Bell et al v. Countrywide Bank NA et al
Filing
89
MEMORANDUM Opinion and Order denying 70 Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim. Signed by Judge Bruce S. Jenkins on 3/15/12. (jmr)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF UTAH, CENTRAL DIVISION
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TIMOTHY R. BELL, an individual; and
JENNIFER BELL, an individual,
Plaintiffs,
vs.
COUNTRYWIDE BANK, N.A. d/b/a
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION,
a Delaware corporation; BAC HOME
LOANS SERVICING, LP, a Texas
limited partnership; RECONTRUST
COMPANY, N.A., a national association;
and DOES 1-5,
Defendants.
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Civil No. 2:11-CV-00271-BSJ
MEMORANDUM OPINION
& ORDER
(Fed. R. Civ P. 12(b)(6))
FILED
CLERK, U.S. DISTRICT COURT
March 15, 2012 (2:04pm)
DISTRICT OF UTAH
*********
I. INTRODUCTION
This matter arises out of plaintiffs’ alleged default on a promissory note secured by a deed
of trust on their primary residence. On October 8, 2009, defendant ReconTrust, a successor
trustee, recorded with the Salt Lake County Recorder a notice of default and election to sell
plaintiffs’ property to collect on the note.1 Plaintiffs filed a complaint challenging the prospective
sale in Third District Court, Salt Lake County, Utah. Defendants subsequently removed the case
to this court, alleging diversity.
At a hearing on August 30, 2011, plaintiffs represented that they “would like to bring an
amended complaint seeking judicial determination about the right of ReconTrust [the successor
1
C.)
(See Pls.’ Third Am. Compl., filed Sept. 15, 2011 (dkt. no. 68) (“Pls.’ Compl.”), at Ex.
trustee] to foreclose this trust deed.”2 Plaintiffs also requested leave to amend the complaint to
state a cause of action for promissory estoppel on the loan modification issues.3 At that time,
plaintiffs stated that “as to those two items, we’d like the Court’s leave to file an amended
complaint and continue on our way.”4 The court granted leave to amend,5 ordering that plaintiffs
file their amended complaint by September 16, 2011.6
Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on September 15, 2011,7 which asserted the
following among other things: (1) absence of authority of ReconTrust and “preliminary
injunction” (as against all defendants), (2) breach of an alleged modified contract (as against
BAC and BAC Servicing), and (3) promissory estoppel (as against BAC and BAC Servicing).
On September 30, 2011, defendants filed a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss for failure to
state a claim,8 arguing that the complaint exceeded the authorization to amend. Although
defendants assert that plaintiffs’ claim for preliminary injunction “is not a claim at all but rather a
2
(Transcript of Hearing, dated Aug. 30, 2011 (dkt. no. 77) (“Mot. Amend Hr’g Tr.”), at
5:7–9; see also id. at 6:11–13.)
3
(Id. at 5:19–22.)
4
(Id. at 5:23–24.)
5
(Id. at 22:19–20.)
6
(See id. at 23:17–24:9; Order, filed September 21, 2011 (dkt no. 69).)
7
(See Pls.’ Compl.) Plaintiffs titled the amended complaint as “Third Amended
Complaint” when in fact it should have been titled “Second Amended Complaint.” Although on
May 31, 2011 plaintiffs filed a motion to amend/correct their first amended complaint (dkt. no.
36),—and filed concurrently therewith a proposed second amended complaint (dkt. no. 38)—the
court never granted that motion to amend. Accordingly, the proposed second amended complaint
was never operative, and what plaintiffs have titled as the “Third Amended Complaint” is
actually the “Second Amended Complaint.”
8
(See Defs.’ Mot. Dismiss Pls.’ Third Am. Compl., filed Sept. 30, 2011 (dkt. no. 70)
(“Defs.’ Mot. Dismiss”).)
2
form of relief that cannot constitute an independent cause of action,”9 paragraphs 52–56 of the
amended pleading adequately raise the question as to whether ReconTrust has authority to
conduct nonjudicial foreclosures on real property in Utah.
The question is of continuing importance because Utah Code Ann. § 57-1-23.5(2) (Supp.
2011)10 provides a private cause of action to a trustor whose real property has been the subject of
an unauthorized sale by an unauthorized person. Plaintiffs assert ReconTrust is unauthorized to
“foreclose.”
Defendants may have a point that plaintiffs may have exceeded the scope of the court’s
leave to amend,11 but the court need not address the promissory estoppel claim nor the breach of
contract issue at this time. The immediate and substantive question before the court is whether
ReconTrust has authority to sell real property at a nonjudicial foreclosure sale in Utah.
On November 10, 2011, defendants’ motion came on for hearing and was argued to the
court, at which time the court reserved on the matter and requested supplemental briefing from
both parties as to the legislative history of 12 U.S.C. § 92a. Curiously, at the hearing, defendants
notified the court for the first time that on November 2, 2011, ReconTrust had been succeeded as
trustee by an attorney named Armand J. Howell.12 Defendants then asserted that plaintiffs’ claim
9
(See Defs.’ Mem. Supp. Mot. Dismiss Pls.’ Third Am. Compl. (dkt. no. 71) (“Defs.’
Mem.”), at 2.)
10
Subsection (2)(a) states that “[a]n authorized person who conducts an unauthorized sale
is liable to the trustor for the actual damages suffered by the trustor as a result of the
unauthorized sale or $2,000, whichever is greater.”
11
(See Defs.’ Mem. at 5–6.)
12
(Transcript of Hearing, dated Nov. 10, 2011 (dkt. no. 80) (“Mot. Dismiss Hr’g Tr.”), at
7:16–8:5, 33:17–19.)
3
as to ReconTrust had become moot.13 In light of Mr. Howell’s recent appointment as successor
trustee, the court also requested the parties to brief whether the ReconTrust issue was capable of
repetition.14
II. DISCUSSION
At this point, the court need only determine whether to grant or deny defendants’ motion
to dismiss.
“While a complaint attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss does not need detailed
factual allegations, a plaintiff’s obligation to provide the grounds of his entitlement to relief
requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause
of action will not do.”15 While “the pleading standard Rule 8 announces does not require detailed
factual allegations, . . . it demands more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmedme accusation.”16
Prior to dealing with the substantive question, the court must first determine whether
plaintiffs’ claim is now moot.
A. Plaintiffs’ claim against ReconTrust is not moot
This court’s jurisdiction and constitutional authority under Article III of the Constitution
do not extend to moot cases, but only to actual cases or controversies.17 The mootness doctrine is
13
(Id. at 33:12–16.)
14
(Id. at 72:22–73:3.)
