In Schlegel v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 2013 WL 3336727, (9th Cir. July 3, 2013), the Ninth Circuit held that Wells Fargo did not qualify as a "debt collector" under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA"), even though the mortgage debt it sought to collect was in default at the time it was assigned to Wells Fargo. The facts of this case are relatively simple. After the plaintiffs' defaulted loan was assigned to Wells Fargo, the plaintiffs entered into a loan modification agreement with Wells Fargo and proceeded to make payments under the agreement. However, Wells Fargo began ...
In City of Palm Bay v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. SC11-830 (Fla. May 16, 2013), the Supreme Court of Florida ruled that a municipal ordinance superiority provision is invalid as conflicting with state law. The certified question the Court considered was the following: Whether under Article VIII, section 2(b), Florida Constitution, section 166.021, Florida Statues and Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, a municipality has the authority to enact an ordinance stating that its code enforcement lien, created pursuant to a code enforcement board order and recorded in the public records of ...
In Pennell v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 12-60595 (5th Cir. 2013), the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals had the occasion to address what constitutes a negligent misrepresentation under Mississippi law when a borrower and bank are negotiating a loan modification in an attempt to avoid foreclosure. The plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the defendant mortgage servicing company after their home had been sold at a non-judicial foreclosure sale. The plaintiffs asserted a variety of claims, including, inter alia, wrongful foreclosure, slander of title, intentional and negligent ...