Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_09-cv-00265/USCOURTS-azd-2_09-cv-00265-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal

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NOT FOR PUBLICATION

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

CESAR F. SILVAS, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

GMAC MORTGAGE, LLC;

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC

REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC.;

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF

ARIZONA; RESIDENTIAL FUNDING

COMPANY, LLC; RESIDENTIAL

ACCREDIT LOANS, INC.; GMAC-RFC

SECURITIES; RALI SERIES 2007-QA3

TRUST; DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST

COMPANY AMERICAS; HSBC BANK

USA, N.A.; EXECUTIVE TRUSTEE

SERVICES, LLC; JP MORGAN CHASE

BANK, N.A.; JOHN DOES AND JANE

DOES 1-1000; ABC CORPORATIONS IXX; AND XYZ PARTNERSHIPS I-XX,

Defendants. 

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No. CV-09-265-PHX-GMS

ORDER

Pending before the Court is the Motion to Set Aside Foreclosure Proceedings and

Vacate Forcible Detainer Judgment and Void Any Granting and Conveyance of the Property

of Plaintiff Cesar Silvas. (Dkt. # 52.) For the reasons set forth below, the Court denies the

motion.

In 2006, Plaintiff refinanced real property located at 1041 South Edith Court,

Chandler, AZ 85286. (Dkt. # 39 ¶ 16.) The financing for the property was obtained in the

Case 2:09-cv-00265-GMS Document 58 Filed 08/21/09 Page 1 of 3
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amount of $375,641.00 pursuant to a promissory note that was secured by a deed of trust.

(Id. ¶ 19.) On June 29, 2009, a trustee’s sale was held and the property was sold. (Dkt. # 52

at 2-3.) On July 7, 2009, a forcible detainer judgment was apparently obtained against

Plaintiff and he was forced to vacate the property. On July 30, 2009, Plaintiff filed this

motion, arguing that, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b), the Court has

authority to set aside the June 29 trustee’s sale, vacate the forcible detainer judgment, and

void any granting and conveyance of the property . (Dkt. # 52 at 5.) Defendants argue that

Rule 60(b) does not permit this Court to grant the relief requested by Plaintiff. (Dkt. # 53 at

2.)

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b) states that “on motion and just terms, the court

may relieve a party or its legal representative from a final judgment, order, or proceeding .

. . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b); see also 11 Charles Alan Wright, Arthur R. Miller & Mary Kay

Kane, Federal Practice and Procedure § 2851 (2d ed. 1995) (“Rule 60 regulates the

procedures by which a party may obtain relief from a final judgment.”).

Arizona law confers power of sale upon the trustee holder of a deed of trust

independent of the judicial system. Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-807; see also In re Krohn, 203 Ariz.

205, 208, 52 P.3d 774, 777 (2002) (citing Patton v. First Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass’n, 118 Ariz.

473, 477, 578 P.2d 152, 156 (1978)) (“A mortgage generally may be foreclosed only by

filing a civil action while, under a Deed of Trust, the trustee holds a power of sale permitting

him to sell the property out of court with no necessity of judicial action.”). “[N]onjudicial

foreclosure statutes . . . reflect a carefully crafted balancing of the interests of beneficiaries,

trustors, and trustees. Trustees . . . need to have clearly defined responsibilities to enable

them to discharge their duties efficiently and to avoid embroiling the parties in timeconsuming and costly litigation.” TransAmerica Fin. Serv., Inc. v. Lafferty, 175 Ariz. 310,

314, 856 P.2d 1188, 1192 (Ct. App. 1993) (emphasis added) (citing I.E. Assoc. v. Safeco Title

Ins. Co., 702 P.2d 596, 600 (Cal. 1985)).

Here, Plaintiff does not seek relief from a final judgment, order, or proceeding of this

Court. Rather, Plaintiff seeks relief from a nonjudicial trustee’s sale that proceeded

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independent of any Court involvement and the subsequent conveyance of title to the

property. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b) is not applicable in such circumstances. To

the extent Rule 60(b) may be an appropriate vehicle for obtaining relief from the forcible

detainer judgment, Plaintiff should direct his motion to the court issuing that judgment.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Motion to Set Aside Foreclosure

Proceedings and Vacate Forcible Detainer Judgment and Void Any Granting and

Conveyance (Dkt. # 52) is DENIED.

DATED this 21st day of August, 2009.

Case 2:09-cv-00265-GMS Document 58 Filed 08/21/09 Page 3 of 3