Rosetto v. HSBC Bank USA, N.A. et al
Filing
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ORDER that 12 Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED. Plaintiff's Complaint is DISMISSED with prejudice. The Clerk shall enter judgment accordingly. Signed by Judge Gloria M. Navarro on 7/23/13. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - MMM)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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GRICELDA ROSETTO,
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Plaintiff,
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vs.
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HSBC BANK USA, N.A.; and NATIONAL
DEFAULT SERVICING CORPORATION,
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Defendants.
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Case No.: 2:13-cv-00813-GMN-GWF
ORDER
Pending before the Court is the Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 12) filed by Defendant
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HSBC Bank USA, N.A. (“HSBC”). Plaintiff Gricelda Rosetto, who is represented by counsel,
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filed no opposition, and the response deadline has expired. (See Notice of Non-Opposition,
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ECF No. 15.)
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I.
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BACKGROUND
This action arises out of the foreclosure proceedings initiated against the property
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located at 3013 Ocean Port Dr., Las Vegas, NV, 89117, APN #: 163-07-720-003 (“the
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property”). (Notice of Removal, ECF No. 1.) In her Complaint, Plaintiff alleges that
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“Defendant Quality Loan Service Corp initiated foreclosure proceedings against Plaintiff.”
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(Compl., ECF No. 1.) However, the only Defendants named in the Complaint are HSBC and
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National Default Servicing Corporation (collectively, “Defendants”). (Id.)
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Plaintiff requests that the Court quiet title in her name and grant injunctive relief.
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(Compl., ECF No. 1.) Plaintiff’s sole claims supporting her requested relief are: (1) that the
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Deed of Trust “is void as it was improperly assigned and/or transferred to the Foreclosing
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Defendants from the original lender”; (2) “PLAINTIFF is not the holder of the Note”; and
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(3) “the Note and Deed of Trust have been split.” (Id.)
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II.
LEGAL STANDARD
Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure mandates that a court dismiss a
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cause of action that fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. See North Star Int’l
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v. Ariz. Corp. Comm’n, 720 F.2d 578, 581 (9th Cir. 1983). When considering a motion to
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dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim, dismissal is appropriate only when the
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complaint does not give the defendant fair notice of a legally cognizable claim and the grounds
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on which it rests. See Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007). In considering
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whether the complaint is sufficient to state a claim, the Court will take all material allegations
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as true and construe them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. See NL Indus., Inc. v.
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Kaplan, 792 F.2d 896, 898 (9th Cir. 1986).
The Court, however, is not required to accept as true allegations that are merely
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conclusory, unwarranted deductions of fact, or unreasonable inferences. See Sprewell v. Golden
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State Warriors, 266 F.3d 979, 988 (9th Cir. 2001). A formulaic recitation of a cause of action
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with conclusory allegations is not sufficient; a plaintiff must plead facts showing that a
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violation is plausible, not just possible. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing
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Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555) (emphasis added).
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A court may also dismiss a complaint pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b)
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for failure to comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a). Hearns v. San Bernardino
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Police Dept., 530 F.3d 1124, 1129 (9th Cir.2008). Rule 8(a)(2) requires that a plaintiff’s
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complaint contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled
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to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). “Prolix, confusing complaints” should be dismissed because
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“they impose unfair burdens on litigants and judges.” McHenry v. Renne, 84 F.3d 1172, 1179
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(9th Cir.1996).
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“Generally, a district court may not consider any material beyond the pleadings in ruling
on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion . . . . However, material which is properly submitted as part of the
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complaint may be considered on a motion to dismiss.” Hal Roach Studios, Inc. v. Richard
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Feiner & Co., 896 F.2d 1542, 1555 n.19 (9th Cir. 1990) (citations omitted). Similarly,
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“documents whose contents are alleged in a complaint and whose authenticity no party
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questions, but which are not physically attached to the pleading, may be considered in ruling on
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a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss” without converting the motion to dismiss into a motion for
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summary judgment. Branch v. Tunnell, 14 F.3d 449, 454 (9th Cir. 1994). Under Federal Rule
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of Evidence 201, a court may take judicial notice of “matters of public record.” Mack v. S. Bay
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Beer Distrib., 798 F.2d 1279, 1282 (9th Cir. 1986). Otherwise, if the district court considers
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materials outside of the pleadings, the motion to dismiss is converted into a motion for
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summary judgment. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(d); Arpin v. Santa Clara Valley Transp. Agency, 261
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F.3d 912, 925 (9th Cir. 2001).
