Diaz v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., successor by merger with Wells Fargo Bank Southwest, N.A., f/k/a Wachovia Mortgage, FSB, f/k/a World Savings Bank, FSB et al
Filing
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Order by Hon. Lucy H. Koh denying 18 Ex Parte Application.(lhklc1, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 11/25/2013)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
United States District Court
For the Northern District of California
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SAN JOSE DIVISION
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ARMANDO DIAZ
Plaintiff,
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v.
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.; CALWESTERN RECONVEYANCE CORP.; and
Does 1 through 20,
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Defendants.
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Case No.: 13-CV-04915-LHK
ORDER DENYING APPLICATION FOR
TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER
AND ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE RE:
PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
Plaintiff Armando Diaz filed an Ex Parte Application for a Temporary Restraining Order
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(“TRO”) and Order to Show Cause (“OSC”) Re: Preliminary Injunction on November 25, 2013, to
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stop the foreclosure sale of his home, which is located in Santa Clara, California. ECF No. 18.
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Defendant Wells Fargo filed an Opposition to the Plaintiff’s Application. ECF No. 22. Having
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considered the Application and Opposition, the Court DENIES Plaintiff’s Application for TRO and
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OSC Re: Preliminary Injunction.
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I.
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BACKGROUND
Plaintiff took out a loan for $460,000 from Defendant Wells Fargo’s predecessor, World
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Savings Bank. ECF No. 22 at 1. The loan was secured by a deed on Plaintiff’s home in Santa
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Clara. Id. Plaintiff defaulted on the loan by failing to make the December 2012 and subsequent
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Case No.: 13-CV-04915-LHK
ORDER DENYING APPLICATION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND ORDER TO SHOW
CAUSE RE: PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
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payments. Id. A Notice of Default was recorded on May 15, 2013. ECF No. 25, Ex. G. A Notice of
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Sale was recorded on October 1, 2013. ECF No. 25, Ex. H.
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Plaintiff initially brought this action in Santa Clara County Superior Court on October 8,
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2013, alleging that Defendants Wells Fargo Bank and Cal-Western Reconveyance Corporation
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violated the terms of a class action settlement, California Civil Code § 2623.55, and California
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Business and Professions Code § 17200. ECF No. 1, Ex. A (“Compl.”).
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Plaintiff’s principal allegation in his Complaint was that Defendants violated the class
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action settlement in In re: Wachovia Corp. “Pick-A-Payment” Mortgage Marketing and Sales
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Practices Litig. (“Wachovia”), No. 09-2015, ECF No. 207 (N.D. Cal. May 17, 2011) (final
United States District Court
For the Northern District of California
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approval order). See Compl. ¶ 11. In that multi-district litigation, plaintiffs alleged that defendants
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violated the federal Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”), 15 U.S.C. 1601, et. seq,. and various state laws
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because defendants’ loan documents, which allowed borrowers to choose among various payment
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levels on their mortgages, did not make adequate disclosures. Wachovia, No. 09-2015, ECF No.
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207, at 2. The settlement of that case had two components: a cash payment of $178.04 to class
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members and a set of procedures that obligated Wells Fargo to consider class members for loan
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modification under federal programs. Id. at 2-3. Judge Fogel, who presided over the Wachovia
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settlement, retained jurisdiction to enforce its terms. Id. at 4. The Wachovia case has subsequently
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been reassigned to Judge Seeborg. Wachovia, No. 09-2015, ECF No. 553. Plaintiff’s central
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allegation in this case is that Defendants violated the Wachovia settlement by not considering
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Plaintiff, a class member, for a loan modification. Compl. ¶ 14.
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In his Complaint, Plaintiff further alleged that Defendants violated California Civil Code §
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2923.55 by recording a Notice of Default against Plaintiff’s property without discussing
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foreclosure avoidance options with Plaintiff and without informing Plaintiff of his rights under the
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statute. Compl. ¶¶ 37, 41. Finally, Plaintiff alleged that Defendants violated California Business
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and Professions Code § 17200 by engaging in unfair and fraudulent conduct. Compl. ¶ 46-67.
