REFinBlog

Editor: David Reiss
Brooklyn Law School

September 20, 2013

California Court Finds That Under State Civil Code Section 2924(a), MERS Had the Right to Foreclose

By Ebube Okoli

The United States District Court for the Northern District of California Oakland Division in deciding Earl A. Dancy v. Aurora Loan Services, LLC, No: C10-2602 SBA (2010) found that the plaintiff’s contentions lacked merit.

The court found that the plaintiff’s assertion that neither the loan servicer nor MERS were the true beneficiaries of the subject deed of trust and therefore had no authority to institute foreclosure proceedings, lacked merit. The court held that the deed of trust expressly designated that MERS was acting solely as nominee for the lender and the lender’s successors and assigns.

Further, the court held that regardless of whether or not MERS owned the note or was entitled to any payments as a result, the fact remained that the deed of trust designated MERS as a beneficiary. Thus, under section 2924(a) of the California Civil Code, MERS had the right to foreclose.

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