Opinion ID: 200294
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Motions to Amend the Complaint

Text: 19 Finally, we affirm the district court ruling rejecting the motions to amend the Manns' complaint to plead new facts allegedly disclosed during discovery. The Manns sought (i) to allege that Chase, absent any contractual authorization, added a $2.00 surcharge for each prepetition inspection charge posted to their mortgage loan account, and (ii) to add, as coplaintiffs, the Rodrigueses, whom Chase recently had billed for the same type of postpetition, preconfirmation fees following the entry of the Rodrigueses' chapter 13 discharge, even though the Rodrigueses had not defaulted again on their mortgage payments. 20 Trial court rulings on motions to amend a complaint are reviewed for abuse of discretion. See Invest Almaz v. Temple-Inland Forest Prods. Corp., 243 F.3d 57, 71 (1st Cir.2001). Of course, the trial court may deny leave to amend, as a matter of law, where a proposed amendment would not cure the deficiencies in the original complaint. See Grant v. News Group Boston, Inc., 55 F.3d 1, 5 (1st Cir.1995). So it is here. 21 The first proposed amendment was defective due to the fact that the Manns failed to file timely objection to the inclusion of the subject surcharges in their chapter 13 plan. The second amendment was deficient in that (i) the Manns submitted an insufficient Rule 56 proffer regarding their § 362 claim for the postpetition, preconfirmation attorney fees, and (ii) even assuming, arguendo, that the Rodrigueses held a viable claim under either § 362 or § 506(b), their standing did not confer standing upon the Manns. 22 Accordingly, the district court judgment is affirmed. The parties shall bear their own costs. SO ORDERED.