Connie L. Gretsch filed a lawsuit against Vantium Capital, Inc. d/b/a Acqura Loan Services (“Acqura”) alleging numerous state common law and statutory claims. Gretsch’s claims arise from Acqura’s alleged violation of its Servicer Participation Agreement with Fannie Mae. Gretsch contends that Acqura violated the agreement by failing to follow guidelines applicable under the federal Home Affordable Modification Program. The sole issue on appeal is whether MinmStat. § 58.18, subd. 1 (2012), provides a private cause of action for Gretsch to pursue damages for Ac-qura’s alleged violation of its agreement with Fannie Mae, an agreement to which Gretsch is not a party. The district court and court of appeals both held that Gretsch lacked standing. Because we conclude that Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, provides for a private right of action and therefore gives Gretsch standing to pursue her claim, we reverse.
Before turning to the specific facts alleged here, we begin with a discussion of the statutory scheme that underlies those allegations. As part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, Congress аuthorized the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“TARP”) and the Making Home Affordable program, which includes the Home Affordable Modification Program (“HAMP”). See 12 U.S.C. §§ 5211, 5219 (2012). Under HAMP, non-government sponsored entities could voluntarily enter into a servicer participation agreement (“SPA”) with the federal government through Fannie Mae to participate in the program and receive financial incentives for modifying mortgages. The SPA governs the servicer’s participation in HAMP for all of the servicer’s mortgages. Under the SPA, the servicer is required to follow the HAMP program directives and guidelines. These directives include the requirement that the servicer consider a borrower’s request for a HAMP modification and notify the borrower within 30 days of its decision and provide the specific reason for the decision. During the period in which the servicer is considering the borrower for HAMP eligibility, the servicer cannot refer the matter for foreclosure or proceed with any pending foreclosure. Dep’t of Treasury, Making Homes Affordable Program, Handbook for Servicers of Nortr-GSE Mortgages 52-53 (3d ver.2010).
With this statutory scheme in mind, we turn to the specific facts alleged in this case.
Gretsch lost her job in 2008, and she received a loan extension agreement from CitiMortgage in March 2009. In April 2010, CitiMortgage notified Gretsch that she had been granted forbearance and рayment restructuring under a Citi Homeowner Unemployment Assistance Forbearance agreement and that her monthly payments would be $300. After she had made 3 months of payments, Acqura, the servi-
Gretsch alleges that she was eligible for a HAMP loan modification. Gretsch also alleges that she continued to make requests for mortgage assistance to Acqura, including a request for a HAMP loan modification, all of which were ignored or denied without notice or explanation to Gretsch. Thereafter, Gretsch alleges, Ac-qura allowed mortgage foreclosure proceedings to be commenced against Gretsch without performing any of the requirements under HAMP. Finally, Gretsch alleges that Acqura has not otherwise complied with the HAMP requirements.
Gretsch filed suit on July 14, 2011. Gretsch filed an amended class action complaint in January 2012, alleging violations of state consumer protection statutes including Minn.Stat. § 58.13, subd. 1(a)(5) (2012) (Count I), Negligence (Count II), and Breach of Contract (Count III).
The district court grantеd Acqura’s motion, in part because HAMP does not create a private right of action and because SPAs do not give rise to third party beneficiary claims. The court concluded that because there was no breach of a contract between Acqura and Gretsch, and Gretsch was not a party to the SPA allegedly breached, that Gretsch lacked standing to enforce the directives of HAMP. Gretsch appealed.
The court of appeals affirmed. Gretsch v. Vantium Capital, Inc., No. A12-2270,
On appeal to our court, Gretsch argues that she has standing under Minn. Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, to pursue her claim that Acqura did not meet its obligations under the SPA. Acqura disagrees and contends that Gretsch does not have standing to pursue her claim that Acqura violated the SPA. Acqura also argues that if Minn. Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, gives Gretsch standing, federal law preempts the state law. Finally, Acqura argues that if we construe Minn.Stat. § 58.18 to provide Gretsch with a cause of action, the statute is unconstitutional. Whether a statute provides a private right of action and confers standing is a legal question we review de novo. See In re Custody of D.T.R.,
I.
We turn first to the question of whether Gretsch has standing to sue Ac-qura for breach of the SPA between Ac-qura and Fannie Mae. A plaintiff may have standing in two ways: “either the plaintiff has suffered some ‘injury-in-fact’ or the plaintiff is the beneficiary of some legislative enactment granting standing.” Enright v. Lehmann,
Gretsch contends that she has standing under Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, to pursue her claim against Acqura for Acqura’s alleged breach of the SPA. Acqura disagrees and argues that the statute does not provide Gretsch with a cause of action for breach of the SPA. We agree with Gretsch.
A.
Minnesota Statutes § 58.18, subd. 1, provides: “A borrower injured by a violation of the standards, duties, prohibitions, or requirements of section! ] 58.13 ... shall have a private right of action .... ” In other words, section 58.18 gives borrowers a private right of action to sue for violations of section 58.13. So, if Gretsch alleges a violation of section 58.13, the plain language оf section 58.18 gives her standing to pursue that claim.
