Source: http://masscases.com/cases/land/2016/2016-16-000053-ORDER.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 10:46:59+00:00

Document:
JAMES B. NUTTER & COMPANY v. THE ESTATE OF MARY B. JAMIESON, SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, MARYELLEN FLUET, ROBERT HOWE, WILLIAM JAMIESON, and BRETT JAMIESON.
Court v. Financial Freedom Acquisition LLC, 807 F.3d 351, 354 (1st Cir. 2015). JBNCs reverse mortgages use a standard form. Paragraph 20 of its standard form does not explicitly incorporate the statutory power of sale, G.L. c. 183, § 21. JBNC seeks to foreclose on many of its mortgages, and has to date brought 45 cases in the Land Court seeking to determine its rights to foreclose under its form mortgage. The court has determined that three cases, including this one, in which the defendants have appeared, are ripe for resolving the specific and sole issue of whether paragraph 20 of the form JBNC mortgage acts to incorporate the statutory power of sale notwithstanding its failure to do so explicitly. At the instruction of the court, JBNC has brought a limited motion for partial judgment on the pleadings on this issue; the defendant has filed an oppositions The motion was argued to the court on July 14, 2016. As set forth in this Memorandum and Order, the court finds that the language of paragraph 20 that Lender may invoke the power of sale and any other remedies permitted by applicable law is sufficient to incorporate the statutory power of sale by reference, even though the language of paragraph 20 is not substantially equivalent to that of the statute.
On January 28, 2016, JBNC filed its verified complaint in the case of James B. Nutter & Co. v. The Estate of Mary B. Jamieson, et al., 16 MISC 000053. Case management conferences were held on March 3, 2016 and April 4, 2016. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue filed its Disclaimer of Interest on March 9, 2016. Defendant Maryellen Fluet filed her Answer and Motion for Dismissal on March 14, 2016. Defendant Robert Howe disclaimed any interest on March 15, 2016. At a status conference on May 6, 2016, the defendants were given leave to treat JBNC's Limited Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings in case no. 16 MISC 000083 as filed in this case, and file oppositions. On May 23, 2016, defendant Brett Jamieson filed his Motion to Strike the Verification of the Plaintiff's Complaint and his Motion for a More Definite Statement. On June 8, 2016, the Motion to Strike Verification was denied and the Motion for a More Definite Statement allowed. JBNC filed its amended complaint on July 5, 2016. Defendant Brett Jamieson filed a Memorandum in Opposition to the Plaintiff's Motion for Partial Judgment on the Pleadings. On July 13, 2016, defendant Brett Jamieson filed a Motion to Dismiss and a Supplemental Memorandum in Opposition to the Plaintiff's Partial Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings.
1. The property at issue is located at 44 Woodleigh Avenue, Greenfield, Massachusetts 01301 (Jamieson Property).
2. The defendant Estate of Mary B. Jamieson is the successor to Mary B. Jamieson, an individual.
3. Mary B. Jamieson became the owner of the Jamieson Property by way of a quitclaim deed dated August 7, 2006 and recorded in the Franklin County Registry of Deeds in Book 5155, Page 254.
4. On July 21, 2008, Mary B. Jamieson executed and delivered a note to First Call Mortgage Company in the original principal amount of Two Hundred Ninety-Seven Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($297,000) (Jamieson Note).
5. On July 21, 2008, Mary B. Jamieson granted a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage recorded in the Franklin County Registry of Deeds in Book 5538, Page 141 to First Call Mortgage Company in the original principal amount of Two Hundred Ninety-Seven Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($297,000) (Jamieson Mortgage).
6. JBNC is the current holder of the Jamieson Mortgage by way of an Assignment of Mortgage dated March 24, 2009 and recorded in the Franklin County Registry of Deeds in Book 5844, Page 135.
7. Paragraph 9 of the Jamieson Mortgage provides, in relevant part, that one of the grounds for immediate payment in full of the debt secured by such mortgage is the death of the borrower, Mary B. Jamieson.
At this sale Lender or another person may acquire the Property. This is known as foreclosure and sale. In any lawsuit for foreclosure and sale, Lender will have the right to collect all costs allowed by law.
9. Mary B. Jamieson was the individual who last resided at the Jamieson Property. She died on November 18, 2014. According to JBNC, this entitled it to accelerate the debt and declare the debt to be in default if not reinstated by Mary B. Jamiesons heirs within thirty days.
JBNC's complaint alleges that paragraph 20 in the Jamieson Mortgage, which is identical in all the mortgages in the cases before the court (collectively, the form Reverse Mortgage), incorporates the statutory power of sale contained in G.L. c. 183, § 21. JBNC argues that the foreclosure procedure set forth in paragraph 20 of the form Reverse Mortgage serves the same function as G.L. c. 183, § 21, is substantially similar to the language in G.L. c. 183, § 21, and indicates that the parties to the Reverse Mortgage intended to grant JBNC the statutory power of sale. In this Limited Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, JBNC seeks a declaration from the court that paragraph 20 in the Reverse Mortgage incorporates the statutory power of sale contained in G.L. c. 183, § 21.
invokes the power of sale, and it incorporates other remedies permitted by applicable law. I find that the other applicable law invoked as applicable, includes G.L. c. 183, § 21). The paragraph at issue in OneWest Bank, FSB v. Heirs is identical to paragraph 20 in JBNC's form Reverse Mortgage.
As G.L. c. 183, § 21 is considered a remedy permitted by applicable law relating to mortgage foreclosures, the court finds that paragraph 20 in the form Reverse Mortgage incorporates the statutory power of sale by reference, notwithstanding references to judicial proceedings, foreclosure proceedings, and lawsuits in paragraph 20.

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