15
Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007) (internal citations and quotations
omitted).
16
Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937, 1949 (2009) (internal quotations omitted).
17
Iron Arrow Honor Soc’y v. Heckler, 464 U.S. 67, 70 (1983).
4
grounded in the idea that “‘federal courts only decide actual, ongoing cases or controversies,’”18
and that “a case or controversy no longer exists when it is impossible to grant any effectual
relief.”19
However, a case is not moot if it “falls within a special category of disputes that are
‘capable of repetition’ while ‘evading review.’”20 Two elements must be present for a case to fall
within this exception: “(1) the challenged action was in its duration too short to be fully litigated
prior to its cessation or expiration, and (2) there was a reasonable expectation that the same
complaining party would be subjected to the same action again.”21
The Supreme Court has stated that a federal court’s “concern in these cases, as in all
others involving potentially moot claims, [is] whether the controversy [is] capable of repetition
and not . . . whether the claimant ha[s] demonstrated that a recurrence of the dispute was more
probable than not.”22 Indeed, the possibility of recurrence need not be “established with
mathematical precision,” but rather the court need only find a “reasonable expectation” of
repetition.23 Certainly, the bar is not high for a party to withstand a challenge for mootness.
18
Lucero v. Bureau of Collection Recovery, Inc., 639 F.3d 1239, 1242 (10th Cir. 2011)
(quoting Building & Constr. Dep’t v. Rockwell Int’l Corp., 7 F.3d 1487, 1491 (10th Cir. 1993));
see also Matthew I. Hall, The Partially Prudential Doctrine of Mootness, 77 Geo. Wash. L. Rev.
562, 571 (2009).
19
Chihuahuan Grasslands Alliance v. Kempthorne, 545 F.3d 884, 891 (10th Cir. 2008).
20
Turner v. Rogers, 131 S. Ct. 2507, 2514–15 (2011) (quoting S. Pac. Terminal Co. v.
ICC, 219 U.S. 498, 515 (1911)).
21
Weinstein v. Bradford, 423 U.S. 147, 149 (1975) (per curiam).
22
Honig v. Doe, 484 U.S. 305, 319 n.6 (1988) (emphasis in original).
23
Id.
5
When presented with a question of mootness the court also has an “interest in ‘preventing
litigants from attempting to manipulate the Court’s jurisdiction.’”24 “The concern is that a party’s
change in position may be temporary and thus abandoned once the litigation ends.”25 Therefore,
it is “well settled that a defendant’s voluntary cessation of a challenged practice does not deprive
a federal court of its power to determine the legality of the practice.”26 In cases where the court is
concerned with a party’s potential manipulation of the court’s jurisdiction, the Tenth Circuit
looks at two additional factors: (1) whether “it is not ‘absolutely clear that the allegedly wrongful
behavior could not reasonably be expected to recur[,]’”27 and (2) whether the litigant is
attempting to seal a favorable decision from review.28
Additionally, there are certain matters that come before a court that are too important to
be denied effective review; for example, when the nature of the issue is sufficiently compelling in
relation to the enforcement of the laws and the private rights involved.29
24
Wyoming v. U.S. Dep’t of Agric., 414 F.3d 1207, 1212 (10th Cir. 2005) (quoting City of
Erie v. PAP’S A.M., 529 U.S. 277, 288 (2000)).
25
Id.
26
City of Mesquite v. Alladin’s Castle, Inc., 455 U.S. 283, 289 (1982). In Alladin’s Castle,
a city exempted a business from a city ordinance in response to the business’ challenge that the
ordinance was unconstitutional. However, after a state court decision was issued regarding the
matter, the city adopted a new ordinance which repealed the business exemption. See id. at
286–87, 289.
27
Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Okla. v. Nat’l Indian Gaming Comm’n, 327 F.3d 1019, 1028
(10th Cir. 2003) (quoting S. Utah Wilderness Alliance v. Norton, 301 F.3d 1217, 1236 n.17 (10th
Cir. 2002)).
28
See Seneca-Cayuga Tribe, 327 F.3d at 1029 (“We, however, read City of Erie as
expressing a generalized concern about manipulation of an appellate court’s jurisdiction to seal a
favorable decision from review. Here, appellees’ conduct, while presumably not in bad faith,
nonetheless implicates the concern over post-trial manipulation.”).
29
Cf. In re Carlson, 580 F.2d 1365, 1372 (10th Cir. 1978) (deciding to entertain the issue
(continued...)
6
Here, defendants assert that “Plaintiffs cannot allege a live case or controversy vis-à-vis
ReconTrust and this Court cannot grant Plaintiffs any effectual relief as to the preliminary
injunction claim”30 because ReconTrust is no longer the trustee on the plaintiffs’ deed of trust,
and “in fact, ReconTrust ceased operations in Utah in October 2011.”31
This court disagrees. The question of mootness arose on November 2, 2011, when
defendants substituted a licensed Utah attorney as trustee in the place of ReconTrust. However,
plaintiffs and others are certainly capable of being subjected to ReconTrust’s actions once again.
Plaintiffs correctly assert that the “beneficiary may appoint a successor trustee at any time,”32
meaning that there is nothing prohibiting defendants from again substituting ReconTrust as
successor trustee at a later date.
Although defendants represent that ReconTrust ceased operations in Utah in October
2011, they have supplied this court with one order and one memorandum decision and order
from cases in the District of Utah wherein ReconTrust continued to prosecute actions against
Utah homeowners as late as December 2011 and February 2012.33 There was no specific
representation that ReconTrust would comply with the Utah statutes in the future. It is of course
29
(...continued)
as to whether the district court’s judgment denying the IRS application was a final decision even
though the petitioner’s business successor-in-interest had already voluntarily paid all the taxes,
penalties, and interest of taxpayer Carlson).
30
(Defs.’ Supplemental Mem. Supp. Mot. Dismiss, filed Dec. 1, 2011 (“Defs.’
Supplemental Mem.”) (dkt. no. 83), at 8.)
31
(Id.)
32
Utah Code Ann. § 57-1-22(1)(a) (2010) (emphasis added).
33
Dutcher v. Matheson, 2:11-CV-666-TS (D. Utah Feb. 8, 2012) (Mem. Opinion & Order,
dkt. no. 48); see also Garrett v. ReconTrust Co., N.A., 2:11-CV-00763-DS (D. Utah Dec. 21,
2011) (Order, dkt. no. 9).
7
curious that ReconTrust later provided to the court supplemental authority and further argued that
ReconTrust did not have to comply with the Utah statutes. Thus, it is not absolutely clear to this
court that ReconTrust’s future compliance with Utah statutes can reasonably be expected.
