Plaintiff's Fourth Amended Petition and Exparte Motion to Show Cause
-
Upload
reuben-nieves -
Category
Documents
-
view
24 -
download
2
description
Transcript of Plaintiff's Fourth Amended Petition and Exparte Motion to Show Cause
1
DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
Judge Elizabeth Montgomery
Court Address: 7325 So. Potomac St.
Centennial, CO 80112
JANE WORLEY,
Plaintiff/Petitioner
v
Defendants/Respondents,
U.S. BANK, N.A., SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE TO BANK OF
AMERICA, N.A., AS SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE TO
LASALLE BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR THE
HOLDERS OF THE MERRILL LYNCH FIRST
FRANKLIN MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE
LOAN ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007
FF1 (“The Trust”) and MERS, a division of MERSCORP
INC
____________________________________________________
AMENDED VERIFIED PETITION, AND EX-PARTE
MOTION FOR AN ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE WHY AN
ASSIGNMENT AND RELATED LIS PENDENS SHOULD
NOT BE INVALIDATED AS “SPURIOUS DOCUMENTS”
AND FRAUDULENT
(CRCP 105.1(b);CRS 38-35-201 and CRS 38-35-204)
IF TRIAL IS ORDERED, PLAINTIFF DEMANDS A JURY
TRIAL
____________________
Case No.
Division
Date:
Time:
COMES NOW Petitioner JANE WORLEY and pursuant to CRCP 105.1(b) hereby moves the
Court for its Order to Show Cause Why an assignment of a Deed of Trust, and the related Lis
Pendens not be declared “spurious documents” and invalidated.
2
RELEVANT FACTS
On October 4th
, 2011 in the County of Ventura, MERS assigned the Deed of Trust and
Promissory Note to the property of JANE WORLEY located at 1499 South Jasper St., Aurora,
Colorado 80017 to DEUTSCHE BANK as trustee for the MERRILL LYNCH FIRST
FRANKLIN MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED
CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-(“The Trust”). (Exh A, Reception 2892)
On October 20th
, 2011, the Assignment (Reception # D1102742 , Exh A) of the Deed of Trust
(Exh C) and Promissory Note (Exh D) to DEUTSCHE BANK as trustee for the “Trust”, was
recorded at the County Recorder’s Office.
A lis pendens (Reception # D3068617, Exh B) related to this assignment was also recorded for
case no. 2013cv825. The assignment document purports to assign both the Deed of Trust and
Promissory Note to DEUTSCHE BANK as trustee where MERS describes itself as nominee for the
Lender, its successors and assigns. The stated lender in the Deed of Trust is First Franklin
Mortgage. US Bank as trustee is the presumed “Holder of the note” ;and the “Trust”, the
presumed “Holder of the Note in Due Course. Clinton Georg v. Metro Fixtures Contractors,
Inc., 178 P. 3d 1209 – Colo Supreme Court (Mar., 2008); See also Deutsche Bank Trust Company
Americas v. Samora. , 2013 COA 81 fn 3, when the court said:
3 Here, the trustee is acting for the Trust and advancing a claim on behalf of the
Trust. Accordingly, the Trust must satisfy holder in due course status. The parties
stipulated that the Trust took the Note and Deed of Trust without actual knowledge
of any wrongdoing or fraud. The record indicates that the Trust gave value for the
Note and Deed of Trust.
Unlike the “Trust” in Samora, the facts and Plaintiff’s arguments will show that the “Trust” in
this case did not take the Note and Deed of Trust for value, in good faith, and without notice of the
problems in the transaction.
3
CRCP 105.1 states:
Any person whose real or personal property is affected by a spurious lien or spurious
document, as defined by law, may file a petition in the district court in the county in which
the lien or document was recorded or filed, or in the district court for the county in which
affected real property is located, for an order to show cause why the lien or document
should not be declared invalid. The petition, which may also be brought as a counterclaim
or a cross-claim in a pending action, shall set forth a concise statement of the facts upon
which the petition is based, shall be supported by the affidavit of the petitioner or the
petitioner's attorney, and shall be accompanied by a copy of the lien or document as
recorded or filed in the public records. The order to show cause may be granted ex parte…
This action begs the question whether “The Trust”, as a Holder in Due Course, took the note
for value, in good faith, without knowledge that MERS had no authority to transfer the note; and
that MERS was no longer a nominee or agent of First Franklin at the time of the assignment on
October 4th
, 2011 because First Franklin ceased operations in March of 2008.
