Mark Burris, Louise Grider, and Lilla Smythe v. First Financial Corporation, and Home Owners Funding Corporation of AmericaMark Burris, Louise Grider, and Lilla Smythe v. First Financial Corporation, and Home Owners Funding Corporation of America
This is a class action suit filed by Mark Burris, who alleged that First Financial Corporation (“FFC”) and Home Owners Funding Corporation of America (“HOF-CA”) had charged and were charging Burris and other members of the putative class of mobile home purchasers, finance charges in excess of those permitted by Arkansas law. The Complaint was then amended to add Louise Grider and Lilia Smythe, who also purchased mobile homes and entered into retail installment contracts on form contracts prepared by FFC. Jurisdictiоn of the district court
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was invoked under
Plaintiff Mark Burris purchased a mobile home from and entered into a retail installment sales contract with Smoot Mobile Home Sales of Marmaduke, Arkansas, on May 23, 1984. The installment sales contract was on a form contract prepared by and assigned to FFC. The contract was guaranteed by the Veteran’s Administration (“VA”) and was subsequently transferred to HOFCA for servicing and other purposes. The contract provided for an interest rate in excess of the Arkansas usury limit.
Grider entered into a purchase agreement and retail installment sales contract with Lochridge Homes, Inc., of North Little Rock, Arkansas, on June 17,1985. Smythe entered into a manufactured home retail installment sales contract with Crews Mobile Homes of Jacksonville, Arkansas, on September 16, 1985. These contracts were assigned to FFC, but were not guaranteed by the VA nor the Federal Housing Authority (“FHA”) and were not transferred to HOFCA.
Defendants moved for summary judgment based on federal preemption and fail
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ure to state a сlaim. The district court granted the motions to dismiss Burris based on determinations that the Arkansas usury limit was preempted by provisions of federal law applicable to VA guaranteed loans; that such preemption had not been overridden by Arkansas’ adoption of Amendment 60 to its Constitution; and that the VA guaranteed contract was not required to comply with Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act (“DIDMCA”) provisions to qualify for federal preemption. The court dismissed the claims of Grider and Smythe as to HOFCA because HOFCA did not hold or service their contracts. The court dismissed the claims of Grider and Smythe against FFC based on a finding that the contracts complied with the provisions of DIDMCA and therefore qualified for federal preemption.
I.
Plaintiff Burris asserts that the district court erred in holding that Arkansas’ adoption of Amendment 60
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in 1982 did not override FHA/VA preemption provisions. The district court correctly held that Arkansas’ adoption of Amendment 60 in 1982 did nоt override FHA/VA preemption provisions.
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State usury laws limiting the rate of interest which may be charged on FHA insured loans are preempted by
The FHA and VA preemptions apply “to loans, mortgages, or advances made or executed in any State until the effective date (after December 21, 1979) of a provision of law of that State limiting the rate or amount of interest, discount points or other charges on any such loan, mortgage or advance.”
The maximum lawful rate of interest on any contract entered into after the effective date hereof shall not exceed five percent (5%) per annum above the Federal Reserve Discount Rate at the time of the contract.
“The Court determines, given Congress’ deference to states’ rights to fix their own usury law, * * * that when a state reacts or raises its usury limit on a particular class of loans, it overrides the FHA and VA preemptions for that type of loan in the absence of a contrary statement.”
Doyle v. Southern Guaranty Corporation,
In
In re Lawson Square, Inc.,
II.