ReconTrust relies on two decisions which apply Texas law to a national bank’s fiduciary
activities in Utah.34 The cases on this issue within the District of Utah are evenly split.35 One of
them was appealed.36 The Tenth Circuit did not have opportunity to pass on the matter because
the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed her complaint in the underlying action prior to the Tenth
Circuit having opportunity to issue an opinion.37
The substitution of an attorney as successor trustee occurred on November 2, 2011. The
hearing on the motion to dismiss was set for November 10, 2011. Despite having eight days (four
days, not including weekends and the dates of substitution and hearing) to notify the court of the
substitution—and possibly submit a supplemental brief as to the potential mootness
34
Dutcher v. Matheson, 2:11-CV-666-TS (D. Utah Feb. 8, 2012) (Mem. Opinion & Order,
dkt. no. 48); see also Garrett v. ReconTrust Co., N.A., 2:11-CV-00763-DS (D. Utah Dec. 21,
2011) (Order, dkt. no. 9).
35
Just as there are two District of Utah cases that apply Texas law to ReconTrust’s
foreclosure operations in Utah, see cases cited supra note 34, there are also two District of Utah
cases that apply Utah law on the same issue. See Cox v. ReconTrust Co., No. 2:10-CV-492-CW,
2011 WL 835893, at *6 (D. Utah March 3, 2011) (holding that Utah law applies to ReconTrust’s
foreclosure activities within the State of Utah); see also Coleman v. ReconTrust Co., No. 2:10CV-1099 (D. Utah Oct. 3, 2011) (Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Motion to Dismiss,
dkt. no. 87, at 2) (same).
36
See Cox v. ReconTrust Co., No. 2:10-CV-492-CW (D. Utah June 25, 2010) (Notice of
Appeal of Interlocutory Decision, dkt. no. 47).
37
See Cox v. ReconTrust Co., N.A., No. 10-4117, Order at 2 (10th Cir. Aug. 18, 2011).
8
issue—defendants did not notify the court of the substitution until the November 10, 2011
hearing was well underway and 24538 days after the case was commenced.39
The parties have raised a compelling question. Further, the private rights of many Utah
citizens are potentially involved. The matter is too important to be denied effective review.
B. ReconTrust is not authorized to exercise a power of sale in a non-judicial
foreclosure action within the State of Utah
Utah statutes require banks—including Utah-chartered banks—to foreclose trust deeds
only through identified trustees. The question for decision is direct: Does ReconTrust, a Texas
corporation, and by definition a “national bank”—although it neither takes deposits nor makes
loans—have the power to conduct non-judicial foreclosures in Utah of trust deeds on real
property located in Utah without complying with Utah statutes? The direct answer is no. It does
not have such power.
38
Plaintiffs filed their complaint in Third District Court, Salt Lake County, Utah on March
11, 2011.
39
(See Mot. Dismiss Hr’g Tr. at 7:16–24, 33:12–23):
MS. MILLER: In any event, a new substitution of trustee has been made since that
time identifying another trustee. . . .
THE COURT: When was that done?
MS. MILLER: That was done in November of 2011.
THE COURT: Just a day or two ago.
MS. MILLER: A week or two ago, yes.
....
MS. MILLER: We’d also like to point out that there is no immediate or
irreparable injury in this case. ReconTrust is not even the appointed substitute
trustee anymore, as we pointed out earlier, so the issue is moot—
THE COURT: Why so fast? I notice that you did that on the 2d of November.
MS. MILLER: Yes.
THE COURT: Okay.
MS. MILLER: Yes. The old notice was stale. We would not have been able to act
on the old notice. And so a new notice was issued.
9
A state bank which seeks to foreclose on real property in Utah must comply with Utah
law. A federally chartered “bank” which seeks to foreclose on such property must comply with
Utah law as well. The reason is found within the federal statutes, the history of federal
legislation, as well as principles of Federalism.
Defendants—and the court decisions to which they cite40—rely heavily on 12 C.F.R. §
9.7(d) (2011), a final interpretive rule issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
(“the Comptroller”) which interprets the governing federal statute, 12 U.S.C.A. § 92a (2001).
However, none of the decisions to which defendants cite—nor any that this court has
examined—have questioned whether the Comptroller’s interpretation deserves deference.41
In determining whether the court should give such deference to the Comptroller’s
interpretation of § 92a of the National Bank Act the court applies the Chevron test, which states
that
[w]hen a court reviews an agency’s construction of the statute which it
administers, it is confronted with two questions. First, always, is the question
whether Congress has directly spoken to the precise question at issue. If the intent
of Congress is clear, that is the end of the matter; for the court, as well as the
agency, must give effect to the unambiguously expressed intent of Congress. If,
however, the court determines Congress has not directly addressed the precise
question at issue, the court does not simply impose its own construction on the
statute, as would be necessary in the absence of an administrative interpretation.
Rather, if the statute is silent or ambiguous with respect to the specific issue, the
40
Dutcher v. Matheson, 2:11-CV-666-TS (D. Utah Feb. 8, 2012) (Mem. Opinion & Order,
dkt. no. 48); see also Garrett v. ReconTrust Co., N.A., 2:11-CV-00763-DS (D. Utah Dec. 21,
2011) (Order, dkt. no. 9). Both the preceding cases held that Texas law applies to ReconTrust’s
foreclosure activities in Utah. But see Cox v. ReconTrust Co., No. 2:10-CV-492-CW, 2011 WL
835893, at *6 (D. Utah March 3, 2011) (holding that Utah law applies to ReconTrust’s
foreclosure activities within the State of Utah); see also Coleman v. ReconTrust Co., No. 2:10CV-1099 (D. Utah Oct. 3, 2011) (Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Motion to Dismiss,
dkt. no. 87, at 2) (same).
41
See Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 842 (1984).
10
question for the court is whether the agency's answer is based on a permissible
construction of the statute.42
In a more recent case, the Supreme Court has stated that “[u]nder the familiar Chevron
framework, we defer to an agency’s reasonable interpretation of a statute it is charged with
administering.”43
Accordingly, in determining whether the Comptroller’s opinion deserves deference, the
court first looks to whether Congress has addressed the precise question at issue, and if Congress
has not, the court will then determine whether the Comptroller’s interpretation is based on a
permissible construction of the statute, i.e., whether the interpretation is reasonable.
1. The interplay between 12 U.S.C. § 92a and 12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d)
ReconTrust is chartered as a “national bank,” and is governed by the National Bank Act,
12 U.S.C. § 1 et seq. As part of the National Bank Act, 12 U.S.C. § 92a specifically discusses a
national bank’s power to act as trustee. Because the Comptroller’s final rule purports to interpret
12 U.S.C. § 92a, this court’s starting point is the plain language of the statute itself. Pertinent
also is the intent of Congress as reflected in the language of the statute and its legislative history.