For the reasons set forth in this petition, the document entitled Assignment of the Deed of Trust
does not speak the truth, and is a “spurious document” as defined under §38-35-201, C.R.S. 2012
and states: “ (3) “Spurious document” means any document that is forged or groundless, contains
a material misstatement or false claim, or is otherwise patently invalid.”
ARGUMENT
ISSUE 1. WAS MERS A NOMINEE OR AGENT OF FIRST FRANKLIN (LENDER) ON
THE DATE OF THE ASSIGNMENT AS THE ASSIGNMENT PURPORTS?
In DAVID EDELSTEIN, Appellant, vs. BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, Respondent., No.
57430, SUPREME COURT OF NEVADA, 128 Advance Rep 48, 2012 Nev. LEXIS 90 (Sept. 27th
,
2012) held that the term “nominee” can be construed as a form of agency when it said:
Other courts have held that MERS' designation as nominee "is more than sufficient to
create an agency relationship between [*25] MERS and the Lender and its successors." In
re Tucker, 441 B.R. at 645; In re Martinez, 444 B.R. 192, 205-06 (Bankr. D. Kan. 2011)
(concluding that based on the language in the relevant documents giving MERS a role as
"nominee" for "[the lender] and its successors and assigns, . . . sufficient undisputed
evidence [was presented] to establish that MERS was acting as an agent," and that the
4
choice of the word "'nominee,' rather than 'agent,' does not alter the relationship between
the[ ] . . . parties, especially given the fact that the two terms have nearly identical legal
definitions"); Cervantes, 656 F.3d at 1044 (explaining MERS' role as an agent).
We agree with the reasoning of these jurisdictions and conclude that, in this case, MERS
holds an agency relationship with New American Funding and its successors and assigns
with regard to the note. [B,U]
In Citywide Banks vs Brenda I Armijo, No. 10CA1458 (Oct. 2011) the court said:
Section 4-1-103, C.R.S. 2011, provides that the common law, including the law of agency,
supplements the statutory provisions of the UCC. Id. § 4-1-103(b), C.R.S. 2011 (“Unless
displaced by the particular provisions of this title, the principles of law and equity, including .
. . the law relative to . . . principal and agent . . . shall supplement its provisions.”).
In GREASE MONKEY INTERNATIONAL, INC v MONTOYA, 904 P.2d 468 (1995) the
Colorado Appeals court said, “We agree that Restatement (Second) of Agency provides authority
for the resolution of the factual issues in this case.”
As in Montoya, the law of agency in RESTATEMENT THIRD § 3.07 provides authority for
the resolution of the factual issues in this case. § 3.07 Death, Cessation of Existence….states:
(4) When a principal that is not an individual ceases to exist or commences a process
that will lead to cessation of its existence or when its powers are suspended, the
agent's actual authority terminates except as provided by law.
In FINANCE CALIFORNIA, INC. vs LAWYERS TITLE INSURANCE CORPORATION
and LORRAINE HALICA, No. 3:07cv804 (MRK, Connecticut 2010) the court explained when an
agency relationship ended when it said:
“When both the agent and principal are corporate entities, the agent's actual authority
terminates only (1) when the agent or principal ceases to exist as an entity or commences a
process that will lead to cessation of its existence.
In an article written by Roger Mezger on April 23rd
, 2008 entitled “Merrill Lynch says
National City misrepresented First Franklin deal” the article discloses that First Franklin
operations were closed by Merrill Lynch. (Exh E)
The article said:
5
By 2003, First Franklin was generating $30 billion a year in loans. The price Merrill
Lynch paid for it yielded a profit of $1 billion for National City. But last month
Merrill Lynch closed First Franklin because it had become worthless. First Franklin
employed 2,100 last year.
Thus MERS authority to act as a nominee or agent ended in March of 2008 when First
Franklin ceased operation and therefore ceased to exist. Therefore the presumption that MERS
is the nominee and/or agent of First Franklin in the Assignment Document with authority to
make an assignment makes the Assignment “spurious under CRCP 105.1 (b) which Petitioner
has overcome with the proof of the non existence of First Franklin. Therefore, the language
contained in the assignment presuming to purport an agency relationship exists between MERS
and First Franklin is a material misstatement or false claim, and as defined under Section 38-35-
201, C.R.S. 2012 is a “Spurious Document”. Furthermore, DEUTSCHE BANK as trustee,
MERS, and the “Trust” had actual or imputed knowledge of the fact when they made the
assignment which makes the assignment fraudulent.
