in Bad Faith

Defendants’ conduct in presenting evidence on the merits of this case and others demonstrates a callousness towards their legal obligations that amounts to bad faith; an additional reason not to set aside the default. Defendants filed numerous pleadings in this case and in the Martha Doble case seeking the Court’s assistance in enforcing the Loan.[7][8][9] tell a convoluted tale as to who owns the Loan and is thus entitled to enforce it. This Court was forced to repeatedly request additional evidence from Defendants to evaluate their own motions. Defendants’ pleadings and transactional documents

The most disconcerting misrepresentation to the Court was Defendants’ submission of multiple “true and correct” copies of the Note under penalty of perjury without any endorsement from Plaza. Whether the Note was endorsed is central to the merits of this case. When Defendants finally submitted an endorsed copy of the Note on November 8, 2010, they attempted to pass off the first three unendorsed copies of the Note as “illegible.” The first three copies of the Note were fully readable, so the phantom endorsement page was not a problem with legibility. The timing of this tardily produced endorsement, produced after several requests, suggests it was added only in response to the litigation. To add to the Court’s incredulity, Defendants have never answered the Court’s specific questions as to when and under what circumstances this newly proffered endorsement was executed. For the purpose of its analysis on the merits, the Court finds that the endorsement was not made until it was presented to the Court on November 8, 2010.[10]

This lack of candor in the presentation of evidence on the merits supports a finding of bad faith in regard to the default. The court system can only function if parties take their representations and responsibilities seriously. Chambers v. NASSCO, Inc., 501 U.S. 32, 43, 47 (1991); see also In re Snyder, 472 U.S. 634, 641 (1985). Courts have held that a lender’s actions amount to bad faith where the lender is shown to have routinely misrepresented its role in bankruptcy cases, caused unnecessary litigation, or prejudiced another party. See Ameriquest Mortg. Co. v. Nosek (In re Nosek), 609 F.3d 6, 9 (1st Cir. 2010). In two previous cases before this Court, Defendant OneWest has been ordered to show cause for failing to comply with its obligations as a party before the Court. See In re Carter, Ch. 13 Case No. 10-10257-MM13 (Bankr. S.D. Cal.); In re Telebrico, Ch. 13 Case No. 10-07643-LA13 (Bankr. S.D. Cal.). Not only in this action, but in others as well, One West has demonstrated a “confusion and lack of knowledge, or perhaps sloppiness, as to their roles.” Ameriquest, 609 F.3d at 9.[11]

Because Defendants’ conduct in not responding to the Complaint was intentional and in bad faith, the Court will not set aside the default.

B. Resolution of the Merits of the Case

To uphold the default entered against Defendants, the Court must consider both the merits of Defendants’ defense and the merits of Plaintiff’s case, as challenged in Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss. Mesle, 615 F.3d at 1094 (defaulting party must present a valid defense before court can set aside a default); Fed.R. Civ. P. 55(b); Eitel v. McColl, 782 F.2d 1470, 1471 (9th Cir. 1986); Cashco Fin. Servs. v. McGee (In re McGee), 359 B.R. 764, 771 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. 2006) (default judgment requires assessment of the merits of plaintiff’s claims).[12] This task is made more difficult since neither Doble’s Complaint, nor Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss, is a model of clarity. Five causes of action are alleged in the Complaint, but more than five are presented.

Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss complicates the analysis further since it questions a few, but not all, of Doble’s claims. Defendants claim MERS had authority to transfer the Loan as a matter of law, but not that the assignment was properly executed or acknowledged. Defendants dispute Doble’s attempt to employ 11 U.S.C. §544(a) to set aside the MERS’ assignment to OneWest. They also argue HAMP does not provide a private cause of action. Defendants do not, however, address the state law claims contained in the fifth cause of action.

Sorting the parties’ claims and defenses, the Court concludes some of Doble’s claims lack merit, and others require further evaluation. Even though the Court will uphold the default entry resulting from Defendants’ culpable conduct, it will nevertheless dismiss with prejudice Doble’s third and fourth causes of action, and part of Doble’s first and second causes of action relating to New York Trust law and 11 U.S.C. § 544(a). See Moore v. United Kingdom, 384 F.3d 1079, 1090 (9th Cir. 2004) (invalid causes of action may be dismissed despite default). The Court will hold further proceedings on the remaining claims to respect the due process rights of Defendants. Danning v. Lavine, 572 F.2d 1386, 1388-89 (9th Cir. 1978) (default judgment proceedings should be consistent with due process).

1. Defendants’ Secured and Unsecured Claims (1st and 2nd Causes of Action)

The first two causes of action seek damages and disallowance of Defendants’ secured and unsecured claims for lack of standing on four separate grounds: (a) MERS’ assignment of the DOT to OneWest and, in turn, OneWest’s assignment to Deutsche Bank, were invalid; (b) Defendants have no interest in the Note nor any right to enforce it under California law; (c) the assignment of the DOT to Deutsche Bank was not of public record; and (d) Defendants violated New York Trust law so that Deutsche Bank cannot be the owner of the Loan as a matter of law. Where a secured creditor cannot establish a right to enforce a loan, it has no standing to file or defend a claim, or to seek relief from stay. In re Gavin, 319 B.R. 27, 32 (B.A.P. 1st Cir. 2004); In re Hayes, 393 B.R. 259, 269-70 (Bankr. D. Mass. 2008).

