Author Archives: Ebube Okoli

Arizona Court Rejects Plaintiff’s Argument That MERS Lacked Authority to Foreclose

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The Arizona court in Kane v. Bosco, No. 10-CV-01787-PHX-JAT, 2010 WL 4879177 (D.Ariz. 2010), after considering the plaintiffs contentions that MERS lacked the power to assign mortgages, proceeded to reject those arguments.

In making such a rejection, the court held that MERS could assign mortgages. Contrary to plaintiffs‘ allegations, the court failed to see how the MERS System lacked authority as a nominee of lenders to assign deeds of trust. Further, the court failed to see how MERS, in assigning deeds of trust, committed any form of fraud as the plaintiff alleged.

Arizona Court Dismisses Plaintiff’s Show-Me-The-Note Claim in Its Entirety

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The Arizona Court that decided AOM Group LLC et al v. Mortgage IT, Inc. et al., No. CV 09-2639-PHX-SRB (D.Ariz.)(2010) held that the plaintiff’s ‘show me the note’ argument was lacking in merit.

The plaintiff brought an action that challenged the validity of completed trustee sale. The plaintiff made several allegations, one of which was unlawful fraudulent foreclosure by MERS and the servicer. The court after considering the arguments dismissed the plaintiff’s action its entirety.

The United States District Court for the District of Arizona Reasons That the Plaintiff Agreed to Empower MERS to Foreclose

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The United States District Court for the District of Arizona, in Silvas v. GMAC Mortgage, LLC, et al., cv00265 (AZ Dist., 2009), reaffirmed MERS’ standing as the beneficiary of a deed of trust.

In the present case, the plaintiff brought a host of claims against the defendant. One such claim included conspiracy to commit fraud by making use of the MERS System. The court considered the plaintiff’s arguments, however the court rejected them. In rejecting the plaintiff‘s contentions, the court found that they were not only inaccurate, but that the claims were also insufficient to support the plaintiff’s assertions.

The court also reasoned that the plaintiff agreed to empower MERS to foreclose. In reaching this conclusion the court noted that the deed of trust designated MERS as the beneficiary, and authorized MERS to take any action to enforce the loan. One such right included the power to foreclose.

The United States District Court for the District of Arizona Finds That the Borrower Gave MERS the Ability to Take Any Action, Which the Lender Would be Able to Take

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The United States District Court for the District of Arizona, in Blau v. America’s Servicing Company, et al, No. CV-08-773 (D. Ariz., 2009), acknowledged that MERS, acting as a beneficiary, was the proper party to execute an assignment of the deed of trust.

The borrower gave MERS the ability to take any action, which the lender would be able to take. Thus, this included the ability to assign, foreclose, and even substitute the trustee. The court also found that MERS had no liability under The Truth in Lending Act (TILA) since it had not been involved in making the loan to the plaintiff.

U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona Found the Mere Use of MERS Nid Not Constitute Common Law Fraud

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The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, in Cervantes v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., et al., No. 09-cv-00517 (D.Ariz. 2009), dismissed all state and federal claims brought by all three of the borrowers. The borrowers filed a complaint against MERS as well as a group of other defendants

After considering the borrowers’ arguments, the court found the mere use of MERS did not constitute common law fraud on the borrowers. The court found that the plaintiffs had failed to allege what effect, if any, listing the MERS system as a ‘sham’ beneficiary on the deed of trust had upon their obligations as borrowers.

Subsequently, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the trial court’s judgment in favor of MERS. Accordingly, the Court held that a borrower lacked the basis to challenge the standing of an entity such as MERS. Further, the court, however, drew attention to a legal reference that such a borrower still had legal recourse by bringing an action to have the trustee’s sale set aside.

Alabama Court Holds That MERS’ Assignment to Current Servicer of the Mortgage Loan was Valid

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The Alabama court in Mortensen v. MERS et al, S.D. Ala. No. CV10-234-S (2010) after considering both arguments, granted summary judgment to MERS as well as all defendants.

The court found that the borrower, from his own volition, knowingly and willingly gave a mortgage interest in the property to MERS. The court also found that the mortgage in this case expressly stated that MERS was the mortgagee under the security instrument.

Accordingly, the court held that the MERS’ assignment to the current servicer of the mortgage loan was valid and assigned all MERS’ interest in the mortgage to the servicer.

Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama, in Favor of Borrower, Vacates and Dismisses Judgment

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The court in Nelson v. Federal National Mortgage Association, 97 So.3d 770 (2012) the Court granted Fannie Mae’s summary judgment as to its ejectment action against the borrower because the Court found that Fannie Mae received valid title to the property from MERS subsequent to the foreclosure sale conducted by MERS. However, on appeal, court of civil appeals of Alabama vacated the lower court’s judgment and dismissed the appeal.

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The court of civil appeals reversed a decision by the lower court holding that under the state’s law MERS had the power and authority to conduct the foreclosure sale in its own name and the special warranty deed from MERS to Fannie Mae was valid and gave Fannie Mae superior legal title to the property. On appeal this was reversed.

Likewise, the lower court also originally held that an assignment of mortgage from MERS to the servicer was unnecessary for MERS to proceed with the foreclosure on behalf of the servicer. Accordingly the court of civil appeals also vacated this.