The statute states:
(a) Authority of Comptroller of the Currency
The Comptroller of the Currency shall be authorized and empowered to grant by
special permit to national banks applying therefor, when not in contravention of
State or local law, the right to act as trustee, executor, administrator, registrar of
stocks and bonds, guardian of estates, assignee, receiver, committee of estates of
lunatics, or in any other fiduciary capacity in which State banks, trust companies,
or other corporations which come into competition with national banks are
permitted to act under the laws of the State in which the national bank is located.
(b) Grant and exercise of powers deemed not in contravention of State or local law
42
Id. at 842–43.
43
Cuomo v. Clearing House Ass’n, 129 S. Ct. 2710, 2715 (2009) (emphasis added).
11
Whenever the laws of such State authorize or permit the exercise of any or all of
the foregoing powers by State banks, trust companies, or other corporations which
compete with national banks, the granting to and the exercise of such powers by
national banks shall not be deemed to be in contravention of State or local law
within the meaning of this section.44
Congress has spoken directly to this issue: the “State” referenced in § 92a refers, inter
alia, to the State where the trust activity occurs—Utah in this case. The statute is clear. However,
even if the statute is not clear and demands interpretation, this Court concludes that the
Comptroller’s interpretation in 12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d) modifies the statute and is unreasonable—if
not irrational—and therefore, does not deserve deference. ReconTrust must comply with Utah
law when engaging in trust activities within the State of Utah, which includes trust deed
foreclosures. This court further concludes that ReconTrust, by definition a national bank,
competes with banks, not title insurance companies. Rather, the Utah Legislature intended that
title insurance companies and national or state-chartered banks work in concert with each other
when conducting non-judicial foreclosures within the State of Utah.
Defendants argue that § 92a must be read in conjunction with 12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d) (2011),
which states that
[f]or each fiduciary relationship, the state referred to in section 92a is the state in
which the bank acts in a fiduciary capacity for that relationship. A national bank
acts in a fiduciary capacity in the state in which it accepts the fiduciary
appointment, executes the documents that create the fiduciary relationship, and
makes discretionary decisions regarding the investment or distribution of fiduciary
assets. If these activities take place in more than one state, then the state in which
the bank acts in a fiduciary capacity for section 92a purposes is the state that the
bank designates from among those states.45
44
12 U.S.C.A. § 92a(a)–(b) (2001) (emphasis added).
45
12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d) (2011).
12
Defendants assert that when read in conjunction with 12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d), the “State or
local law” referred to in 12 U.S.C. § 92a(a) is clearly Texas law—as opposed to Utah
law—because ReconTrust accepts fiduciary appointment, executes the documents that create the
fiduciary relationship, and makes discretionary decisions regarding the investment or distribution
of fiduciary assets in Texas. Defendants have called the court’s attention to two recent
decisions—both within the District of Utah—which arrive at this conclusion, relying on 12
C.F.R. § 9.7(d).46 Although aware of these decisions, this court sees the issue differently.
Texas law allows national banks to act as trustee under deeds of trust, and to exercise the
power of sale with regard to such deeds of trust in Texas.47 Utah law does not.48 Because Texas
law allows its own state-chartered banks to exercise the power of sale in foreclosure actions in
Texas, pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 92a, national banks are also allowed to exercise the power of sale
within Texas. However, because Utah law does not allow Utah state-chartered banks to exercise
the power of sale in foreclosure actions, plaintiffs argue that § 92a’s contravention clause (“when
not in contravention of State or local law”) also prohibits national banks from exercising the
power of sale in Utah.
The threshold issue is whether the court should give credence to 12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d)’s
reading of 12 U.S.C. § 92a, as the defendants insist.
46
Dutcher v. Matheson, 2:11-CV-666-TS (D. Utah Feb. 8, 2012) (Mem. Decision &
Order, dkt. no. 48, at 11 n.25); see also Garrett v. ReconTrust Co., N.A., 2:11-CV-00763-DS (D.
Utah Dec. 21, 2011) (Order, dkt. no. 9, at 3).
47
See Tex. Fin. Code Ann. §§ 32.001, 182.001; see also Tex. Prop. Code Ann. §§
51.0001, 51.0074.
48
See Utah Code Ann. §§ 57-1-23, 57-1-21 (2010) (allowing only an active member of the
Utah State Bar or a title insurance company to exercise the power of sale).
13
(a) Whether Congress has directly spoken to the precise question at issue
The precise question at issue is this: to which “State(s)” does 12 U.S.C. § 92a(a) refer?
After carefully examining the statute’s plain meaning, together with the legislative history of the
statute, the court has determined that Congress has directly addressed this precise question.
The court begins its analysis by looking to the plain meaning of the statute.49 “The
plainness or ambiguity of statutory language is determined by reference to the language itself, the
specific context in which that language is used, and the broader context of the statute as a
whole.”50 12 U.S.C. § 92a(a) sets forth the Comptroller’s authority to grant national banks the
power to act as trustee “when not in contravention of State or local law.” The State law to which
§ 92a(a) refers is the law “of the State in which the national bank is located.”51 Subsection (b)
further states that “whenever the laws of such State authorize” State banks to act as trustee, the
granting of such trustee powers to national banks “shall not be deemed to be in contravention of
State or local law.”52
The statute’s plain meaning indicates that the national bank is “located” in each state in
which it carries on activities as trustee.
The Comptroller’s rule—without providing reasons therefor—limits its interpretation of
the location where a national bank acts as trustee to the State in which the bank performs its
49
Robinson v. Shell Oil Co., 519 U.S. 337, 340 (1997) (“Our first step in interpreting a
statute is to determine whether the language at issue has a plain and unambiguous meaning with
regard to the particular dispute in the case. Our inquiry must cease if the statutory language is
unambiguous and ‘the statutory scheme is coherent and consistent.’” (quoting United States v.
Ron Pair Enters., Inc., 489 U.S. 235, 240 (1989))).
50
Robinson, 519 U.S. at 341.
51
12 U.S.C.A. § 92a(a) (2001).
52
Id. § 92a(b).