Although the Court rejects Doble’s New York Trust claims and his avoiding power claim, the record here supports Doble’s first three standing claims. MERS had no authority to assign the DOT, under its terms and as a matter of law, without the authority to assign the Note. The Note was not assigned until it was endorsed by Plaza. Until that endorsement, the MERS’ assignments were a nullity. Deutsche Bank currently lacks authority to enforce the Loan as the assignee of Plaza, and will continue to lack authority until it records its assignment.

a. MERS Cannot Transfer DOT Enforcement Rights to Defendants

Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss relies upon MERS’ status as nominal beneficiary of the DOT[13] to establish their standing to enforce the Loan. They cite several cases which have so held. Lane v. Vitek Real Estate Indus. Group, 713 F. Supp. 2d 1092, 1099 (E. D. Cal. 2010); Hafiz v. Greenpoint Mortg. Funding, Inc., 652 F. Supp. 2d 1039, 1043 (N.D. Cal. 2009); Pantoja v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., 640 F. Supp. 2d 1177, 1190 (N.D. Cal. 2009); see also Perry v. Nat’l Default Servicing Corp., No. 10-CV-03167-LHK, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 92907, at *11 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 20, 2010).[14] The Court does not disagree with these cases to the extent they hold MERS need not have physical possession of the note to commence a foreclosure, and securitization of a mortgage note need not impact the enforceability of the mortgage itself. The key issue before the Court is different: whether MERS had statutory authority to assign the DOT under its terms, particularly when MERS held no rights under the Note. To decide this issue, the Court rejects Defendants’ invitation to overlook the statutory foreclosure mandates of California law, and rely upon MERS as an extra-judicial commercial alternative.[15]

The DOT is a four party instrument among the Dobles as Borrowers, Plaza as Lender, First American Title as trustee, and MERS as beneficiary. The Lender’s rights regarding the Loan are pervasive. The Lender (Plaza) is entitled to receive all payments under the Note, to control enforcement of the DOT under its terms, and only the Lender is entitled to conduct a nonjudicial foreclosure.[16]

MERS has none of these rights under the DOT and is not even mentioned in the Note. MERS is not given any independent authority to enforce the DOT under its terms, and its status as beneficiary under the DOT is only “nominal.” While the Borrowers acknowledge in the DOT that MERS can exercise the Lender’s rights as “necessary to comply with law or custom,[17] this acknowledgement is not accompanied by any actual allocation of authority to nonjudicially foreclose on the Property, nor is such authority allocated in any other document in the record. See also, e.g., LaSalle Bank Nat’l Ass’n v. Lamy, No. 030049/2005, 2006 NY Slip Op 51534U, slip op. 2 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2006); MERS v. Saunders, 2 A.3d 289, 295 (Me. 2010) (“MERS’ only right is to record the mortgage. Its designation as the `mortgagee of record’ in the document does not change or expand that right….”). Defendants’ authority to foreclose cannot, therefore, be derived from MERS because MERS never held such authority.[18] Shannon v. General Petroleum Corp., 47 Cal. App. 2d 651, 661 (1941) (assignment can only carry rights owned by the assignor.)

Even though MERS’ status as the nominal beneficiary of the DOT may have allowed it to assign that limited status, this authority does not convey a right to enforce the Loan. An assignment of a mortgage without assignment of the corresponding debt is a nullity under controlling law. Carpenter v. Longan, 83 U.S. 271, 275 (1872); Kelley v. Howarth, 39 Cal. 2d 179, 192 (1952); Johnson v. Razy, 181 Cal. 342, 344 (1919) (“A mortgage is mere security for the debt, and it cannot pass without transfer of the debt.”); Polhemus v. Trainer, 30 Cal. 686, 688 (1866) (interest in the collateral subject to the mortgage does not pass “unless the debt itself [is] assigned.”). Within California’s comprehensive statutory nonjudicial foreclosure scheme found at Civil Code sections 2920-2955, four separate statutes corroborate that the secured debt must be assigned with the deed of trust.[19]

Since MERS could not assign any enforcement rights under the Note or DOT because it held none, Defendants could not rely on the invalid MERS assignment to enforce the DOT. Polhemus, 30 Cal. at 688; see also U.S. Bank Nat’l Ass’n v. Ibanez, 458 Mass. 637, 651 (2011). They had to receive an assignment from Plaza as the payee of the Note before the MERS assignment of its nominal interest in the DOT could have any enforceable impact.

b. Defendants’ Right to Enforce the Note

A negotiable promissory note such as the Note can only be enforced in accordance with Article 3 of the Commercial Code (“CCC”), Cal. Com. Code §§ 1101-16104 (Deering 2011). The CCC permits enforcement of a note by a party who: (1) holds a directly endorsed note (section 1205(21)); (2) previously had the ability to enforce the note, but it was lost, destroyed, or stolen (section 3309); (3) has possession of an endorsed-in-blank instrument (section 1205(21)); or (4) can prove both possession of the enforcement rights received from its transferor (section 3301). Id; In re McMullen Oil Co., 251 B.R. 558, 568 (Bankr.C.D. Cal. 2000); In Re Carlyle, 242 B.R. 881, 887 (Bankr. E.D. Va. 1999). These requirements apply to every link in the chain of transfer of the note. Where a note has been assigned several times, each assignment in the chain must be valid or the party claiming the note cannot enforce it. In re Gavin, 319 B.R. 27, 32 (B.A.P. 1st Cir. 2004); In re Wells, 407 B.R. 873 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio 2009). Even if a party is the owner of a promissory note, it is not entitled to enforce the note unless it meets the statutory criteria for enforcement. Cal.Com. Code §3203(b) cmt. 2.

Enforcement option 1 is not applicable. The Note is not payable to Defendants, but to Plaza. Neither Defendant can enforce the Note as a direct payee or endorsee. In re Wilhelm, 407 B.R. 392, 402 (Bankr. D. Idaho 2009); Chicago Title Ins. Co. v. Allfirst Bank, 905 A.2d 366, 374 (Md. 2006). No claim was made that the Note was lost or stolen, which eliminates option 2.

As to option 3, not until November 8, 2010 did Defendants produce the Note endorsed in blank by Plaza. An endorsement is not effective until it is signed. Com.Code §3203(c); Security Pacific Nat. Bank v. Chess, 58 Cal. App. 3d 555, 564 (1976). Until the note is properly endorsed, assignments of the deed of trust do not serve to transfer enforcement rights. Id. The endorsement must be on the note or attached. Lopez v. Puzina, 239 Cal. App. 2d 708, 714 (1st Dist. 1966).

