FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T MARCH 31, 2011 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE U

NITED STATE S COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ No. 1 0- 13 02 9 Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock etNo. 1 :1 0- cv -0 07 32 -TW T TIFFANY JOEL, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pl ai nt iff -Ap pe ll an t, ve rs us HSBC B ANK USA, Natio na l As so ci at io n, IRA NEW BLE, II, in hi s i nd iv idua l capa ci ty, HWV PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, in th ei r co rp or at e cap aci ty j oi nt ly andsev eral ly, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defen da nt s- App el le es .

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt forth e North ern Dis tri ctof Ge or gi a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Ma rch 31 , 20 11 ) Befo re BARKETT, MARCUS an d F AY, Circ ui t J ud ge s. PER CURI AM:Tiff

an y Jo el , pro ceed in g pr o s e , app eal s t he di st ric t co urt’s o rd er d is m is si ng he r co m pl ai nt , whi chso ug htrel ie f un de r th e Pro te ct in g Ten an ts at F or ecl os ur e Act of 20 09 (“ PTFA”), Pub. L. No. 1 11 -2 2, Di v. A, Tit le VII, 12 3 S ta t. 1 63 2, 1 66 0- 62 (2 00 9) . On ap pe al , Jo el arg ue s t ha t t he di st ric t co urt erredin di sm is si ng he r co m pl ai ntbe cau se sh e st at eda pl au si bl e cl ai m forrel ie f un de r th e PTFA. Fo r th e reas on s s ta te d b el ow, we af firm . I. Jo el fil eda pr o s e co m

pl ai ntag ai ns t HSB C Ban k USA, IraNewbl e, II, an d HWV Pro pe rty Man ag em en t, s eek in g ade cl arat ory jud gm en t tha t s he was e nt it le d to rem ai n i n aren ta l p ro pe rty loc at edat 1 91 1 S ax on Vall ey Cir cl e, NE, inAtl an ta , Geo rg ia . Jo el ex pl ai ne d t ha t s he lea se d t ha t p ro pe rty from Newbl e an d HWV Pro pe rty Man ag em en t. In Decem be r 20 09 , Jo el rece iv eda no ti ce s ta ti ng th at HSBC h adpu rch as edth e p ro pe rty in afor ecl os ur e sa le . The n ot ic e in fo rm edJo el th atsh e wou ldha ve to rel in qu is h p os se ss io n wi th in90 da y s. J oe l’s co m pl ai nt as se rte d tha t, u nd er the PTFA, sh e was en ti tl edto rem ai n i n the pro pe rty un ti l h er le as in g c on tra ctex pi redin Feb ru ary 20 14 . Jo el att ach eda co py of th e n ot ic e as anex hi bi t t o h er co m pl ai nt . She als o subm it te d aco py of th e le as e ag reem en t. The term s o f th e le as e p ro vi de d: “ Thi s ag reem en t s ha ll co m

m en ce o n F eb ru ary 1, 2 00 9 a ndco nt in ue ; u nt il Feb ru ary 1,

220 14 , on a m on th -to -m on th ten an cy un ti l ei th er p arty

sh al l t erm in at e th is ag reem en t b y

gi vi ng a writ te n n ot ic e o f in te nt io n t o t erm in at e atlea st30 da y s p rio r to th e d at e o f te rm in at io n.” HSBC m ov edto di sm is s J oe l’s co m pl ai nt , arg ui ng th atitha d c om pl ie d wi th it s o bl ig at io ns un de r th e PTFA. The di st ric t co urt g ran te d HSB C’s m ot io n a nd di sm is se d J oe l’s co m

pl ai ntwith p reju di ce. The di st ric t co urt n ot edth atJo el was no t en ti tl edto rem ai n i n h er p ro pe rty becaus e th e le as e was term in ab le at wi ll , and HSBC h adgi ve n h er the no ti ce re qu ire d b y law t o v acat e th e p rem is es . II. W e rev ie w a di st ric t co urt’s d is m is sa l o f a co m pl ai ntun de r Fed .R.Ci v.P . 12 (b )(6 ) de no vo , acce pt in g the factua l al le ga ti on s i n t he co m pl ai ntas t ru e, an d vi ewin g the m

in th e li gh t m os t fa vo rab le to th e p la in ti ff. Sp ea ker v. U.S. Dep ’t o

f Hea lth a nd

Huma n Servi ces Cen te rs fo r Dise as e Co ntro l a nd Prev en ti on , 62 3 F.3 d 1 37 1, 1 37 9 (1 1t h C ir. 2 01 0) . To su rv iv e a m ot io n t o d is m is s, a c om pl ai nt m us t “ st at e a cl ai m