Plaintiff Burris contends that the district court erred in holding that creditors need not comply with all of DIDMCA’s provisions in order to avail themselves of any of the federаl preemption provisions. Plaintiff cites
The district court correctly followed
Doyle,
The Eleventh Circuit traced the legislative history leading ■ up to and following passage of eaсh of the preemption statutes and concluded that:
although the DIDMCA statute encompasses the “federally related” mobile home loans involved in this case and therefore overlaps with the FHA and VA preemptions, this dual coverage does not nullify the FHA and VA preemptions as applied to mobile home loans. FHA or VA lenders may obtain federal preemption under the respective FHA or VA preemption without also satisfying the DIDMCA requirements * * * * It is unreasonable to believe that Congrеss, in addressing the more immediate concern of FHA and VA loan availability to individual borrowers, would require the lender to comply with the additional DIDM-CA regulations in order to obtain federal preemption * * * * [The Eleventh Circuit noted several following points supporting its holding.] First, Section 529 of DIDMCA repealed certain existing laws but made no mention of the FHA or VA preemption statutes. Second, Section 528 of DIDMCA demonstrates that Congress intended to retain independent vitality in the respective statutory schemеs. Finally, a HUD opinion letter supports this interpretation.
Id. at 911-12. The HUD opinion letter referred to in Doyle, id. at 912, is an April 1, 1985, letter from Shirley Wiseman, General Deputy Assistant Secretary of Housing, stating “[i]t was then, and is now, this Department’s interpretation of the two preemption laws that they are separate and independent of each other, and that if a manufactured home lender can charge a preemptive interest rate pursuant to 529 of the National Housing Act it need not rely upon Section 501 of the Deregulation Act [DIDMCA], and thus need not comply with 12 C.F.R. 590.4.” The holding of the Elev *802 enth Circuit in Doyle with respect to this issue is sound and applicable to this case. A lender entitled to preemption under the FHA or VA statutes need not comply with DIDMCA regulations.
III.
Plaintiffs Smythe and Grider contend that the district court erred in holding that the contracts in question complied with three DIDMCA provisions.
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Plaintiffs assert that the contracts reserve remedies for the creditors which are not permitted by DIDMCA and
Except in the case of abandonment or other extreme circumstances, no аction to repossess or foreclose, or to accelerate payment of the entire outstanding balance of the obligation, may be taken against the debtor until 30 days after the creditor sends the debtor a notice of default in the form set forth in Paragraph (h)(2) of this section* * * *
Paragraph 11 of the contract provides: If debtor defaults in performing any obligation herein, Creditor after providing Debtor with the notice and opportunity to cure required by applicable statutes or regulations, may accelerate the maturity of any part or all of the amount owing hereunder.
Plaintiffs argue Paragraph 11 does not comply with DIDMCA because
Neither DIDMCA nor
The Federal Home Loan Bank Board, which drafted
This requirement [§ 590.4(h)(1) ] refers only to the act of giving notice; neither paragraph (h) nor the Congressional legislation that it implements [DIDMCA] * * * expressly requires that a covered credit agreement recite the purchaser-borrower’s right to notice. Furthermore, there arе no legislative or regulatory history materials suggesting that either Congress or the Board intended an implicit requirement of a contractual notice provision. If a contractual notice provision requirement had been intended, it is reasonable to assume that the Board would have expressly so provided, as it did in paragraphs (d) (prepayment without penalty), (e) (terms of balloon payments), (f) (late charges), and (g) (agreements for deferral of fees) of§ 590.4 . In light of these considerations, it is the *803 view of this Office that§ 590.4(h) does not require that the tеrms of a manufactured home credit sale agreement recite the purchaser’s right to thirty days’ notice of acceleration or repossession.
5 Fed.Banking' L.Rep., Paragraph 82,027 (1983). Paragraph 11 clearly complies with the notice provisions of DIDMCA, in that it refers to applicable statutes and regulations.
Plaintiffs also assert that the contracts allow repossession, foreclosure or acceleration without notice. Plaintiffs incorrectly reach the conclusion that the contracts do not require notice by ignoring the clause “after providing Debtor with the notice and opportunity to cure required by applicable statutes or regulations” in Paragraph 11. Plaintiffs argue that the phrase “required by applicаble statutes or regulations” in Paragraph 11 is similar to the phrase found objectionable by the Eleventh Circuit in
Quiller,
In Quiller, the contract stated that the full balance could become due and payable “without notice,” and the creditor could foreclose or repossess “without notice or demand for performance or legal process,” and to demand payment of the full balance upon the debtor’s default or the creditor’s insecurity “without notice.” Although the Quiller contract required “any notice of right to cure” before acceleration, it also permitted repossession without notice and without any notice of right to cure. The contracts in question never state that actions may be taken without notice. Further, they do not allow the creditor to accelerate, repossess or foreclose without notice. They require notice and opportunity to cure before the creditor may accelerate, repossess or foreclosе.