14
“core fiduciary functions.”53 The Comptroller has interpreted “core fiduciary functions” to mean
“accept[ing] the fiduciary appointment, execut[ing] the documents that create the fiduciary
relationship, and mak[ing] discretionary decisions regarding the investment or distribution of
fiduciary assets.”54 Notably, the Comptroller failed to include as a core fiduciary function
engaging in an act which liquidates the trust assets, e.g., engaging in a non-judicial foreclosure of
real property where the trust asset is located. This makes no sense
Such an artificial exclusion contravenes the plain meaning of the statute. When acting as
a trustee of a trust deed, one necessarily acts in the capacity as trustee in the State where the real
property is located, where notice of default is filed, and where the sale is conducted. In this case,
ReconTrust is acting as trustee of a trust deed for real property in the State of Utah. ReconTrust,
as trustee, filed a notice of default and election to foreclose on real property within the State of
Utah.
The notice is filed in Utah. The sale is conducted in Utah, often on the steps of the local
county courthouse. Those acts do not occur in Texas. Those acts may not be performed by Utahchartered banks. Thus, those acts may not be performed by national banks in Utah. That dual
system, it seems to me, is Federalism at its most elementary.
Other courts have also reached this conclusion. In Cox v. ReconTrust Co., N.A.,55 the
court stated that it was not convinced by
53
See Interpretive Letter No. 866, 1999 WL 983923, at Part II.B. (October 8, 1999).
54
12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d) (2011); see also Interpretive Letter No. 866, 1999 WL 983923, at
Part II.B. (adopted in substance by 12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d)).
55
No. 2:10-CV-492 CW, 2011 WL 835893, at *6 (D. Utah March 3, 2011). Plaintiff
voluntarily dismissed the underlying district court action while the foregoing case was on appeal
before the Tenth Circuit. Thus, the Tenth Circuit found that the appeal was rendered moot. Cox v.
ReconTrust Co., N.A., No. 10-4117, Order at 2 (10th Cir. Aug. 18, 2011). Currently, this case
and the companion Utah cases all are a form of repetition.
15
ReconTrust’s argument that § 92a(b) dictates that the court look to some state law
other than Utah state law to evaluate ReconTrust’s foreclosure activities in Utah. .
. . Here, . . . ReconTrust is conducting foreclosure activities on behalf of Bank of
America in several states, including Utah. . . .
Under a straight forward reading of § 92a(b), this court must look to Utah
law in its analysis of whether ReconTrust’s activities in Utah exceed
ReconTrust’s trustee powers. The powers granted to ReconTrust under federal law
in this case are limited by the powers granted by Utah state law to ReconTrust’s
competitors. Accordingly, the extent of ReconTrust’s federal powers must be
determined by reference to the laws of Utah, not by reference to the laws of some
other state. Under Utah law, the power to conduct non-judicial foreclosure is
limited to attorneys and title companies. The scope of the powers granted by
federal law is limited to the same power Utah statute confers on ReconTrust’s
Utah competitors. . . .56
The legislative history of 12 U.S.C. § 92a demonstrates that Utah law should apply.
The phrase, “when not in contravention of State or local law” originated with § 11(k) of
the Federal Reserve Act of 1913.57 Although legislative history does not exist as to the precise
meaning of the phrase in § 11(k), a nearly identical phrase was used in § 8 of the same Act.
Section 8 provided a means by which state banks could convert to national banks. However, the
section placed a condition on state banks that desired to convert to national banks: “Provided,
however, That said conversion shall not be in contravention of the State law.”58 When the bill
which eventually became the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 was introduced on the floor of the
Senate on December 1, 1913, § 8 also contained the word “local” so as to read, “Provided,
56
Id.; see also Coleman v. ReconTrust Co., No. 2:10-CV-1099 (D. Utah Oct. 3, 2011)
(Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Motion to Dismiss, dkt. no. 87, at 2) (“[T]he court
agrees with the reasoning applied in Cox v. ReconTrust Company, N.A., 2011 WL 835893
(March 3, 2011 D. Utah).”).
57
Federal Reserve Act of 1913, Dec. 23, 1913, ch. 6 § 11(k), 38 Stat. 262. At the time of
its passage, section 11(k) stated that “[t]he Federal Reserve Board shall be authorized and
empowered To grant by special permit to national banks applying therefor, when not in
contravention of State or local law, the right to act as trustee, executor, administrator, or registrar
of stocks and bonds under such rules and regulations as the said board may prescribe.”
58
Id. § 8, 38 Stat. 258.
16
however, That said acts are not in contravention of the State or local law.”59 That wording of § 8
is almost identical to the language found in § 11(k) that now exists as 12 U.S.C. § 92a(a).
Dialogue as to the purpose of this language that occurred on the floor of the Senate on
December 15, 1913 proves instructive:
MR. BURTON: On page 28, lines 6 and 7, there is this proviso:
Provided, however, That said acts are not in contravention of the State or
local law.
Why should this reservation appear in the preceding section and
not in section 9? The preceding section pertains to a change in the form of
organization from a State bank to a national bank, while this section, as I
have already said, relates to membership by a State bank in this new
system. Why is not a reservation of that kind equally as necessary in this
section as in the preceding section?
MR. OWEN: Mr. President, I will reply to the Senator that, in my
judgment, it is not necessary in the preceding section.
MR. BURTON: That is, it goes without saying?
MR. OWEN: It is merely put in as a courteous observation. In
reality I do not think it is actually necessary, because no State bank having
its charter under a State law could violate the law of its own being. It was
thought well, however, to put it in to show that there was no purpose on
the part of Congress to disregard the local State law, but merely to give its
assent provided the State law permitted it to be done.60
Senator Owen’s61 response is a clear indication that Congress did not intend to disregard
or contravene local State law when giving state banks the opportunity to convert to national
banks. That is to say, if State law prohibited a state bank from converting to a national bank, the
59
51 Cong. Rec. S23 (December 1, 1913) (statement of Sen. Owen).
60
51 Cong. Rec. S879 (December 15, 1913) (statements of Sens. Owen & Burton)
(emphasis added).
61
Senator Owen was the Senate’s principal sponsor of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913.
17
Federal Reserve Act would not contravene that State’s law, and the state bank would not be able
to convert to a national bank.
In light of the near-identical nature of the phrases in §§ 8 and 11(k), it seems clear that
Congress intended to preclude any inference that a national bank may disregard local State law in
performing its duties as trustee. A contrary interpretation draws precisely that inference and
effectively preempts the laws of the local State (presumably the State where the foreclosed
property is located and the trustee executes the power of sale) in favor of the laws of another
State (the State where the national bank performs its “core fiduciary functions”); this is
essentially the effect of the Comptroller’s final rule.