Defendants did not attempt to demonstrate the requirements of option 4; that they had possession of the Note and that Plaza had transferred to them the right to enforce it even without an endorsement. Instead, they erroneously relied upon the MERS assignment. Com.Code § 3203 (1), (2) n. 17; In re McMullen Oil Co., 251 B.R. 558, 567 (Bankr. CD. Cal. 2000); In re Agard, No. 10-77338-reg, 2011 Bankr. LEXIS 488, at *58 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. Feb. 10, 2011) (“[E]ven if MERS had assigned the Mortgage acting on behalf of the entity which held the Note at the time of the assignment, this Court finds that MERS did not have authority, as “nominee” or agent to assign the Mortgage absent a showing that it was given specific written directions by its principal.”). Under the circumstances of this case, the Court declines to give the Defendants another chance to “prove the transaction.” Instead, the Court finds that Defendants did not have any right to enforce the Note before November 8, 2010, when they produced an endorsement of the Note from Plaza.

c. Deutsche Bank’s Assignment of the DOT Must Still be Recorded

Although Deutsche Bank met the first of the foreclosure prerequisites to enforce the power of sale in the DOT under Civil Code section 2932.5[20] when it became the holder of the Note on November 8, 2010, it still failed to meet the second. Civil Code section 2932.5 requires that the assignee of the secured debt record its interest before it can exercise the power of sale under the DOT and nonjudicially foreclose. Deutsche Bank admits it has recorded neither of the two assignments from OneWest to Deutsche Bank. Deutsche Bank, therefore, still lacks authority to enforce the DOT, and any enforcement actions taken thus far are void. Ibanez, 458 Mass, at 651; Polhemus, 30 Cal. at 688.

d. New York Trust Law

As part of the first and second causes of action, Doble alleges that Deutsche Bank cannot own the Loan because the Loan was not properly transferred to it in accordance with New York Trust law and the trust documents. Under the terms of the Purchase and Servicing Agreement (“PSA”), Doble alleges all assets to be part of the trust had to be conveyed before June 1, 2005. Since none of the assignments of the Loan met that deadline, Doble claims Deutsche Bank has no interest in the Loan. Defendants, in turn, claim Doble has no standing to challenge the trust, citing Rogan v. Bank One, N.A. (In re Cook), 457 F.3d 561, 567 (6th Cir. 2006). While the Court agrees that Doble has no standing to interfere with trust administration, he does have standing to challenge Defendants’ assertion they had standing to file a claim and to seek to foreclose the Loan. Wilhelm, 407 B.R. at 400.

The Court nevertheless finds the allegations of this claim to be too flawed to remain a part of this suit. See Eitel, 782 F.2d at 1471. Based on the allegations of the Complaint, the Court cannot determine whether the Loan was validly conveyed to the trust, whether the trust is invalid, or what effect such an invalidation would have on Defendants’ claim.[21] Doble has provided no legal support for his claims. His citation to New York Estate Powers and Trusts Law section 7-2.4 (Consol. 2010), to support that any “sale, conveyance, or other act” in “contravention” of the trust is void, is incorrect.[22]

Doble’s New York trust claim within the first and second causes of action therefore will be dismissed with prejudice.

2. The Assignments May Not be Avoided (2nd Cause of Action)

The Court agrees that Doble has no viable avoiding power claim to assert as a result of Defendants’ recordation of assignments after the Martha Doble bankruptcy case was filed. Doble was provided constructive notice of Defendants’ lien from the recordation of the DOT, regardless of whether interests in the Loan were later transferred. In re Cook, 457 F.3d at 568; Kapila v. Atl. Mortg. & Inv. Corp. (In re Halabi), 184 F.3d 1335, 1338 (11th Cir. 1999); see also In re Probasco, 839 F.2d 1352, 1354 (9th Cir. 1988) (applying California law, a bona fide purchaser who records prevails over a prior transferee who failed to record). The Court also notes these claims are property of the Martha Doble bankruptcy estate, not this case. Doble thus lacks standing to assert this claim. See Estate of Spirtos v. One San Bernardino County, 443 F.3d 1172, 1176 (9th Cir. 2006) (husband does not have authority to assert claims on the part of wife without substantial proof of standing). This part of the second cause of action is also dismissed with prejudice.

3. Violation of Stay (3rd Cause of Action)

Doble’s third cause of action alleges[23] that Assignments 2 and 3 from OneWest to Deutsche Bank were executed post-petition in Martha Doble’s case, and are void and in violation of his co-debtor stay under 11 U.S.C. §1301. In response, Defendants assert that the stay is not violated by assignments of their mortgage interests post-petition, because those interests do not belong to Martha Doble’s bankruptcy estate.

The Court agrees that this is not a valid cause of action. Because the automatic stay only applies to transfers of a debtor’s property interests under 11 U.S.C. § 362(a)(3), Defendants’ transfers of their interests in the Loan do not violate the automatic stay. Halabi, 184 F.3d at 1337; Cook, 457 F.3d at 568. This cause of action will be dismissed with prejudice.

4. Violation of Bankruptcy Code (4th Cause of Action)

Doble specifically seeks damages and sanctions relating to Defendants’ proof of claim and false declaration filed in the relief from stay motion in Martha Doble’s case. Defendants’ only response to this is to reiterate that the unrecorded assignment is not avoidable under § 544(a). Defendants fail to address any other allegations in this cause of action.

Despite Defendants’ failure to cogently respond to this cause of action, the Court finds Doble has no standing to assert damages in his wife’s bankruptcy case. Doble was not a joint debtor in that case, and Martha Doble is not a party in this case. See In re Scott, 437 B.R. 376, 379-80 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. 2010). This cause of action is not viable to the extent it seeks damages for Doble in his wife’s case, and it will be dismissed with prejudice.