Gretsch alleges that Acqura violated section 58.13. Specifically, it is a violation of Minn.Stat. § 58.13, subd. 1(a)(5), for a ser-vicer to “fail to perform in conformance with its written agreements with borrowers, investors, other licensees, or exempt persons.” Gretsch is a borrower who alleges that Acqura, a servicer, breached its written agreement with an exempt person by failing to follow the HAMP guidelines, in violation of Minn.Stat. § 58.13, subd. 1(a)(5), resulting in the premature foreclosure of her home and injury to her. Because Gretsch allеges that Acqura violated section 58.13, Gretsch’s claim falls within
But, Acqura argues, section 58.18, subdivision 1, must be construed to harmonize with existing common law absent a clear and manifest intent by the Legislature to abrogate the common law. Because Gretsch could not sue under the common law for breach of a contract to which she is not a party, Acqura argues she likewise cannot sue under the statute. Acqura supports this argument with cases in which we have said that “statutes creating new causes of action do not abrogate the common law unless thеy do so ‘by express wording or necessary implication.’ ” Urban v. Am. Legion Dep’t of Minn.,
It is true, as Acqura argues, that Minn. Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, does not expressly state that the statute is abrogating the common law; but that is the necessary implication of the words used in the statute. See Urban,
Acqura next argues that interpreting Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, to provide Gretsch with a cause of action would lead to absurd results because it would open the door to “unlimited and disruptive litigation by parties with no relationship to the myriad agreements that servicers have with other entities.” The rule of construction that Acqura cites, however, is “not available to override the plain language of
Finally, Aequra argues that the subsequent enactment of Minn.Stat. § 582.043 (Supp.2013), which includes a private right of action for a borrower to enjoin or set aside a foreclosure sale based on a violation of mitigation requirements, suggests that Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, does not provide a private right of action for HAMP violations.
B.
In the alternative, Aequra argues that even if Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, provides standing to nonparties to contracts to sue for breach of contract, the provision does not apply in this case for two reasons. First, Aequra argues that Minn.Stat. § 58.13 applies only to servicers and that it was not acting as a servicer, as defined by the statute, when it entered into the SPA. Second, Aequra argues that Minn.Stat. § 58.13 does not cover its SPA because the SPA is not a contract with an “exempt person.” For either or both of these reasons, Aequra argues that Gretsch does not have standing under Minn.Stat. § 58.18 because she is not suing to enforce something that Minn.Stat. § 58.13 covers.
Turning first to Acqura’s argument that it is not a “servicer” for purposes of
We turn next to Acqura’s argument that the SPA is not a contract with an “exempt person.” The complaint alleges that Acqura “enter[ed] into a [SPA] with the federal government.” Acqura argues, however, that an “exempt person” for purposes of Minnesota Stat. § 58.13, subd. 1(a)(5), “has a meaning distinct from the term ‘governmental agency.’ ” Minn. Stat. § 5802, subd. 9 (2012), defines “exempt person” as “a person exempt from residential mortgage service licensing requirements.” And Minn. Stat. § 58.04, subd. 2(b)(5) (2012), clearly statеs that an “agency of the federal government” is exempt from residential mortgage servicer licensing requirements. Given this statutory text and the record before us, we cannot conclude as a matter of law that the SPA is not a contract with an “exempt person.”
In conclusion, we hold that the plain language of Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, gives Gretsch standing to pursue her claim that Acqura violated the SPA.
II.
We turn next to Acqura’s argument that HAMP preempts Gretsch’s state cause of action. Specifically, Acqura argues that because HAMP provides no private cause of action for its enforcement, any state law remedies to enforce HAMP are barred. Acqura’s argument is not persuasive.
Congressional purpose is the ultimate touchstone of the preemption in
Congress can preempt a state law in several different ways. Congress may do so by using express language. See Cipollone v. Liggett Grp., Inc.,
In this case, Acqura raises no issue regarding express or field preemption. Instead, Acqura asserts implied conflict preemption. Specifically, Acqura argues that Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, poses an obstacle to the federal objective of increasing sеrvicer participation and lowering foreclosure rates because allowing a private right of action to borrowers such as Gretsch would “have a chilling effect on servicer participation due to fear of exposure to private lawsuits.”