Shortly after the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, the Supreme Court had
opportunity to interpret § 11(k) when the Michigan Supreme Court upheld a state law that
prohibited national banks from exercising trust powers within Michigan.62 Interestingly, the laws
of Michigan allowed state banks to exercise trust powers;63 thus the effect of the Michigan law
was to discriminate against national banks. The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the
Michigan Supreme Court,64 holding that if State law allows a state bank to conduct certain
business, the State must also allow a national bank to conduct that same business so long as the
Federal Reserve Board grants the national bank permission to do so.65
62
First Nat’l Bank of Bay City v. Fellows, 244 U.S. 416, 421–22 (1917).
63
Id. at 421.
64
Id. at 423–24.
65
Id. at 426.
18
The next year, Congress successfully codified the Supreme Court’s holding in Fellows by
passing H.R. 11283,66 which in present-day form comprises the latter-half of subsection 92a(a)
and the entirety of subsection (b). Prior to the passage of H.R. 11283, the House Committee on
Banking and Currency’s report regarding the bill stated that
[u]nder a recent decision of the United States Supreme Court it is clearly settled
that Congress has the power to confer authority upon national banks to act in these
fiduciary capacities, where such powers are exercised by trust companies, State
banks, or other competing corporations, even though the State law discriminates
against national banks in this regard. The terms of section 11(k) are extended,
therefore, to permit such powers to be granted to national banks in those States in
which the State law discriminates against national banks in this respect.67
Congress thus intended to create an equal playing field for national banks, and was wary of any
potential competitive advantage afforded to State institutions by State law.
Decades later, through the passage of the National Bank Act of 1962, Congress removed
the power originally vested in the Federal Reserve Board under § 11(k) and transferred it to the
Comptroller of the Currency.68 This Act of Congress effectively repealed69 the language of §
11(k) of the Federal Reserve Act and reenacted it as 12 U.S.C. § 92a(a)–(b). On September 13,
1962, the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency issued Senate Report No. 2039, urging the
66
Act of Sept. 26, 1918, ch. 177, 40 Stat. 967, 968–69 (1918).
67
H.R. Rep. No. 65-479, reprinted in U.S. Serial Set vol. 7307 (1918).
68
National Bank Act of 1962, Pub. L. No. 87-722, 76 Stat. 668 (enacting H.R.12577).
69
“Subsection (k) of section 11 of the Federal Reserve Act . . . is repealed by [H.R.
12577] in a purely technical sense only. In effect, the provisions of that subsection become the
first section of the bill, with the Comptroller of the Currency being substituted for the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System as the responsible administrative agency.” H.R. Rep.
No. 87-2255, at 4, reprinted in U.S. Serial Set vol. 12433 (1962).
19
passage of the National Bank Act of 1962.70 Therein, the committee included a “General
Statement” which made abundantly clear that
this bill will result in no change in the present distribution of power between
Federal and State Governments, nor will it cause any weakening of the principles
underlying the dual banking system. . . . It would not give authority to the
Comptroller of the Currency to exercise any supervisory functions over State
banks.71
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency defines “dual banking system” as
parallel state and federal banking systems that co-exist in the United States. The
federal system is based on a federal bank charter, powers defined under federal
law, operation under federal standards, and oversight by a federal supervisor. The
state system is characterized by state chartering, bank powers established under
state law, and operation under state standards, including oversight by state
supervisors.72
Therefore, when the plain language of § 92a is read in conjunction with the legislative
history of the contravention clause, it is certain that Congress did not intend the laws of one State
to pre-empt the laws of another State in dealing with a national bank. Rather, Congress made
abundantly clear that “there was no purpose on the part of Congress to disregard the local State
law, but merely to give its assent provided the State law permitted it to be done.”73 In light of the
foregoing, this court determines that Congress has spoken to the precise question at issue, and
has determined that the law that shall apply to a national bank acting as trustee under a trust deed
is the local State law, which in this instance is Utah law.
70
S. Rep. No. 87-2039, reprinted in 1962 U.S.C.C.A.N. 2735–36; see also H.R. Rep. No.
87-2255, reprinted in U.S. Serial Set vol. 12433 (1962) (adopted in substance by S. Rep. No. 872039 and referenced in 1962 U.S.C.C.A.N. 2735–36).
71
Id. at 2736.
72
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, National Banks and the Dual Banking
System 1 (September 2003), at http://www.occ.gov/static/publications/DualBanking.pdf.
73
51 Cong. Rec. S879 (December 15, 1913) (statement of Sen. Owen).
20
(b) Whether the Comptroller’s interpretation is reasonable (in the event that the statute is
silent or ambiguous)
Although the reasonableness of the Comptroller’s interpretation need only be addressed if
Congress has not previously spoken as to the precise question at issue, which it has, for the sake
of completeness, the court will also examine the reasonableness of the Comptroller’s
interpretation found in 12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d).
The Comptroller is charged with interpreting the statute in a reasonable manner. It is not
charged with amending the law. The Supreme Court has stated in regards to 12 U.S.C. § 92a(a)
that “[n]ot surprisingly, this Court has interpreted those explicit provisions to mean what they
say.”74 If § 92a is to mean what it says (i.e., the plain meaning), the reference to “State or local
law”at a minimum should be construed to mean the State in which the trust activity occurs.
With the legislative history of § 92a in mind, it is important to note that the Comptroller
was not always a proponent of the interpretation found in 12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d). Indeed, in large
part, the Comptroller based 12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d) on two interpretive letters issued in October
1999.75 But rarely mentioned in this rulemaking is the Comptroller’s Interpretive Letter No. 695,
which issued in December 1995.76
The Comptroller issued Interpretive Letter No. 695 in response to a national bank’s
inquiry as to whether the national bank had authority to conduct fiduciary activities on a
nationwide basis through trust offices in various states.77 Therein, the Comptroller stated that
74
Barnett Bank of Marion County, N.A. v. Nelson, 517 U.S. 25, 34 (1996).
75
Interpretive Letter No. 866, 1999 WL 983923 (October 8, 1999); Interpretive Letter No.
872, 1999 WL 1251391 (October 28, 1999).
76
Interpretive Letter No. 695, 1996 WL 187825 (December 8, 1995).
77
Id. at *1.
21
the effect of section 92a is that in any specific state, the availability of fiduciary
powers is the same for out-of-state national banks or for in-state national banks
and is dependent upon what the state permits for its own state institutions. A state
may limit national banks from exercising any or all fiduciary powers in that state,
but only if it also bars its own institutions from exercising the same powers.
