On August 17, 2017, the Eleventh Circuit issued an opinion in Steven Bivens v. Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc. (No. 16-15119), holding that a borrower must send requests for information to a mortgage servicer’s designated addressed before a servicer’s duty to respond under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act are triggered. Lenders should take note of this decision because it indicates that the Eleventh Circuit will require plaintiffs to strictly comply with the terms of that statute before holding banks or mortgage servicers liable under that statute.
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Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Holds Questions Regarding Propriety of Foreclosure May Be Raised as Affirmative Defense to Ejectment Even If Foreclosure Occurred More Than One Year Prior to Ejectment Action
The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals recently held in Pittman v. Regions Bank that questions about the propriety of a foreclosure may be raised more than one year after the foreclosure as an affirmative defense to an ejectment action, even if that party did not challenge the original foreclosure.
In 2008, Windham and Rhonda Pittman—along
Alabama Supreme Court Enforces Arbitration Clause That Provides For Arbitration “At the Election of Either Party”
The Alabama Supreme Court recently held in Hanover Insurance Company v. Kiva Lodge Condominium Owners’ Association, Inc. (No. 1141331) that where a dispute is governed by a contract that requires arbitration the arbitrator must determine whether particular claims are time barred under the contract, not the courts.
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Citing Spokeo, Eleventh Circuit Rejects Class Action Over Late Mortgage Satisfaction Recordation, Holding Plaintiff Had Not Alleged Concrete Injury-In-Fact Due to Statutory Violation
The Eleventh Circuit recently held in Nicklaw v. CitiMortgage, Inc.(No. 15-14216) that a plaintiff lacks standing to sue a creditor where the plaintiff merely alleges that the creditor failed to timely record a mortgage satisfaction, as it is statutorily required to do, but does not allege any additional concrete injury.
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Eleventh Circuit Holds That Reg. X Does Not Require Mortgage Servicers to Evaluate Untimely Loan Modification Plans Even If the Foreclosure Is Rescheduled So That the Sale Actually Occurs Beyond Reg. X’s 37-day Window
In a recent decision, the Eleventh Circuit (Lage v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC, No. 15-15558 (11th Cir. Oct. 7, 2016)) held that a loan servicer is not required to evaluate a completed loan modification application if that application is submitted less than 37 days before a foreclosure sale is originally scheduled to occur. The Court held that this applies even when the foreclosure sale on the property is rescheduled to a later date, making the loan modification application fall outside the 37-day window.
Eleventh Circuit Holds Arbitration Clause Unenforceable Due to Unavailability of Arbitral Forum
The Eleventh Circuit recently held in Parm v. National Bank of California, that a payday lender’s arbitration clause was unenforceable because the forum selected was unavailable and no alternative forum was provided for.
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Eleventh Circuit: No arbitration because bank failed to prove existence of arbitration agreement
Last week, the Eleventh Circuit refused to compel arbitration because the defendant financial institution failed to prove that its online deposit agreement actually included an arbitration clause. This decision reflects the importance of (1) documenting the original agreement (both the actual terms and the assent of the consumer), (2) retaining the documentation, (3) documenting any change in terms (and the customer’s assent to them) and (4) carefully proving the existence of these agreements (and the customer’s assent) in Court.