ISSUE 2: Does MERS have the authority to transfer the Promissory Note as the mortgage
assignment purports?
The Assignment of the mortgage states:
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that on, November 14, 2006, JANE
WORLEY, did grant, bargain, sell and convey the property described in the Deed of Trust
to the Public Trustee of the County in which said Deed of Trust was recorded, which
property was to be hold in trust, by such Public Trustee for the use and benefit of Assignor,
to secure for payment of a Promissory Note for the original principal sum of $169,350.00,
together with interest.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the sum of ten dollars and other valuable
consideration, paid to the Assignor, the receipt, adequacy and sufficiency of which is
hereby acknowledged, Assignor hereby assigns unto the said Assignee, the said Deed of
Trust and Promissory Note secured thereby, together with all moneys now owing or that
may hereafter become due or owing in respect thereof, and the full benefit of all powers
and of all the covenants and provisos therein contained, and said Assignor hereby grants
and conveys unto the said Assignee, all of Assignor's beneficial rights, title and interest,
6
under the Deed of Trust, in and to the following described property, situated in the County
of Arapahoe, State of Colorado...
ARGUMENT
In MERS PROCEDURES MANUAL at p. 48 (Exh. F), MERS admits the following:
Transfer of Beneficial Rights to Member Investors
Overview
Although MERS tracks changes in ownership of the beneficial rights for loans
registered on the MERS System, MERS cannot transfer the beneficial rights to the
debt. The debt can only be transferred by properly endorsing the promissory note to
the transferee.
Therefore, the subject Assignment of the Promissory Note by MERS to DEUTSCHE BANK
as trustee contains a material misstatement or false claim which makes the assignment a “spurious
document” as defined under Section 38-35-201, C.R.S. 2012. Again, DEUTSCHE BANK as
trustee, the “Trust”, and MERS had actual or imputed knowledge of the fact when they made the
assignment which makes the assignment fraudulent.
ISSUE 3: WHETHER US BANK AS TRUSTEE OBTAINED THE DEED OF TRUST
AND PROMISSORY NOTE IN GOOD FAITH FOR VALUABLE
CONSIDERATION WHEN US BANK HAD EITHER ACTUAL OR
IMPUTED KNOWLEDGE OF IMFIRMITIES WITH THE TRANSACTION
WHICH HAS A DISPROPORTIONATE PAYMENT OF TEN DOLLARS TO
THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY AND WITH FRAUDULENT INTENT
ARGUMENT
In Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas v. Samora, 2013 COA 81 citing Vitols v.
Citizens Banking Co., 10 F.3d 1227,1233 (1993) in ¶50 the court said:
“A transferee does not take an instrument in good faith and is therefore not a holder
in due course when there are sufficient facts to indicate that the transferee, by virtue
of its unusually close relationship with the transferor, had reason to know or should
have known of infirmities in the underlying transactions from which the instrument
originated’”
7
In Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas v. Samora. , 2013 COA 81, the Court of Appeal
stated “[H]older in due course” means the holder of an instrument if:
1. The instrument when issued or negotiated to the holder does not bear such apparent
evidence of forgery or alteration or is not otherwise so irregular or incomplete as to call
into question its authenticity; and
2. The holder took the instrument (i) for value, (ii) in good faith, (iii) without notice that
the instrument is overdue or has been dishonored or that there is an uncured default
with respect to payment of another instrument issued as part of the same series, (iv)
without notice that the instrument contains an unauthorized signature or has been
altered, (v) without notice that any claim to the instrument described in section 4-3-
306, and (vi) without notice that any party has a defense or claim in recoupment
described in section 4- 3-305(a). § 4-3-302(a), C.R.S. 2012; see, e.g., Money Mart
Check Cashing Center, Inc. v. Epicycle Corp., 667 P.2d 1372, 1373-74 (Colo. 1983).
The Supreme Court of Colorado decided the case of CLINTON GEORG v METRO
FIXTURES CONTRACTORS, INC., Case No. 07SC26 (Mar. 2008) and held that there was an
important distinction between a holder and a holder in due course. The court said in part that:
A holder in due course must meet five conditions: (1) be a holder;2 (2) of a negotiable
instrument3 who took it; (3) for value;
4 (4) in good faith;
5 (5) without notice of certain
problems with the instrument.6 Id. at § 17-2, 151-52.