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On October 20, 2013, Plaintiff applied for a temporary restraining order in state court,
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contending that Defendants’ impending trustee sale would violate California Civil Code §
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Case No.: 13-CV-04915-LHK
ORDER DENYING APPLICATION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND ORDER TO SHOW
CAUSE RE: PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
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2923.55(b)(2). ECF No. 23, Ex. I. On October 21, 2013, the Santa Clara County Superior Court
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issued an order granting Plaintiff a temporary restraining order, which prevented the foreclosure
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sale scheduled for October 22, 2013. ECF No. 18, Ex. 5. In addition to issuing the TRO, the state
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court ordered Defendants to show cause as to why a preliminary injunction should not issue. Id.
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The hearing on the order to show cause was set for November 5, 2013, which was also the date on
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which the TRO was set to expire. Id.
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On October 23, 2013, before briefing on the order to show cause in state court began,
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Defendants removed this action to federal court. ECF No. 1. Defendants assert that there is federal-
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question jurisdiction, because the case concerns interpretation of an agreement settling a federal
United States District Court
For the Northern District of California
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case and that there is diversity jurisdiction. Id. On October 30, 2013, Defendants moved to dismiss
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the Complaint. ECF No. 6.
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On November 21, 2013, Plaintiff filed an amended complaint. ECF No. 14 (“FAC”). The
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FAC included not only the three causes of action in the original Complaint, but also added a fourth.
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The newly added fourth cause of action alleged that Defendants violated California Civil Code §
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2924.17(b), under which “a mortgage servicer shall ensure that it has reviewed competent and
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reliable evidence to substantiate the borrower's default and the right to foreclose, including the
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borrower's loan status and loan information” before the mortgage servicer serves a notice of
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default, notice of sale, assignment of a deed or trust, or substitution of trustee. In his FAC, Plaintiff
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alleged that Defendants violated this provision because the Substitution of Trustee and Notice of
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Trustee’s Sale that Defendants recorded against Plaintiff’s property do not contain the specific
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language stating that Defendants had reviewed reliable evidence to substantiate the borrower’s
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default as required by section 2924.17 of the Civil Code. FAC ¶ 75-77. Plaintiff contends that the
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absence of this specific language suggests that Defendants did not engage in the statutorily
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mandated review. ECF No. 18 at 4.
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On November 23, 2013, Plaintiff filed a Motion to Remand this matter to state court,
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alleging that there is no basis for federal subject-matter jurisdiction. ECF No. 16. On November 25,
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2013, Plaintiff filed the instant Application for a TRO and OSC Regarding Preliminary Injunction,
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Case No.: 13-CV-04915-LHK
ORDER DENYING APPLICATION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND ORDER TO SHOW
CAUSE RE: PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
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in which he states that the trustee’s sale is scheduled for November 26, 2013, at 10 a.m., and that
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Defendants’ failure to meet the requirements of Civil Code sections 2924.17(b) and 2923.55
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requires this Court to enjoin any such trustee’s sale. ECF No. 18 at 3-8. Defendants filed an
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Opposition. ECF No. 22. In the Opposition, Defendants state that the trustee’s sale is scheduled for
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December 10, 2013. Id. Because there was a discrepancy in the date of the trustee’s sale and
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because neither party cited anything to support their respective dates of the sale, this Court ordered
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the parties to resolve the discrepancy by providing supporting documentation that would clarify the
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date of the trustee’s sale. ECF No. 24. Defendants responded stating that the trustee’s sale had been
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continued to December 10, 2013, but that there was no available documentation regarding the date
United States District Court
For the Northern District of California
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of the sale. ECF No. 25. Plaintiff did not respond.
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II.