forrel ie f th atis pl au si bl e o n i ts face .” Bell Atlan ti c Co rp . v. Two mbl y , 55 0 U.S. 5 44 , 57 0, 1 27 S.Ct . 19 55 , 19 74 , 16 7 L.Ed .2d92 9 (2 00 7) . The co m pl ai ntne edno t i nc lu de de ta il edfactua l al le ga ti on s, b utitm us t s etforth “ m or e th anlab el s an d c on cl us io ns , anda fo rm ul ai c rec it at io n o f th e el em en ts of acau se of act io n wi ll no t d o.” Id
. at55 5, 1 27 S.Ct . at 1 96 4- 19 65 . In ru li ng on a m ot io n t o 3di sm is s, thi s C ou rt m ay co ns id er d oc um en ts att ach edto th e co m pl ai nt . Se e Gro ss man v. Na ti on sb an k, N.A., 22 5 F .3d12 28 , 12 31 (11 th Cir . 20 00 ) (“ Whe n co ns id eri ng a m ot io n t o d is m is s . . . th e co urt l im it s i ts co ns id erat io n t o t he pl ead in gs an d e xh ib it s at ta ch edth eret o.” ) (quo ta ti on om it te d) . Inrel ev an t p art , th e Pro te ct in g Ten an ts at F or ecl os ur e Actpro vi de s: (a) Inth e cas e o f an y

for ecl os ur e o n afed eral ly-rela te d m ortg ag e lo anor on an y dwel li ng or r es id en ti al real pro pe rty after th e d at e o f en act m en t o f th is ti tl e, an y imm ed ia te su cces so r in in te res t i n s uc h pr op erty pu rs ua ntto th e fo recl os ur e sh al l as su m e su chin te res t s ub ject to -- (1 ) th e p ro vi si on , by su ch su cces so r in in te res t o f a n ot ic e to va cat e to an y bo nafid e te na ntat l eas t 9 0 d ay s b efo re the effe ct iv e d at e of su ch no ti ce; an d (2 ) th e ri gh ts of a ny bo nafid e te na nt , as o f th e d at e o f su ch no ti ce of for ecl os ur e-- (A) un de r an y

bo nafid e le as e en te redin to be fo re the no ti ce of for ecl os ur e to oc cupy the pre m is es un ti l t he en d o f th e rem ai ni ng term

of t he lea se , exc ep t t ha t a s uc ces so r in in te res t m ay

term in at e a l eas e eff

ect iv e o n the da te of sa le of t he un itto a pu rch as er wh o wi ll oc cupy the un it as a pr im ary res id en ce, s ub ject t o the rece ip t b y

th e te na ntof t he 90 da y

no ti ce u nd er p arag rap h (1 ); o r (B) wit ho uta le as e o r with alea se term in ab le at wi ll un de r st at e la w, subjec t t o t he rece ip t b y th e te nantof t he 90 da y no ti ce u nd er s ub se ct io n (1 ). Pub. L. No. 1 11 -2 2, Di v. A, Tit le VII, § 7 02 , 12 3 S ta t. at16 60 -6 1 (2 00 9) . Inth is cas e, Jo el m ai nt ai ns th atHSBC cann otin te rp retor e nf or ce the lea se be cau se itwas n ota pa rty to t he ori gi na l co nt ract . The i ss ue , ho wev er, i s n ot

4whe th er HSBC canen fo rce t he lea se . In fa ct , HSBC i s at te m pt in g t o e ndth e le as e, no t en fo rce i t. The is su e is whethe r th e le as e is term in ab le at wi ll , inwhi ch cas e HSBC c anen d t he lea se by pro vi di ng 90 da y s’ no ti ce t o J oe l, o r whe th er i t i s a le as e fo r a fi xe d t erm , inwhi ch cas e HSBC wil l h av e to letJo el rem ai n i n the pr op erty un ti l i t s el ls th e p ro pe rty to apu rch as er wh o wi ll us e itas apri m ary res id en ce. The factth atHSBC was no t a p arty to th e o rig in al lea se do es no t m ean th atitcan no t i nt erp retth e ex pr es s l an gu ag e o f th e co nt ractto de riv e th e p art ie s’ in te nt . Jo el ’s arg um en t t ha t t he lea si ng ag reem en t es tabl is he d alea se fora fi xe d te rm , rathe r th ana te na nc y at wi ll , als o fa il s. By its term s, the lea se crea te d a

“ m on th -to -m on th ten an cy ” th atco ul d b e te rm in at edby eith er p arty with 3 0 d ay s’ no ti ce. Bec au se Geor gi a law requi res at l eas t 3 0 d ay s’ no ti ce b efo re t erm in at in g a te na nc y at wi ll , th e le as e eff

ect iv el y crea te d aten an cy

at wi ll . Se e O.C.G.A. § 4 4- 7- 7. Th eref

or e, un de r th e PTFA, HSBC c ou ldterm in at e th e le as e aft er pr ov id in g 9 0 d ay s’ no ti ce t o J oe l. Se ePub. L. No. 1 11 -2 2, Di v. A, Tit le VII, § 7 02 (a)( 2) (B), 1 23 Sta t. at16 61 (20 09 ). The l et te r at ta ch edto Jo el ’s com pl ai nt de m on st rat es th atsh e d id , infact , recei ve su ch no ti ce. Se e Gro ss man , 22 5 F .3dat 12 31 (no ti ng th ata rev ie win g c ou rt m ay co ns id er d oc um en ts att ach edto th e pl ai nt iff’s com

pl ai nt ). Becaus e HSBC ful ly com pl ie d wi th th e PTFA, th e d is tri ct 5co urt p ro pe rly con cl ud edth atJo el ’s com pl ai ntfai le d t o s ta te a cl ai m up onwhi ch rel ie f co ul d b e g ran te d. Acco rd in gl y , we affi rm . AFFIRMED.

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