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If the court grants a motion to dismiss, it must then decide whether to grant leave to
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amend. Pursuant to Rule 15(a), the court should “freely” give leave to amend “when justice so
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requires,” and in the absence of a reason such as “undue delay, bad faith or dilatory motive on
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the part of the movant, repeated failure to cure deficiencies by amendments previously allowed,
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undue prejudice to the opposing party by virtue of allowance of the amendment, futility of the
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amendment, etc.” Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 182 (1962). Generally, leave to amend is
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only denied when it is clear that the deficiencies of the complaint cannot be cured by
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amendment. See DeSoto v. Yellow Freight Sys., Inc., 957 F.2d 655, 658 (9th Cir. 1992).
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III.
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DISCUSSION
As the Court pointed out in its previous Order (ECF No. 9), the Local Rules of Practice
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for the District of Nevada require a motion to be supported by a memorandum of points and
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authorities, and “[t]he failure of an opposing party to file points and authorities in response to
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any motion shall constitute a consent to the granting of the motion.” D. Nev. R. 7-2(d).
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Therefore, Plaintiff’s failure to oppose the Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 12) constitutes consent
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to granting of the motion.
The Court additionally finds that the motion may be granted on the merits, as well.
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Here, the Court finds that Plaintiff has not given Defendants fair notice of a legally cognizable
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claim and the ground on which it rests, where her claims are that there was an improper
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assignment or transfer from the original lender, that the Note and Deed of Trust have been split,
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or that some Defendant is not the holder of the Note. The most identifiable deficiency in
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Plaintiff’s allegations is her failure to clearly allege which of the two Defendants committed
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which specific violations. However, even construing each of Plaintiff’s allegations as against
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each Defendant individually, the Court finds that Plaintiff’s pleading fails to meet the
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applicable standards.
First, Plaintiff has failed to plead a legally cognizable cause of action justifying the relief
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of quiet title or injunctive relief. Nevada statutes provide that “[a]n action may be brought by
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any person against another who claims an estate or interest in real property, adverse to the
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person bringing the action, for the purpose of determining such adverse claim.” Nev. Rev. Stat.
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§ 40.010. “In a quiet title action, the burden of proof rests with the plaintiff to prove good title
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in himself.” Breliant v. Preferred Equities Corp., 918 P.2d 314, 318 (Nev. 1996). “Moreover,
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there is a presumption in favor of the record titleholder.” Id. However, Plaintiff does not allege
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that she can prove good title in herself; and Plaintiff’s allegations that the Deed of Trust is void
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and that it has been split from the Note do not support a legally cognizable cause of action.
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Second, even construing Plaintiff’s allegation that “PLAINTIFF is not the holder of the
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Note” to allege instead that one or both of Defendants “is not the holder of the Note,” the Court
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cannot find that Plaintiff has met her burden to allege sufficient facts showing that a violation
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on the part of Defendants is plausible, or that Plaintiff can show good title in herself. Likewise,
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the Court’s review of the publicly recorded documents relating to the property provides no
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support for the factual deficiencies in Plaintiff’s allegations. (See Request for Judicial Notice,
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ECF No. 13.) Accordingly, Plaintiff’s Complaint must be dismissed for failure to state a claim
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upon which relief can be granted.
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Finally, the Court finds that denial of leave to amend is appropriate here because it is
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clear that the deficiencies cannot be cured by amendment where Plaintiff has failed to oppose
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the motion, to request leave to amend, or to provide sufficient basis in the Complaint to indicate
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the possible existence of facts that may cure the deficiencies described above. This is
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particularly evident where: (1) Plaintiff has failed to oppose the instant Motion to Dismiss
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(ECF No. 12); (2) Plaintiff’s Complaint (ECF No. 1) and Motion for Temporary Restraining
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Order (ECF No. 5) fall far below the required legal standards; and (3) Plaintiff has failed to
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explain or remedy the problems after receiving notice from the Court.
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IV.
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CONCLUSION
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 12) is GRANTED.
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Plaintiff’s Complaint is DISMISSED with prejudice. The Clerk of the Court shall enter
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judgment accordingly.
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DATED this 23rd day of July, 2013.
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Gloria M. Navarro
United States District Judge
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