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LEGAL STANDARD
The standard for issuing a temporary restraining order is identical to the standard for issuing
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a preliminary injunction. Brown Jordan Int’l, Inc. v. Mind’s Eye Interiors, Inc., 236 F. Supp. 2d
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1152, 1154 (D. Haw. 2002); Lockheed Missile & Space Co., Inc. v. Hughes Aircraft Co., 887
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F.Supp. 1320, 1323 (N.D. Cal. 1995). “A plaintiff seeking a preliminary injunction must establish
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that he is likely to succeed on the merits, that he is likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence
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of preliminary relief, that the balance of equities tips in his favor, and that an injunction is in the
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public interest.” Winter v. Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 555 U.S. 7, 20 (2008) (emphasis added).
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The party seeking the injunction bears the burden of proving these elements. Klein v. City of San
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Clemente, 584 F.3d 1196, 1201 (9th Cir. 2009). The issuance of a preliminary injunction is at the
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discretion of the district court. Indep. Living Ctr. v. Maxwell-Jolly, 572 F.3d 644, 651 (9th Cir.
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2009).
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III.
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DISCUSSION
“The Court recognizes that loss of a home can constitute irreparable harm.” Tapang v.
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Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 12-2183, 2012 WL 1894273 (N.D. Cal. May 23, 2012). “However,
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Plaintiff has failed to carry [his] burden of showing a likelihood of success on the merits of [his]
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claims, and thus the Court cannot grant [his] request for a TRO.” Id. Plaintiff contends that
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Case No.: 13-CV-04915-LHK
ORDER DENYING APPLICATION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND ORDER TO SHOW
CAUSE RE: PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
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Defendants have acted in contravention of two California statutes and that these violations require
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this Court to issue a TRO. Plaintiff first contends that Defendants have violated section 2924.17(b)
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of the California Civil Code, which, as discussed above, requires mortgage servicers to ensure that
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they have reviewed reliable evidence to substantiate the borrower’s default before serving a notice
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of default or similar document. Plaintiff further contends that Defendants have violated section
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2923.55(b)(2) of the California Civil Code, which requires a mortgage servicer to contact the
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borrower to assess the borrower’s financial situation, to explore options of avoiding foreclosure,
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and to provide other information.
With regard to section 2924.17, Plaintiff’s contention is that none of the documents
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United States District Court
For the Northern District of California
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Defendants sent to Plaintiff contains an affirmative statement that Defendants have “ensure[d] that
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[they have] reviewed competent and reliable evidence to substantiate the borrower's default and the
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right to foreclose” and that the absence of this statement suggests that Defendants did not review
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the evidence. Cal. Civ. Code § 2924.17(b); ECF No. 18 at 4. Yet, Plaintiff has not cited any
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authority suggesting that this statute requires Defendants to affirmatively state that they have
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complied with this provision. To the contrary, Plaintiff concedes that such language is “commonly
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added,” not that it is always used. ECF No. 18 at 4.
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Section 2924.17(b) does not appear to require any specific affirmative statement. Rather, as
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other courts have found, the statute is designed to prevent “robo-signing.” See Marquez v. Wells
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Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 13-2819, 2013 WL 5141689 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 13, 2013) (“Section 2924.17
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prohibits the practice of robo-signing, in which servicers sign foreclosure documents without
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determining the right to foreclose.”); Sanguinetti v. CitiMortgage, Inc., No. 12-5424, 2013 WL
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4838765 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 11, 2013) (“Section 2924.17 prohibits ‘robo-signing,’ or executing
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foreclosure documents without ‘substantiat[ing] the borrower's default and the right to
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foreclose.’”); Hosseini v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 13-2066, 2013 WL 4279632 (N.D. Cal.
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Aug. 9, 2013) (“Section 2924.17(b) prohibits the practice of ‘robo-signing,’ in which mortgage
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servicers execute foreclosure documents without ‘substantiat[ing] the borrower's default and the
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right to foreclose.’”). Here, there is no allegation that Defendants have not reviewed competent and
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Case No.: 13-CV-04915-LHK
ORDER DENYING APPLICATION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND ORDER TO SHOW
CAUSE RE: PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
1
reliable evidence to substantiate the borrower’s default, nor is there any allegation (let alone
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evidence) that Defendants have engaged in “robo-signing.” In light of this lack of evidence and the
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lack of argument that section 2924.17(b) requires Defendants to use certain words in
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communication with the Plaintiff, the Court finds that Plaintiff is unlikely to succeed on the merits.