5. Loan Modification Claims (5th Cause of Action)

In the fifth cause of action, Doble alleges an array of theories complaining of Defendants’ conduct in the loan modification process, including that they engaged in unlawful business practices, violated California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, California Civil Code Section §§ 1750-1759, and breached the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. In response, Defendants only challenge whether HAMP establishes a private cause of action, based on Doble’s allegation he is an intended third party beneficiary under the HAMP contract.

The facts alleged in the Complaint, as well as the additional evidence proffered by the parties in response to the Court’s inquiries, reflect ongoing efforts by Doble to modify the Loan over a period of eighteen months. Doble claims the efforts were successful, and Defendants should be bound by the permanent loan modification they offered him in May 2010. Defendants claim the Loan modification effort failed because Doble failed to make all of the payments due during the trial period. To resolve this basic controversy requires further evidentiary proceedings, since the communications by Defendants were confusing and contradictory, but Doble did fail to make all of the required payments even if there was a binding loan modification with Defendants. To facilitate the evidentiary hearing, the Court will preliminarily address Doble’s theories of recovery.

Courts have differed on whether HAMP permits a private right of action. Compare Benito v. Indymac Mortg. Servs.,and Escobedo v. Countrywide, No. 09-cv-1557 BTM (BLM), 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117017, at * 4-*7 (S.D. Cal. Dec. 15, 2009) (same), with Marques v. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Inc., No. 09-cv-1985-L (RBB), 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81879, at *19-*20(S.D. Cal. Aug. 12, 2010) (finding a borrower is a third party beneficiary with regard to certain contract terms that are not discretionary, and HAMP otherwise has no enforcement remedies). In determining whether a party is an intended beneficiary of a government contract, a court must examine “the precise language of the contract for a clear intent to rebut the presumption that the third parties are merely incidental beneficiaries.” County of Santa Clara v. Astra USA, Inc., 588 F.3d 1237, 1244 (9th Cir. 2009), cert. granted sub. nom, Astra USA, Inc. v. Santa Clara County, 131 S.Ct. 61 (2010) (failure to include express language identifying parties as intended beneficiaries is not dispositive). To the extent Doble can prove a specific provision of HAMP was violated, and compliance with the provision was mandatory for Defendants, he may be able to prove a valid cause of action as a third party beneficiary of HAMP. No. 2:09-CV-001218-PMP-PAL, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51259, at *20-*21 (D. Nev. May 21, 2010) (holding a borrower is not a third party beneficiary),

Doble’s other claims are not invalid as a matter of law even if he cannot establish a direct cause of action under HAMP. Failure to establish a HAMP third party beneficiary contract cause of action does not preclude state law claims relating to the Lender’s alleged misconduct. Escobedo, 2009 U.S. Dis. LEXIS 117017, at * 10 (allowing claims for violation of unfair business practices under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200); Villa v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 10CV81 DMS (WVG), 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23741, at *9 (S.D. Ca. 2010) (allowing an amendment to allege misrepresentation claims); Aceves v. U.S. Bank, N.A., 192 Cal. App. 4th 218, 233 (2d Dist. 2011) (allowing promissory estoppel and fraud claims). Doble’s claims under the California Legal Remedies Act, Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1750-1759, and his claims for breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, therefore, cannot be dismissed as a matter of law at this time.

C. Order To Show Cause

Based on the facts and circumstances described in this Memorandum Decision, the Court orders that Defendants appear and show cause why they should not pay Doble’s attorney’s fees for their conduct in this action. This order to show cause is issued pursuant to this Court’s authority under 28 U.S.C. § 157, 11 U.S. C. § 105, Bankruptcy Rule 9011(c)(1)(b) and the Court’s inherent power to monitor the proceedings before it for the benefit of the Court, the profession and the public. Chambers v. NASCO, Inc., 501 U.S. 32, 43, 47 (1991); In re Sunshine Jr. Stores, Inc., 456 F.3d 1291, 1305 (11th Cir. 2006) (“it is within a court’s discretion to assess attorney’s fees on a party … for actions taken in bad faith”).

III. CONCLUSION

The Court denies Defendants’ request to set aside the clerk’s entry of a default, but grants their Motion to Dismiss the portions of the first and second causes of action relating to Doble’s New York Trust claims and avoiding power claims. Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Doble’s third and fourth causes of action is also granted. As to the remainder of the first and second causes of action, the Court finds MERS’ limited role as beneficiary of the DOT did not provide talismanic protection against the myriad foreclosure deficiencies committed by Defendants regarding this Loan. MERS’ role did not provide Defendants the authority to enforce the DOT, the ability to assign the Note without an endorsement from Plaza, or an exception to their obligation to record the assignment to Deutsche Bank. The Court will allow Doble to produce additional evidence in support of his claims, but not his wife’s claims. The Court will disallow Defendants’ secured and unsecured claims without prejudice. Defendants may file an amended proof of claim in this case if they fully address the defects identified in this Memorandum Decision.

The Court orders Defendants to appear and show cause why they should not pay Doble’s attorneys fees for their conduct in this action, and schedules a status conference for April 28, 2011 at 3:00 in Department 1 of this Court.

[1] See infra Part II.B.1.a.

[2] Doble’s reason for not agreeing to set aside the default was his frustration with the “false documents” submitted regarding ownership of the Loan.

[3] To be prejudicial, reopening the default must result in greater harm than a mere delay in relief. Mesle, 615 F.3d at 1095; see also Franchise Holding II, 375 F.3d at 926 (plaintiff was prejudiced where there was a possibility that a delay in judgment would allow defendant an opportunity to hide assets). Here, Defendants have asserted that Doble is not prejudiced by their delay and there is no evidence before the Court to the contrary. Ultimately, however, since Rule 55(c)’s good cause factors are disjunctive, and Defendants’ conduct is culpable, a prejudice analysis is unnecessary.