To be a holder one must meet the two conditions in section 4-1-201(b)(20): (1) he or she
must have possession (2) of an instrument drawn, issued, or indorsed to him or her. Id. at §
17-3, 152. Possession is an element designed to prevent two or more claimants from
qualifying as holders who could take free of the other party’s claim of ownership. 6
William D. Hawkland & Lary Lawrence, Uniform Commercial Code Series, § 3-301:3
(1999). With rare exceptions, those claiming to be holders have physical ownership of the
instrument in question. White & Summers, supra, at § 17-3, 152.
The critical distinction is that a holder of an instrument “drawn, issued, or indorsed to him or
her would be an intermediary or agent who is authorized to have constructive possession for the
holder in due course.”
In Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas v. Samora. , 2013 COA 81 fn 3, the court said:
3 Here, the trustee is acting for the Trust and advancing a claim on behalf of the
Trust. Accordingly, the Trust must satisfy holder in due course status. The parties
8
stipulated that the Trust took the Note and Deed of Trust without actual knowledge
of any wrongdoing or fraud. The record indicates that the Trust gave value for the
Note and Deed of Trust.
Unlike the “Trust” in Samora, the facts and Plaintiff’s arguments will show that the “Trust” in
this case did not take the Note and Deed of Trust for value, in good faith, and without notice of the
problems in the transaction.
Therefore DEUTSCHE BANK as trustee is the “holder for the Trust who in turn is the holder
in due course who must take the instrument for “value, in good faith, and without notice of certain
problems with the instrument which it did not.
In Danvers Savings Bank v. Hammer, 122 N.H. 1, 5 (1982) the court held that “The price
paid, however, was so grossly disproportionate to Hammer's debt and the value of the property "as
to indicate bad faith or lack of reasonable diligence."
In BAKER v. WOOD et al., No. 162. 157 U.S. 212, 15 S.Ct. 577 (1895) the Supreme Court of
the United States considered whether the Colorado assignee obtained the assignment of the property
for a valuable consideration and whether he had knowledge of fraud.
In King v. Doane, 139 U.S. 166, 173, 11 Sup. Ct. 465, it was stated as the general rule that 'if, in
an action by an indorsee against the maker, a negotiable note is shown to have been obtained by
fraud, the presumption, arising merely from the possession of the instrument, that the holder in
good faith paid value, is so far overcome that he cannot have judgment unless it appears
affirmatively from all the evidence, whether produced by the one side or the other, that he in
fact purchased for value,' while, if the fact is established that he did so, 'he will be entitled to
recover, unless it is proved that he purchased with actual notice of defect in the title, or in bad
faith, implying guilty knowledge or willful ignorance.'
The effect of the assignment of a judgment at common law was merely to transfer an
equitable title, and the assignee was not authorized to bring an action thereon in his own name.
We are aware of no statute of Colorado permitting the assignment of a judgment so as to vest
title in the assignee, but there is a provision in the Code of that state (Code Civ. Proc. § 3) that
suit should be brought in the name of the real party in interest, and it is contended that the effect
of this is to unite the legal title with the equitable ownership in the instance of such an
assignment. Nevertheless, the question in this case is whether the real owner of a judgment, the
plaintiff therein, must fail of relief, as against an assignee of that judgment, to whose assignor
plaintiff had in form assigned it, thereby furnishing him with the indicia of title, because
9
estopped to assert his ownership, on the ground that such second assignee occupies the position
of a purchaser for value in good faith and without notice, in reliance on the apparent ownership.
The fraud committed on complainant by Hulburd is conceded, and the inquiry relates to the
defense of a valuable consideration, paid in good faith and without notice
The amount of the consideration is, under some circumstances, important in determining
whether, within the rule on the subject, the purchaser paid value, for the amount paid may be so
disproportionate to the real value of the security purchased that the claim to have paid value will
be treated as a pretense, and the security as having been obtained without paying anything for it;
and it is also, and more commonly, important as bearing upon the question of notice and good
faith. King v. Doane, supra. Here the judgment was for $16,054, with interest at 10 per cent.
from November 12, 1883, and the amount paid was $2,500. While there was evidence tending to
show that the judgment was not worth its face, nevertheless the disproportion is so great as to
form a significant element in the transaction. Moreover, it must be remembered that Hulburd
was Baker's attorney, and had recovered the judgment in question as such. When, therefore, the
attorney of record entertained, as his client's assignee, the offer of such a sum, the law imposed
upon the proposed purchasers the burden of inquiry, and their conduct is to be tested
accordingly.