We disagree that chilled servicer participation presents an obstacle sufficient to infer that Congress intended to preempt Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1. Under the terms of the SPA, servicers who violate their SPAs are already open to suit for breach by the other contracting parties. Minnesota Statutes § 58.18, subd. 1, does not impose any obligations on servicers beyond those that contracting parties can enforce and it does not require that servi-cers do more than what they have already undertaken in their written agreements. Because the state law does not impose additional duties on servicers or obligations inconsistent with those set forth in HAMP or the SPA, state law cannot be said to frustrate congressional purposes in such a way as to provide a basis to conclude that Congress preempted state law. See Wigod v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.,
In urging us to reach the contrary conclusion, Acqura cites Buckman Co. v. Plaintiffs’ Legal Committee,
In Buckman, the plaintiffs were seeking a remedy for what they claimed was fraud upon the Food and Drug Administration. Id. at 343,
Unlike Buckman, this case does not involve fraud on a federal agency. And unlike the statutory scheme at issue in Buckman, there is no basis to conclude that complying with state law in this case would frustrate congressional purposes in enacting federal legislation. Indeed, the HAMP regulations specifically require that programs be implemented in compliance with state common law and statutes. Trеas. Supp. Dir. 09-01 at 12 (Apr. 6, 2009). The Secretary of the Treasury also expressly instructed mortgage servicers to comply with state laws when the Secretary promulgated administrative guidance for the HAMP program. Dep’t of Treasury, Making Home Affordable Program, Handbook for Servicers of Non-GSE Mortgages 86 (3d ver.2010).
Finally, with respect to preemption, Ac-qura argues that because HAMP did not provide a private remedy, there may nоt be any state remedy, because it would be an “end-run” around Congress’s decision not to provide a federal cause of action. Both the district court and the court of appeals relied on the fact that HAMP did not provide a private cause of action in concluding that the state law claim failed. But the issue here is not whether there is a federal private right of action. Instead, the issue is whether federal law displaces remedies otherwise available. See Wigod,
For all of these reasons, we hold that federal law does not preempt Gretsch’s state law cause of action.
III.
Finally, we turn to Acqura’s argument that Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, if read to give Gretsch a private right of action, would violate the Contracts Clause of both the United States Constitution and the Minnesota Constitution, which both prohibit state laws impairing the obligation of contracts. U.S. Const. art. I, § 10, cl. 1; Minn. Const. art. I, § 11. A law impairs the obligations of a contract when it renders those obligations invalid or releases or extinguishes them. Home Bldg. & Loan Ass’n v. Blaisdell,
Reversed and remanded.
Notes
. Because of the procedural posture of this case, our recitation of the facts takes the allegations of Gretsch’s amended class action complaint as true. See, e.g., Hebert v. City of Fifty Lakes,
. The SPA between Acqura and Fannie Mae is dated September 2, 2009.
. Because Gretsch sought review only on her claim under Minn.Stat. §§ 58.13, subd. 1(a)(5), and 58.18, subd. 1, we do not address her other claims.
. The district court converted Acqura’s motion to dismiss to a motion for summary judgment because the court received affidavit evidence in connection with the motion. Any documents necessary to resolve the issue on appeal, however, were referenced in the complaint. Accordingly, as Acqura conceded during oral argument, the standard of review for a motion to dismiss is the appropriate standard of review on appeal. N. States Power Co. v. Minn. Metro. Council,
. The lower courts held, and Gretsch does not dispute, that Gretsch would not have standing in the absence of a statutory cause of action because she is not a party or an intended beneficiary of the SPA. See Caldas v. Affordable Granite & Stone, Inc.,
. The court of appeals found Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1 ambiguous but did so summarily. The сourt reasoned that the statute was ambiguous because it would be "possible to interpret the statute to confer standing on an injured borrower or to confer standing only on a borrower whose contract with a mortgage servicer is breached.” Gretsch v. Vantium Capital, Inc., No. A12-2270,
. Aequra also argues that the legislative history supports its proposition that Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, does not confer standing in this situation. But when the language of a statute is unambiguous, the clearly expressed intent must be given effect and there is no room for the canons of statutory construction. State v. Rick,
. Aequra also argues that the statutory damages listed as recoverable under Minn.Stat. § 58.18, subd. 1, do not have any relationship to violations of SPAs. Aequrа argues that this is strong evidence that the Legislature’s intent was to provide a cause of action for those harmed only by predatory lending, not servicing. But the statute clearly prohibits any "person acting as a residential mortgage ... servicer [from] fail[ing] to perform in conformance with its written agreements with exempt persons,” Minn.Stat. § 58.13(a)(5), and section 58.18, subdivision 1, provides a right of action to any "borrower injured by a violation of the ... prohibitions ... of section 58.13.” Moreover, damages available for a violation are a separate issue from stаnding to bring a claim.
. In concluding that the complaint contains sufficient factual allegations to survive a motion to dismiss, we do not intend to suggest how such a claim should be resolved on the merits.
. Acqura also argues that there are instances in which the term "exempt persons" appears in the statute where it is clear that the term does not or should not include "government agencies.” Specifically, Acqura cites to Minn.Stat. § 58.13, subd. 1 (a)(21), which refers only to government agencies. Based on the definition in paragraph 21, Acqura argues that the government cannot be an exempt person, because the Legislature specifically lists the government in the definition if the definition is meant to apply to the government. Acqura’s argument is not persuasive. Paragraph 21 prohibits behavior "that create[s] the impression ... that a ... person is a governmental agency.” The Legislature’s effort to protect government initiatives in paragraph 21 does not somehow affect the generally applicable definition of "exempt person” provided elsewhere in the statute.
. Acqura’s SPA itself clearly states that all services will be performed in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local law.