[4] The Rule 55(c) good cause factors are identical to those used to consider whether relief should be granted from a default judgment under Rule 60(b). See Mesle, 615 F.3d at 1091; TCI, 244 F.3d at 696. However, while the factors are the same, the standards for evaluating the factors are distinct. O’Brien v. R.J. O’Brien & Assocs., Inc., 998 F.2d 1394, 1401 (7th Cir. 1993). Rule 55(c)’s relief from default standard is less rigorous than the relief from judgment standard of Rule 60(b). Hawaii Carpenters’ Trust Funds v. Stone, 794 F.2d 508, 513 (9th Cir. 1986) (“The different treatment of default entry and judgment by Rule 55(c) frees a court considering a motion to set aside a default entry from the restraint of Rule 60(b) and entrusts determination to the discretion of the court.”); accord Tessill v. Emergency Physician Assocs., 230 F.R.D. 287, 289 (W.D.N.Y. 2005).

[5] These three attorneys are the Deutsche Bank counsel who forwarded the Complaint to OneWest, the OneWest Corporate Legal Department who received both the OneWest Complaint it received on its own behalf and the Complaint sent by Deutsche Bank, and Burnett & Matthews, the first outside counsel who received the Complaint.

[6] This reading of culpability is consistent with the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the analogous “excusable neglect” standard of Rule 60(b)(1). Pioneer Inv. Serv. Co. v. Brunswick Assocs. Ltd., 507 U.S. 380, 393, 395-97 (1993) (a party’s failure to respond is excusable if inadvertent or negligent); Mesle, 615 F.3d at 1092; Franchise Holding II, 375 F.3d at 927.

[7] In the Martha Doble case, in a Declaration filed May 4, 2010, Deutsche Bank, through its purported power of attorney, One West, claimed to be the owner of the Loan based upon a chain of assignments. Deutsche Bank claimed the same in its proof of claim. However, in this case, OneWest filed the proof of claim for the Loan identifying itself as the creditor. In this adversary case, Defendants averred MERS assigned all beneficial interest under the DOT to OneWest on October 22, 2009 and OneWest assigned all beneficial interest to Deutsche Bank in an unrecorded assignment dated May 19, 2010. This assignment to Deutsche Bank on May 19, 2010, however, is dated after Deutsche Bank averred to this Court on May 4, 2010 that it was the owner of the Loan. Separately, Deutsche Bank has also claimed it owned the Loan as of 2008 without evidentiary support.

[8] The Court on October 5, 2010 issued a tentative ruling continuing the hearing on the Motions and seeking additional evidence regarding who had the right to foreclose the Loan, and whether the Loan Modification Agreement, which Doble alleges he executed on June 3, 2010, was also executed by Defendants. The Court issued another tentative ruling on December 15, 2010 seeking an “explanation from Defendants regarding the contradictory statements submitted by Defendants under penalty of perjury in both Debtor’s and Martha Doble’s bankruptcy cases regarding the identity of the owner of the Note,” the role of OneWest, and the circumstances of the endorsement of the Note. The Court inquired twice more regarding the circumstances of the alleged loan modification and the Defendants’ default.

[9] Defendants provided the Court with an “Assignment of Deed of Trust” executed on June 26, 2009 through which MERS, as the original beneficiary, purports to assign to OneWest all beneficial interest under the DOT, “together with the Note” (“Assignment 1”). However, One West did not record its interest until after its foreclosure proceedings were started. On July 14, 2009, a Notice of Default on the loan was recorded by OneWest, even though OneWest lacked any recorded interest in the Loan at the time. Only when OneWest recorded a Notice of Sale on the Loan on October 22, 2009, did it finally record Assignment 1.

On November 24, 2009, OneWest executed, but did not record, an Assignment of Deed of Trust to Deutsche Bank “together with the Note” (“Assignment 2”). Then on May 19, 2010, OneWest executed but did not record another Assignment of Deed of Trust “together with the Note” (“Assignment 3”) to Deutsche Bank. Deutsche Bank curiously produced a copy of a power of attorney it granted to OneWest regarding ownership of the Loan. Whatever significance this power of attorney has, it does not support the assignment from OneWest to Deutsche Bank because Deutsche Bank had no apparent rights to the Loan before it received them from OneWest.

[10] This sanction is similar to the entry of a default judgment against Defendants for their bad faith failure to comply with the orders of this Court. See, e.g., Carter v. Brooms (In re Brooms), No. NC-10-1117-KiSah, 2011 Bankr. LEXIS 648, at *21 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. Jan. 18, 2011) (upholding the court’s default judgment pursuant to 7016(d) for a party’s failure to comply with a pre-trial order).

[11] Specifically, an inability to coherently prove ownership is both endemic to the industry, and a common problem. Ameriquest, 609 F.3d at 9; see also, e.g., U.S. Bank Nat’l Ass’n v. Ibanez, 458 Mass. 637 (2011) (holding US Bank did not sufficiently demonstrate it held title to a mortgage under Massachusetts law prior to foreclosure where US Bank alleged it received title pursuant to a trust agreement and did not provide the trust agreement but, instead, provided an unsigned offer of mortgage-backed securities to potential investors that did not specifically identify the mortgage in question).