The case was remanded to trial court with direction that the assignment should be canceled, and
Wood and Seeley's administrator decreed to account for the amounts received, less the amount
paid, with interest.
As the court in Baker held, this transaction should be invalidated because of the lack of value
and bad faith of MERS,DEUTSCHE BANK as trustee, and “the Trust” as the holder in due course
had knowledge of the infirmities, either actual or imputed under the Close Relationship Doctrine.
Deutsch Bank as trustee and “the Trust” have a close Relationship, as well as Deutsche Bank
with MERS, who is a MERS member with a mutually extensive business relationship. (Exh. G)
The consideration given was so greatly disproportionate to the value of the property that it forms a
significant element in the transaction since “The Trust” as a “Holder in Due Course” must prove
that it took the note for value, in good faith, and without notice of any problems with the
transaction.
The Close Relationship Doctrine imputes knowledge of the wrongful acts so that in this case
The “Trust’s” consideration for the note would not make it a holder in good faith because of the
imputed knowledge that First Franklin had ceased to exist and MERS could not transfer debt.
10
US Bank as trustee of the Merrill Lynch/First Franklin Trust must have had actual/or
imputed knowledge that Merrill Lynch closed First Franklin in 2008, and MERS as a former agent
of First Franklin had actual/or imputed knowledge that First Franklin had ceased operations. First
Franklin was also a former member of MERS and was delisted as an active member by MERS
when First Franklin ceased operations in 2008. Therefore, both parties knew that MERS
assignment to DEUTSCHE BANK as trustee was fraudulent.
With MERS help US Bank as trustee (the holder) could pick up the property for Trust (the
holder in due course), for no money at all. First Franklin could not complain over the ten dollar
which First Franklin could never receive since they were no longer in existence. Plaintiff asks this
court to make DEUTSCHE BANK as trustee produce the cancelled check dated October 4th
, 2011
that it purportedly paid the ten dollars as proof of some consideration. More than likely, there was
no consideration at all. Therefore, US Bank N.A as “Holder” and the “Trust” as a “Holder in
Due Course “as defined by the Supreme Court of Colorado in CLINTON GEORG and the court in
Samora cited above, as well as the US Supreme Court in Baker vs Wood, did not take the property
“for value, in good faith, and without notice of certain problems with the instrument” and the
purported assignment for the consideration of TEN DOLLARS of the Assignment of the
Promissory Note by MERS to DEUTSCHE BANK as trustee contains a material misstatement or
false claim which makes the assignment a “spurious document” along with the material
misstatements in issues I & 2 as defined under Section 38-35-201, C.R.S.2012 (Exh A)
THE LIS PENDENS RELATED TO THE ASSIGNMENT WHICH WAS FILED
PURSUANT TO CASE NO. 2013cv435 MUST ALSO BE INVALIDATED BECAUSE IT
RESTS ON THE VALIDITY OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Petitioner submits the three issues above with the attendant legal arguments, leaves little doubt
as to the invalidity of the mortgage assignment which makes several material misstatements.
11
Accordingly, the Lis Pendens can only exist because of a valid Assignment which petitioner
believes that she has discredited.
WHEREFORE, for the above stated reasons, it is hereby requested that this Court issue an
Order To Show Cause why the Mortgage Assignment dated October 4th, 2011, and its related lis
pendens (Reception # D3078612, Exh B) , should not be removed from the record as “spurious
documents” and Petitioner be awarded Costs and Attorney’s Fees in this matter.
Respectfully submitted,
____________________ Dated: February , 2014
JANE WORLEY
VERIFICATION
I, JANE WORLEY, am a plaintiff in the above-entitled action. I have read the foregoing
complaint and know the contents thereof. The same is true of my own knowledge, except as to those
matters which are therein alleged on information and belief, and as to those matters, I believe it to
be true.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct and that this verification
was executed at Aurora, Colorado.
____________________ DATED: February , 2014
JANE WORLEY