IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 12-40428

T. WILLIAM MCINTYRE,

Plaintiff-Appellant

v.

CHICAGO TITLE INSURANCE CO., et al.,

Defendants-Appellees

Appeal from the United States District Court 

for the Eastern District of Texas

Case No. 4:10-cv-335

Before DAVIS, GRAVES, and HIGGINSON, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Following the defendants’ attempt to non-judicially foreclose on a Deed of

Trust securing property owned by plaintiff T. William McIntyre, McIntyre

brought claims of breach of contract, and violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade

Practices Act and Texas Debt Collection Act against the defendants alleging that

the Deed of Trust was not enforceable against him. McIntyre appeals the grant

of summary judgment in favor of the defendants. Because the record establishes

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

F I L E D

March 20, 2013

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.

R. 47.5.4.

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No. 12-40428

that the Deed of Trust is enforceable against McIntyre, rendering his claim

meritless, we affirm. 

I.

In July 2003, Chrystal Suswell purchased a home located at 2307

Aberdeen Bend in Carrollton, Texas (the Property). On January 11, 2005, after

Suswell and McIntyre were married, Suswell executed a Warranty Deed

conveying the Property to herself and McIntyre. At the same time, Suswell and

McIntyre executed an Adjustable Rate Note and Deed of Trust in favor of New

Century Mortgage Corporation (New Century), both in the amount of $283,500. 

The Deed of Trust created a lien in favor of New Century and secured the Note. 

Only Suswell was identified as a Borrower on the face of the Deed of Trust. 

However, McIntyre is identified as a Borrower on the main signature page and

he executed the Deed of Trust, signing above his name which identified him as

Borrower. He also signed several addenda to the Deed of Trust on signature

lines below text that indicated that the signature lines were for the Borrower. 

In July 2008, in conjunction with their divorce, Suswell conveyed her half

interest in the Property to McIntyre using a Special Warranty Deed. When

McIntyre failed to make payments, Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC

(Carrington), the servicer of the Note and Deed of Trust, allowed him to enter

into a Loan Modification Agreement in September 2008. McIntyre defaulted

again in December 2008 and failed to cure the default after receiving notice of

default. 

McIntyre filed suit against Chicago Title Insurance Company (Chicago

Title), Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, Carrington and New Century

in Texas state court seeking to enjoin a non-judicial foreclosure and claiming

money damages under various state law causes of action. Chicago Title removed

the case to the district court. McIntyre settled with Chicago Title and dismissed

it from the case. McIntyre failed to serve New Century and the district court

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dismissed that defendant without prejudice. Both sides filed Motions for

Summary Judgment. The district court adopted the magistrate judge’s Report

and Recommendation and denied McIntyre’s motion, granted the defendants’

motion and ordered that McIntyre take nothing on the remaining claims. 

McIntyre appeals. 

II. 

This court reviews the district court’s decision on summary judgment

applying the same standard as the district court. Wade v. Hewlett-Packard Dev.

Co. LP Short Term Disability Plan, 493 F.3d 533, 537 (5th Cir. 2007), abrogated

on other grounds by Hardt v. Reliance Standard Life Ins. Co., 130 S.Ct. 2149,

2157-58 (2010). Summary judgment is proper if there is no genuine dispute as

to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. 

Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 56(a). 

McIntyre argues that summary judgment was not proper because he was

not specifically named as a Grantor or conveyor of an interest in the Deed of

Trust, and because his status as a Borrower in the Deed of Trust can not be

inferred to make him a Grantor. He also argues that because he is not named

as a Grantor in the Deed of Trust, the promissory note is void, and that the note

should be deemed unsecured because the Deed of Trust was not properly

delivered to him by the mortgagee or bank. We disagree. 

Under Texas Law, “separate instruments or contracts executed at the

same time, for the same purpose, and in the course of the same transaction are

to be considered as one instrument, and are to be read and construed together.” 

Jones v. Kelley, 614 S.W. 2d 95, 98 (Tex. 1981). Under this rule, McIntyre clearly

was intended to be considered as a Grantor/Borrower in the Deed of Trust. The

Note and Deed of Trust were dated on the same day, January 7, 2005. The Note,

which McIntyre signed as Borrower, states that “a Mortgage, Deed of Trust, or

Security Deed (the ‘Security Instrument’), dated the same date as this Note,

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protects the Note Holder from possible losses that might result if I do not keep

the promises that I make in this Note.” The Note lists the property address as

2307 Aberdeen Bend, Carollton, Texas – the same address as that listed on the

Deed of Trust. The Note and Deed of Trust list the same debt amount – 

$283,500. In addition, McIntyre signed the Deed of Trust on a line where his

name is identified as “Borrower” and on several addenda on signature lines

below language indicating that the signatures are those of the Borrower. These

documents construed together clearly reflect that McIntyre intended to be

treated as a Borrower/Grantor under the Deed of Trust and, accordingly, that

instrument is enforceable against him. 

III. 

Based on the foregoing, the district court properly granted judgment in

favor of the defendants, which judgment we affirm. 

AFFIRMED.

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