The Court’s finding here is consistent with the findings of the academics and reporters who note this pattern of behavior is common in the mortgage industry. Studies have shown that mortgage holders and servicers routinely file inaccurate claims, some of which may not be lawful. See Katherine Porter, Misbehavior and Mistake in Bankruptcy Mortgage Claims, 87 Tex. L. Rev. 121, 123-24 (2008); Andrew J. Kazakes, Developments in the Law: the Home Mortgage Crisis, 43 Loy. L.A. L. Rev. 1383, 1430 (2010) (citing David Streitfeld, Bank of America to Freeze Foreclosure Cases, N.Y. Times, Oct. 2, 2010, at B1) (reporting that after revelation of Porter’s study several Banks froze foreclosures); Eric Dash, A Paperwork Fiasco, N.Y. Times, Oct. 24, 2010, at WK5 (reporting the repeal of the initial freeze and the problems banks faced in clearing up foreclosure paperwork). The Inspector General overseeing the recent financial crisis has studied this issue and concluded:

Anecdotal evidence of [loan servicers’] failures [have] been well chronicled. From the repeated loss of borrower paperwork, to blatant failure to follow program standards, to unnecessary delays that severely harm borrowers while benefiting servicers themselves, stories of servicer negligence and misconduct are legion, and . . . they too often have financial interests that don’t align with those of either borrowers or investors.

Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, Quarterly Report to Congress 12 (Jan. 26, 2011), available at http://www.sigtarp.gov/ (follow link for “Quarterly Report to Congress”).

[12] After entry of a default, a court may exercise its discretion to enter a default judgment on the merits of the case. Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(b); Aldabe v. Aldabe, 616 F.2d 1089, 1092 (9th Cir. 1980). The Ninth Circuit in Eitel identified the following factors for a court to consider in exercising that discretion:

(1) the possibility of prejudice to the plaintiff, (2) the merits of plaintiff’s substantive claim, (3) the sufficiency of the complaint, (4) the sum of money at stake in the action; (5) the possibility of a dispute concerning material facts; (6) whether the default was due to excusable neglect, and (7) the strong policy underlying the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure favoring decisions on the merits.

Eitel, 782 F.2d at 1471-72.

[13] The DOT states “MERS is a separate corporation that is acting solely as a nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns. MERS is the beneficiary under this Security Instrument.” DOT at p. 1.

[14] Under Ninth Circuit law this Court may decline to follow these decisions because it is not bound. State Compensation Ins. Fund v. Zamora (In re Silverman), 616 F.3d 1001, 1005 (9th Cir. 2010). While the Ninth Circuit reserved the issue of whether bankruptcy courts are bound by district court decisions within the district where the bankruptcy court sits, it recognized that such a requirement “could create the same problem of subjecting bankruptcy courts to a non-uniform body of law.” Id.

[15] The Court notes that circumventing the public recordation system is, in fact, the purpose for which the MERS system was created. Merscorp, Inc. v. Romaine, No. 179, 2006 NY Slip Op. 9500, slip op. 6 (Ct. of Appeals 2006). Creation of a private system, however, is not enforceable to the extent that it departs from California law as explained in this Memorandum Decision.

[16] Under the DOT, the Lender is secured the right to: “(i) the repayment of the Loan, and all renewals, extensions and modifications of the Note; and (ii) the performance of Borrower’s covenants and agreements under this Security Instrument and the Note.” In addition, under the covenants executed between the Lender and Doble, the Lender is granted exclusive authority to accelerate repayment, “give notice to Borrower prior to acceleration,” “invoke the power of sale” through written notice to the Trustee in the event of default, and appoint successor trustees. DOT at pp. 2, 11, 12.

[17] The DOT provides, “Borrower understands and agrees that MERS holds only legal title to the interests granted by Borrower in this Security Instrument, but, if necessary to comply with law or custom, MERS (as nominee of Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns) has the right: to exercise any or all of those interests, including, but not limited to, the right to foreclose and sell the Property; and to take any action required of Lender including, but not limited to, releasing or cancelling this Security Instrument.” DOT at p. 3 (emphasis added).

[18] Since the briefing on this matter was completed, Gomes v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., 192 Cal. App. 4th 1149, 1151-58 (4th Dist. 2011) was decided. Gomes held that there is no cause of action under Civil Code section 2924(a)(1) that would permit a borrower to test MERS’ authority to initiate a nonjudicial foreclosure without a specific factual basis for the challenge. Neither Gomes nor Civil Code section 2924(a)(1) however, address Civil Code section 2932.5, applicable when an assignee forecloses. Id. at 1155. Instead, Gomes relied upon the borrower’s acknowledgement of MERS’ authority in the DOT to allow MERS to foreclose as nominal beneficiary. Gomes, 192 Cal. App. 4th at 1157-58. MERS, here, had no such authority under the DOT. The Lender, not MERS, has the right to “invoke the power of sale” under the DOT.

[19] These statutes are: Civil Code sections 2932.5 (assignee of secured debt cannot nonjudicially foreclose without right to payment and a recorded assignment), 2935 (notice of an assignment of a mortgage does not change the borrowers’ obligation to make payments to the holder of the note), 2936 (transfer of a note carries with it an assignment of the debt, not vice versa), and 2937 (borrowers must be notified of transfers of servicing rights).

[20] Civil Code section 2932.5 provides:

Where a power to sell real property is given to a mortgagee, or other encumbrancer, in an instrument intended to secure the payment of money, the power is part of the security and vests in any person who by assignment becomes entitled to payment of the money secured by the instrument. The power of sale may be exercised by the assignee if the assignment is duly acknowledged and recorded.

