REFinBlog

Editor: David Reiss
Cornell Law School

February 19, 2013

1st Circuit Holds that MA Borrowers Can Challenge Mortgage Assignments

By David Reiss

A First Circuit panel (including Justice Souter) ruled that under Massachusetts law, “a mortgagor has standing to challenge a mortgage assignment as invalid, ineffective, or void (if, say, the assignor had nothing to assign or had no authority to make … Continue reading

Utah District Court Holds that MERS has Authority to Initiate Non-Judicial Foreclosure and to Assign Beneficial Interest

By Justin Rothman

In Burnett v. Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., No. 1:09 CV 00069 DAK, 2009 WL 3582294 (D. Utah Oct. 27, 2009), the United States District Court of Utah held that Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc (“MERS”) had authority to initiate … Continue reading

February 17, 2013

District Court of North Dakota Finds MERS has Standing to Foreclose, Rejects All Twelve of Plaintiff’s Challenges

By Joseph Kelly

In Bray v. Bank of Am., 1:09-CV-075, 2011 WL 30307 (D.N.D. Jan. 5, 2011) appeal dismissed, 435 F. App’x 571 (8th Cir. 2011), the court denied plaintiff’s ten motions, including his motion for summary judgment, and granted defendants’, Bank of … Continue reading

February 15, 2013

The Michigan District Court holds that Aurora Bank has Standing to Foreclose on Homeowners’ Property

By Robert Huberman

In Horton v. Aurora Bank FSB, 1:12-CV-365, 2012 WL 3307451 (W.D. Mich. Aug. 13, 2012), the Michigan District Court granted Defendants’ motion to dismiss Aaron and Suzanne Hortons’ claims. In January 2007, the Hortons purchased property and executed a promissory note, … Continue reading