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With regard to section 2923.55(b)(2), Defendants explicitly attached a “Declaration of
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Compliance” to the Notice of Default. ECF No. 23, Ex. G. This attachment stated that “The
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mortgage servicer has contacted the borrower pursuant to California Civil Code § 2923.55(b)(2) to
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‘assess the borrower’s financial situation and explore options for the borrower to avoid
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foreclosure.’ Thirty (30) days, or more, have passed since the initial contact was made.” Id.
United States District Court
For the Northern District of California
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Plaintiff contends that he has called into question the validity of this Declaration of Compliance
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through his own declaration, in which he states, “[p]rior to the recording of the Notice of Default,
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not a single contact with my mortgage servicer included 1) a discussion of my options to avoid
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foreclosure, 2) an advisement that I could meet with them within 14 days to discuss my options to
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avoid foreclosure and assess my finances, and 3) providing me with the free HUD number so I
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could contact a loan counselor for independent advice.” ECF No. 18, Ex. 2.
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In other, analogous contexts, courts have held that a declaration attached to the Notice of
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Default is sufficient to satisfy Defendants’ obligations under California laws that require lenders to
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contact borrowers. For example, section 2923.5, which requires similar notices to borrowers from
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lenders, is satisfied by a declaration of compliance with applicable statutory obligations. See, e.g.,
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Cabanilla v. Wachovia Mortg., No. 12-0228, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39270 at *11-12 (C.D. Cal.
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March 20, 2012) (“Wachovia points to the declaration included in the notice of default sent to the
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Cabanillas as evidence of their compliance. This declaration states that ‘Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.,
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has contacted the borrower as set forth in California Civil Code Section 2923.5(a)(2).’ This
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declaration is sufficient to establish that Wachovia has met its obligations under § 2923.5.”
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(internal citations omitted)); Kamp v. Aurora Loan Servs., No. 09-0844, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
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95245 (C.D. Cal. Oct. 1, 2009) (same); Juarez v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 09-3104, 2009 U.S.
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Dist. LEXIS 110892 (C.D. Cal Nov. 11, 2009) (same).
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Case No.: 13-CV-04915-LHK
ORDER DENYING APPLICATION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND ORDER TO SHOW
CAUSE RE: PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
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The Court finds that Plaintiff has not carried his burden of demonstrating why the Court
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should deviate from this precedent with respect to the section 2923.55(b)(2) claim. The cases
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stating that a declaration is sufficient to meet defendants’ notice burdens are particularly persuasive
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because those cases all involved grants of motions to dismiss in favor of defendants, a context in
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which there is substantial deference to the plaintiffs’ allegations. In contrast, in the TRO context, as
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here, Plaintiff bears the ultimate burden. As Plaintiff himself concedes in his Application, he has at
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a minimum “raised serious questions as to whether not [sic] the Defendants’ complied with this
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code.” ECF No. 18 at 8. “Rais[ing] serious questions” falls substantially below Plaintiff’s burden
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of showing a likelihood of success on the merits. Because it is likely, based on the case law and the
United States District Court
For the Northern District of California
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Declaration of Compliance, that Defendants have satisfied their obligations under section
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2923.55(b)(2), the Court finds that Plaintiff is unlikely to succeed on the merits.
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IV.
CONCLUSION
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Because the Court finds that Plaintiff has not met his burden of showing that he is likely to
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succeed on the merits under either of the two statutes that he alleges Defendants have violated, the
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Court DENIES Plaintiff’s Application for a TRO and Order to Show Cause Re: Preliminary
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Injunction.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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Dated: November 25, 2013
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_________________________________
LUCY H. KOH
United States District Judge
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Case No.: 13-CV-04915-LHK
ORDER DENYING APPLICATION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND ORDER TO SHOW
CAUSE RE: PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
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