Civ. Code § 2932.5 (Deering 2011) (emphasis added). While the exact language of Civil Code section 2932.5 mentions mortgages and not deeds of trust, the distinction between the two instruments is obsolete. N. Brand Partners v. Colony GFP Partners, L.P. (In re 240 N. Brand Partners), 200 B.R. 653, 658 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. 1996) (“The terminology creates a difference without distinction.”); Yulaeva v. Greenpoint Mortg. Funding, Inc., No. S-09-1504, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 79094, at *4 (E.D. Cal. Sept. 3, 2009) (citing 4 B.E. Witkin, Summary of California Law, ch. VIII, § 5 (10th ed. 2005)); Bank of Italy Nat. Trust & Sav. Assn. v. Bentley, 217 Cal. 644, 656 (1933) (legal title under a deed of trust, though held by the trustee to the extent necessary for execution of the trust, does not carry any “incidents of ownership of the property”); see also 1 Roger Bernhardt, California Mortgages, Deeds of Trust, and Foreclosure Litigation, § 1.35 (4th ed. 2009); Bank of Italy Nat. Trust & Sav. Assn. v. Bentley, 217 Cal. 644, 656 (1933) (legal title under a deed of trust, though held by the trustee to the extent necessary for execution of the trust, does not carry any “incidents of ownership of the property”); 4 Harry D. Miller & Marvin B. Stan, Miller & Starr California Real Estate, § 10:1 n. 9 (3d 2010) (citing Dowarad v. Fisher & Burke, Inc., 270 Cal. App. 2d 543, 553 (1st Dist. 1969)) (mortgages and deeds of trust have the same effect and economic function and are “subject to the same procedures and limitations on judicial and nonjudicial foreclosure”).

[21] Specifically, the Court is unclear as to (1) whether the PSA intended to transfer the Loan to the trust (Was Doble’s Loan listed on the mortgage schedule?); (2) whether, if the PSA did intend to transfer the Loan to the trust, whether it made the transfer and documentation of the transfer was lost or whether the Loan was never transferred at all (Was the mortgage file conveyed to the trustee? Did the trustee certify the receipt of the mortgage file? Did the trustee attempt to exercise the Repurchase Provisions of the trust?); (3) whether, if the PSA intended to transfer the Loan, the parties failed to properly transfer it or whether the Loan was properly transferred but subsequent documentation was lost; and (4) whether, if the PSA did not intend to transfer the Loan to the trust, a subsequent transfer to the trust is valid under the terms of the PSA (Did the trustee receive an REMIC opinion? Did the trustee make other arrangements prior to the subsequent transfer to protect the trust’s REMIC status? Does a violation of the trust’s REMIC status negate the transfer or simply leave the trust vulnerable to an REMIC adverse event for purposes of the Tax Code?)

[22] New York Estate Powers and Trusts Law is not relevant here. Under section 11-1.1(a), New York Estate Powers and Trusts Law explicitly excludes business trusts. The Trust here is registered with the SEC, and the PSA provides for the issuance of certificates and the election of REMIC status with the IRS. Trusts whose shares are traded on the American Stock Exchange and that qualify as “real estate investment trusts” under the Internal Revenue Code are considered business trusts. Prudent Real Estate Trust v. Johncamp Realty, Inc., 599 F.2d 1140, 1141 (C.A.N.Y. 1979). As a business trust, New York’s Estate Powers and Trusts Law does not govern Deutsche Bank’s ownership of the Loan. Rather, the ownership issue is governed by law applicable to trusts generally. See, e.g., Fogelin v. Nordblom, 521 N.E.2d 1007, 1012 (Mass 1988); In re Great Northern Iron Ore Props., 263 N.W.2d 610 (Minn. 1978).

[23] While Doble does not limit the cause of action to just this allegation, and instead states “the actions of [Defendants] as set forth hereinabove” constitute violations of the stay, these allegations are too diffuse to address without more specificity.

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[VIDEO] NH Supreme Court Oral Argument of DEUTSCHE BANK v. KEVLIK

[VIDEO] NH Supreme Court Oral Argument of DEUTSCHE BANK v. KEVLIK


Via: Mike Dillon

Excerpt:

Judge: I went through the material that you attached and I was very confused about IndyMac’s role and how we ended up with a foreclosure deed that didn’t reflect IndyMac’s role…can you explain?

Attorney Sheridan for the Kevlik’s  replies… There’s nothing in the record that explains MERS’ role! […] No power to assign… What happened to OneWest bank???

Go on to the link to video below…

  • 2010-0249

[View Video/Audio]

Deutsche Bank National Trust Co.
OM
(John T. Precobb)
(15 min.)
v. James Kevlik & a.
William C. Sheridan
(15 min.)

After you watch the video come back and read…

New Hampshire Supreme Court Reversal “Plaintiff has not carried its burden to show ownership of the property” DEUTSCHE BANK v. KEVLIK

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MERS VP | 27 Job Titles for Brian Burnett of IndyMac

MERS VP | 27 Job Titles for Brian Burnett of IndyMac


Brian Burnett has signed mortgage documents using the job titles listed below during the approximate same period of time. All of these were notarized in Travis County, Texas, where IndyMac Mortgage Services is located. IndyMac Mortgage Services is now a division of One West Bank.

A certified signer for Mortgage electronic Registration Systems, Inc. was authorized to sign on behalf of the affiliated mortgage entity that employed him. Burnett, for example, would have been authorized to sign as an officer of MERS, as nominee for IndyMac Bank.

MERS signers were never authorized to sign on behalf of all other lenders.

[ipaper docId=53758521 access_key=key-vakbq9sniymd894p23c height=600 width=600 /]

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Opposition To MERS Demurrer To Fourth Amended Complaint With Requests For Judicial Notice

Opposition To MERS Demurrer To Fourth Amended Complaint With Requests For Judicial Notice


Via Brian Davies:

CALIFORNIA OPPOSITION TO MERS DEMURRER WITH FILINGS OF REQUEST FOR JUDICIAL NOTICES.

[ipaper docId=51728402 access_key=key-26y5bos82bpula1dkdzi height=600 width=600 /]

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WA State Judge Puts Hold on SJ “so-called beneficiaries like MERS” Pending Consumer Protection Act Outcome BAIN v. ONEWEST

WA State Judge Puts Hold on SJ “so-called beneficiaries like MERS” Pending Consumer Protection Act Outcome BAIN v. ONEWEST


KRISTEN BAIN, Plaintiff,
v.
ONEWEST BANK, F.S.B; DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY; MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC; REGIONAL TRUSTEE SERVICES CORPORATION; Defendants.