Therefore, a national bank with its main office in one state (such as the proposed
trust bank) may conduct fiduciary business in that state and other states,
depending upon - with respect to each state - whether each state allows its own
institutions to engage in fiduciary business.78
This interpretation is certainly reasonable as it—consistent with Congress’ intent—precludes a
competitive advantage as between state-chartered banks and national banks. Such an
interpretation also precludes a competitive advantage between in-state national banks and out-ofstate national banks. This principle was further emphasized by the Comptroller in Letter No. 695:
This interpretation of the statute also fosters desirable public policies. First, every
national bank offering fiduciary services in a given state will have the same
authority to conduct fiduciary business. A national bank conducting fiduciary
business and administering trust assets at a trust office will be subject to the same
standards irrespective of whether the office is part of an in-state national bank or
an out-of-state national bank. Second, there will be a level playing field for
enhanced competition in the provision of fiduciary services within each state,
because more potential providers will be able to compete on similar terms.79
This means that a national bank based in Texas which performs fiduciary functions in Utah
cannot have a competitive advantage over a Utah-based national bank that performs its fiduciary
functions in Utah. However, under the Comptroller’s final rule, a national bank based in Texas
does have a competitive advantage over a national bank based in Utah as well as Utah-chartered
banks. Such a result is simply contrary to Congress’ clear intent in enacting § 92a.
The Comptroller further stated that
section 92a authorizes national banks to offer fiduciary services in multiple states,
but then conditions the exercise of that power within each state on a state-by-state
basis under the same test: is the exercise of fiduciary powers by national banks
78
Id. at *4 (emphasis added).
79
Id. at *14 (emphasis added).
22
prohibited by state law, and even if it is, does that state permit its state institutions
to exercise these powers or not. This result is consistent with other banking
statutes that treat a single national bank as present in different states for the
purposes of that statute.80
The Comptroller cited various cases to support its position that “for the purposes of these
statutes, a national bank is not located only in the place of its main office but can be ‘located,’
‘situated’ or ‘existing’ in, or be a ‘citizen’ of, multiple cities, counties, or states.”81 Therefore, in
light of Interpretive Letter No. 695, it seems unreasonable, if not irrational, for the Comptroller to
now posit that a national bank is only “located” in the place where it conducts “core fiduciary
activities.”82
80
Id. at *12 (emphasis added).
81
Id. at *13 (citing Citizens & S. Nat’l Bank v. Bougas, 434 U.S. 35, 44 (1977); Fisher v.
First Nat’l Bank of Omaha, 548 F.2d 255 (8th Cir.1977); Fisher v. First Nat’l Bank of Chicago,
538 F.2d 1284 (7th Cir. 1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 1062 (1977); Seattle Trust & Sav. Bank v.
Bank of Cal. N.A., 492 F.2d 48 (9th Cir. 1974), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 844 (1974); Bank of N.Y.
v. Bank of Am., 853 F. Supp. 736 (S.D.N.Y. 1994); Conn. Nat’l Bank v. Iacono, 785 F. Supp. 30
(D.R.I. 1992)).
82
The Supreme Court in Cuomo v. Clearing House Ass’n, 129 S. Ct. 2710 (2009), held
that the Comptroller’s interpretation of another portion of the National Bank Act—12 U.S.C. §
484(a)—was unreasonable. See id. at 2719 (“The Comptroller’s regulation, therefore, does not
comport with the statute. Neither does the Comptroller’s interpretation of its regulation . . . .”).
12 U.S.C. § 484(a) provides that “[n]o national bank shall be subject to any visitorial
powers except as authorized by Federal law, vested in the courts of justice or such as shall be, or
have been exercised or directed by Congress or by either House thereof or by any committee of
Congress or of either House duly authorized.”
In Cuomo, the Comptroller interpreted the statute in a way that would have prohibited the
New York Attorney General from obtaining records from national banks to determine if the
national banks were complying with state fair-lending laws. See Cuomo, 129 S. Ct. at 2714.
23
ReconTrust relies on two other interpretive letters83 issued by the Comptroller. Those
letters were issued nearly four years after Interpretive Letter No. 695 and ostensibly provide the
foundation for the Comptroller’s issuance of 12 C.F.R. § 9.7.84 Seemingly contradicting the plain
meaning of § 92a’s contravention clause as well as Interpretive Letter No. 695, the Comptroller
in Interpretive Letter No. 866, stated that the location of a national bank is not determined by the
location where the trust assets are located,85 but rather, where the bank acts in a fiduciary
capacity.86 The Comptroller determined that a bank “acts in a fiduciary capacity” where it
reviews proposed trust appointments, executes trust agreements, and makes discretionary
decisions about the investment or distribution of trust assets.87 To then say that a bank does not
“act in a fiduciary capacity” when it exercises the trustee’s power of sale and does so in Utah is
fantasy.
Indeed, how the Comptroller decided to limit the above-listed activities as a trustee’s core
fiduciary functions, excluding the liquidation or disposal of trust assets, is nowhere explained.
The Comptroller, after issuing an interpretive letter (No. 695) true to the statute’s plain
meaning and Congress’ apparent intent as evinced by Senator Owens’ statement in 1913, and
Congress’ subsequent acts (and corresponding statements) in 1918 and 1962, reversed its
83
See supra note 75. Twenty days subsequent to the issuance of Letter No. 866, the
Comptroller issued Letter No. 872. The pertinent portion of the Comptroller’s analysis in Letter
No. 872 is taken verbatim from Letter No. 866, and as such, the court need not separately discuss
the substance of Letter No. 872.
84
See 66 Fed. Reg. 34,792-01, 2001 WL 731641, at *34795 (July 2, 2001) (“These
conclusions are consistent with the conclusions set out in IL 866 and IL 872.”).
85
See 1999 WL 983923, at Part II.B.
86
See id.
87
See id. at Part II.C.
24
interpretation of the statute to now posit that the State law referred to in § 92a is solely that of the
State where the trustee accepts the fiduciary appointment, executes the documents that create the
fiduciary relationship, and makes discretionary decisions regarding the investment or distribution
of fiduciary assets.
Interestingly, Letter Nos. 866 and 872 also contradict the view expressed in an article88
co-authored by John D. Hawke, Jr.,89 which was written prior to Mr. Hawke’s appointment as the
Comptroller. Mr. Hawke wrote in pertinent part:
Section 92a specifically provides for deference to state law in defining the
powers of a national bank to act as a fiduciary, and does not operate as a grant of
authority to create federal common law. Section 92a authorizes the Comptroller to
grant to national banks the right to act as trustee and “in any other fiduciary
capacity in which State banks, trust companies, or other corporations which come
into competition with national banks are permitted to act under the laws of the
State in which the national bank is located.” On its face, section 92a is geared to
principles of state law. Congress has specifically designated the scope of a
national bank’s trust powers to be coextensive with the trust powers of state banks
in the state where the bank is located. Because the trust powers of state banks
vary from state to state, so too do the trust powers of national banks.