Case No. C09-0149-JCC.

United States District Court, W.D. Washington, Seattle.

March 15, 2011.

Excerpt:

F. Consumer Protection Act

Finally, Plaintiff alleges that Defendants violated the Consumer Protection Act (“CPA”). To state a claim under the CPA, Plaintiff must show (1) an unfair or deceptive act or practice, (2) in trade or commerce, (3) that impacts the public interest, (4) which causes injury to the plaintiff in his or her business or property, and (5) which injury is causally linked to the unfair or deceptive act. Griffith v. Centex Real Estate Corp., 969 P.2d 486, 492 (Wash. Ct. App. 1998).

MERS asserts that Plaintiff has not shown an unfair or deceptive practice on its part, has not shown how any act of MERS impacts the public interest, and presents nothing showing injuries caused by an unfair or deceptive practice by MERS. The Court disagrees. Like her other claims arising under the Deed of Trust Act, Plaintiff’s CPA claims depend on whether MERS may be the beneficiary (or nominee of the beneficiary) under Washington state law. MERS’s attempt to serve as the beneficiary may have been improper under state law and it may have led to widespread confusion regarding home ownership, payment delivery, and negotiable positions. If MERS violated state law, its conduct may very well be classified as “unfair” under the CPA. There is no doubt that MERS’s conduct impacts the public interest. See Hangman Ridge Training Stables, Inc. v. Safeco Title Ins. Co., 719 P.2d 531, 537-38 (Wash. 1986) (listing factors for determining public interest); Peterson, supra, at 1362 (“Although MERS is a young company, 60 million mortgage loans are registered on its system.”); R. K. Arnold, Yes, There Is Life on MERS, 11 Prob. & Prop. 32, 33 (1997) (“Some have called MERS the most significant event for the mortgage industry since the formation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Others have compared it to the creation of uniform mortgage instruments, which have become standard throughout the residential mortgage industry. This suggests that the journey to MERS will have a tremendous effect on the mortgage industry.”). And the harm Plaintiff may have suffered because of MERS’s conduct may include expending resources to avert an unlawful foreclosure and preventing Plaintiff from identifying the real beneficiary and negotiating a new arrangement to avoid foreclosure.

The same reasoning applies to Regional, who also argued that Plaintiff cannot show an unfair or deceptive practice or show an impact on the public interest. Regional asserts that it acted appropriately because it was candid and forthcoming about its identity and its authority to conduct the foreclosure. That Regional was candid about its role is not dispositive. See Carlile v. Harbour Homes, Inc., 194 P.3d 280, 289 (Wash. Ct. App. 2008) (“An unfair or deceptive act or practice need not be intended to deceive, it need only have the capacity to deceive a substantial portion of the public.”). Moreover, just as MERS has its hands in countless home loans affecting the general public, so too does Regional play a key role in numerous foreclosure actions affecting the general public. MERS and Regional ultimately may bear no liability under the CPA, but this Court will await the state-court analysis before ruling on the parties’ motions for summary judgment.[5]

III. CONCLUSION

Plaintiff admits that she has been delinquent in her mortgage payments. A ruling favorable to Plaintiff in this case and others like it cannot and should not create a windfall for all homeowners to avoid upholding their end of the mortgage bargain—paying for their homes. But a homeowner’s failure to make payments cannot grant lenders, trustees, and so-called beneficiaries like MERS license to ignore state law and foreclose using any means necessary. Whether these and similar defendants complied with Washington state law remains unclear.

[ipaper docId=51273820 access_key=key-1pq85htk7uwo9kifkkge height=600 width=600 /]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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READ | SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF RE DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY’S MOTION FOR RELIEF FROM THE AUTOMATIC STAY – GOMES v. COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS

READ | SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF RE DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY’S MOTION FOR RELIEF FROM THE AUTOMATIC STAY – GOMES v. COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS


Excerpt:

In this case, DBNTC clearly had no standing to bring the motion. Debtors never consented to MERS to act as Nominee under the terms of the DOT. Even if one assumes that MERS had authority to assign IndyMac Bank’s beneficial interest to DBNTC, IndyMac Bank ceased to exist at the time MERS purportedly made an assignment to DBTNC. DBNTC received nothing by virtue of the assignment; the assignment constitutes a fraudulent conveyance.

For the foregoing reasons, Debtors respectfully request the Court to make findings of fact and to deny DBNTC’s second Motion for Relief from the Automatic Stay with prejudice. Debtors further request this Court to award attorney fees incurred by Debtors against DBNTC and its attorney for bringing this frivolous motion.

Continue below…

[ipaper docId=50763434 access_key=key-1qy9eovy38hvv93rreh4 height=600 width=600 /]

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CA DEBTORS’ OPPOSITION TO THE REDO MOTION FOR RELIEF FROM THE AUTOMATIC STAY In re NGUYEN

CA DEBTORS’ OPPOSITION TO THE REDO MOTION FOR RELIEF FROM THE AUTOMATIC STAY In re NGUYEN


UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
SANTA ANA DIVISION

In Re:
THUAN X. NGUYEN AND TAMMY H. NGUYEN

excerpt:

The deception and fraud committed by Deutsche Bank National Trust Company and its known foreclosure mill counsels, Barrett Daffin Frappier Treder & Weiss, LLP, upon the Court and harassment upon Debtors with unwarranted motion to cause delay and to increase litigation costs by Debtors must be stopped.

continue below…

[ipaper docId=49674795 access_key=key-135hxzfxltza5jnkty3l height=600 width=600 /]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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Full Deposition Of ERICA JOHNSON SECK Former Fannie Mae, WSB Employee

Full Deposition Of ERICA JOHNSON SECK Former Fannie Mae, WSB Employee


Courtesy of Legal Services of New Jersey

[ipaper docId=46466367 access_key=key-448g7r9wonwz1j4ufuq height=600 width=600 /]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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