The statutory objective is to attain competitive equality between national
banks and their state-chartered counterparts in the exercise of trust powers.
Congress clearly intended national banks acting as trustees in a given state to
have the same rights and duties as local state banks.90
88
John D. Hawke, Jr., Melanie L. Fein & David F. Freeman, Jr., The Authority of National
Banks to Invest Trust Assets in Bank-advised Mutual Funds, 10 Ann. Rev. Banking L. 131
(1991).
89
According to the Comptroller’s website, Mr. Hawke served as the Comptroller of the
Currency from 1998 to 2004, which encompasses the October 1999 publication of Letter Nos.
866 and 872, see
http://www.occ.treas.gov/about/who-we-are/leadership/past-comptrollers/comptroller-john-hawk
e.html (last visited Mar. 13, 2012).
90
Hawke, Fein & Freeman, supra note 88, at 140 (internal citations omitted) (emphasis
added).
25
Mr. Hawke authored this passage prior to his appointment as Comptroller, and therefore,
the above-excerpt was not written while serving in his official capacity. However, Mr. Hawke’s
analysis strikes the court as reasonable and in line with § 92a’s plain meaning and Congress’
intent, whereas the final rule promulgated by the Comptroller does not. Moreover, nothing in the
final rule explains why the final rule is preferable—let alone reasonable—to the interpretive
approach taken in the above-quoted passage and in Interpretive Letter No. 695.
The Comptroller has conceded that “national banks are [not] divorced from the standards
of state law in all respects.”91 Indeed, the Comptroller, in quoting the Supreme Court,92 stated that
national banks are “subject to the laws of the State, and are governed in their daily
course of business far more by the laws of the State than of the Nation. All their
contracts are governed and construed by state laws. Their acquisition and transfer
of property, their right to collect their debts, and their liability to be sued for
debts, are all based on state law.”93
Certainly a national bank concerns itself with the acquisition and transfer of property, and its
right to collect debts—which are both governed and construed by State law94—when it acts as
successor trustee on a deed of real property, and attempts to foreclose the same through a
nonjudicial foreclosure sale.
In sum, the national statutes which created a dual banking system operate to deny out-ofstate national banks any competitive advantage over local, state-chartered banks or in-state
91
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, National Banks and the Dual Banking
System 26 (September 2003), at http://www.occ.gov/static/publications/DualBanking.pdf.
92
Nat’l Bank v. Commonwealth, 76 U.S. 353 (1869) (emphasis added).
93
Id. at 362; see also Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, National Banks and the
Dual Banking System 27 (September 2003), at
http://www.occ.gov/static/publications/DualBanking.pdf (quoting Bank of Am. v. City & County
of San Francisco, 309 F.3d 551, 559 (9th Cir. 2002)).
94
See Nat’l Bank v. Commonwealth, 76 U.S. at 362.
26
national banks. Such was and is the will of Congress as expressed in statutory language and
legislative history, both consistent with the principles of Federalism, as reflected in the Tenth
Amendment of the Constitution.
The Comptroller’s interpretation of § 92a, as set forth in 12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d), modifies the
statute and gives out-of-state national banks a sizeable competitive advantage over their statechartered counterparts and in-state national banks in states—such as Utah—where state-chartered
banks and in-state national banks are not allowed to perform certain fiduciary functions, namely
exercising the power of sale in non-judicial trust deed foreclosures.
Thus, 12 C.F.R. § 9.7(d) does not justify the deference contemplated in Chevron for
agency construction of pertinent statutes.
There are fifty States. Each has its own legislature and each its own set of laws relating to
state-chartered banks. Texas does not pass Utah banking laws. Utah does not pass Texas banking
laws. Utah banks are limited by Utah laws as to the manner of conducting non-judicial
foreclosures of real property. National statutes have recognized that local laws have a role to play
in a dual banking system and have done so from at least 1913, when the Federal Reserve Act was
passed and predecessor language was first installed in that Act.
2. The competition clause of 12 U.S.C. § 92a
12 U.S.C. § 92a(a) permits the Comptroller to grant a national bank the power to act in
any fiduciary capacity that a state bank, corporation or organization “which come[s] into
competition with national banks are permitted to act under the laws of the State in which the
national bank is located.”
Driving the point home, Congress also enacted subsection (b), which provides that
27
[w]henever the laws of such State authorize or permit the exercise of any or all of
the foregoing powers by State banks, trust companies, or other corporations which
compete with national banks, the granting to and the exercise of such powers by
national banks shall not be deemed to be in contravention of State or local law
within the meaning of this section.95
The Supreme Court had an opportunity to examine the statute in Burnes Nat’l Bank v.
Duncan,96 wherein Justice Holmes opined that the foregoing passages state “in a roundabout and
polite but unmistakable way that whatever may be the State law, national banks having the
permit of the Federal Reserve Board may act as executors if trust companies competing with
them have that power.”97 The holding in Burnes Nat’l Bank also applies to national banks who
wish to act as trustees so long as competing State institutions also act as trustees.
This is of no help to ReconTrust, a subsidiary of a national bank. It is not in competition
with a bar member. It is not in competition with a title insurance company. Indeed, the statutes
prohibit a bank from engaging in title insurance activity.98
Utah Code Ann. §§ 57-1-21, 57-1-23.5 were both drafted so that the fiduciaries
contemplated in 12 U.S.C. § 92a (including both state banks and national banks acting as
trustees) would have to work in concert with—not in competition with—title insurance
companies and active members of the State bar. Indeed, a state or national bank, acting as trustee,
must procure the services of either an active member of the State bar or title insurance company
in order to comply with the Utah law.
95
12 U.S.C. § 92a(b) (emphasis added).
96
265 U.S. 17 (1924).
97
Id. at 23.
98
15 U.S.C.A. § 6713(a) (2009) (“No national bank may engage in any activity involving
the under-writing or sale of title insurance.”).
28
Banks compete with banks. Indeed, ReconTrust's status is by definition that ofa national
bank, and in this specialized and limited area of trust activity, it, like all banks must comply with
local1aw.
III. CONCLUSION
In light of the foregoing, plaintiffs' claim for declaratory relief under Utah Code Ann. §
57-1-23.5 satisfies the standards set forth in Twombly and Iqbal.
Because ofReconTrust's lack of authority to exercise the power of sale in a non-judicial
foreclosure action within Utah,
IT IS ORDERED that defendants' motion to dismiss is hereby DENIED .
.".A,
DATED this
IS
day of March, 2012.
BY THE COURT:
29
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