The notice provisions in question are comparable to the notice provisions in
Moyer,
Plaintiffs additionally аssert, .that they did not intend that the contracts be governed by DIDMCA. Nowhere in any of the pleadings or materials submitted to the district court is there any statement by plaintiffs that they did not intend their contracts to be governed by DIDMCA. Having failed to raise the issue before the district court, plaintiffs cannot raise the issue for the first time on appeal.
Grant,
Plaintiffs assert that notices sent to Grider evidence noncompliance of the contracts with DIDMCA.
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This is inapposite to a determination of whether the contracts reserved for the creditors, remedies on default which were not permitted by DIDMCA and
*804 Plaintiffs assert that the contracts’ prepayment provision and disclosures fail to comply with DIDMCA and 12 C.F.R. § .590.4(d), which provides:
A debtor may prepay in full or in part the unpaid balance of the loan at any time without penalty. The right to prepay shall be disclosed in the loan contract in thе type larger than that used for the body of the document.
Paragraph 9 of the Smythe and Grider contracts provides:
9. Prepayment: Debtor may prepay the unpaid balance of this contract in full at any time without penalty, at upon such payment, acceleration, refinancing or consolidation, debtor shall receive a refund credit calculated pursuant to the “actuarial method” after first deducting an acquisition charge of $50.00 in the event of prepayment. Debtor shall not be entitled to a refund which is less than $1.00.
Plaintiffs contend that because the contract affirmatively specifies the right to prepay in full, it gives the debtor an incomplete disclosure and is misleading and inaccurate. Plaintiffs conclude that the right to prepay “in full or in part” must be stated in the contract for it to qualify for preemption.
Plaintiffs also argue that the acquisition charge of $50 is a prepayment penalty prohibited by
Further, the FHA regulations for manufactured home loans includes a prepayment provision, which provides:
Where the loan is prepaid in full, the lender shall rebate the full unearned interest on the loan, except that a minimum retained handling charge may be deducted from the rebate if permitted by state or local law. Unearned interest shall be determined in accordance with the actuarial method.
Plaintiffs assert that the contract provision stating that borrowers should see their contract documents for additional information regarding prepayment refunds and penalties violates DIDMCA and
Plaintiffs argue that the right to prepay in contracts qualifying for preemption under DIDMCA must be disclosed “in type larger than that used in the body of the document.”
In any event, the purpose of
Plaintiffs further argue that there is another notice provision in all оf the contracts which is entirely in bold face and in larger print than the prepayment notices. Even so, the disclosure need not be in the largest type used in the contract but rather must call to the attention of the debtor the right to prepay.
Id.
and
Plaintiffs next argue that First Financial imposed late charges in amounts greater than that allowed by the contracts, thereby disqualifying the cоntracts from DIDMCA preemption. The contracts provide that a late charge of “$5.00 or 5% of the payment, whichever is less” will “be collected on any installment past due for a period of more than fifteen (15) days.” Plaintiff Grider asserts she was assessed a late charge of $10. This is simply the charge for two accumulated late charges of five dollars, each which plaintiff Grider had not paid.
Further, paragraph 29(c)(3) of plaintiffs’ Second Amended Complaint alleges that “the contracts viоlate provisions of DIDM-CA and
IV.
Plaintiffs contend that the district court erred in granting Defendants’ motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure require that a summary judgment “shall be rendered forthwith” when the district court is satisfied that “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact.”
Plaintiffs argue that questions of material fact exist because the contracts contained several provisions which were alleged to not comply with DIDMCA. Alle *806 gations do not rise to an issue as to a material fact. Id. Additionally, plaintiff argues a fact issue is created concerning the conduct of the creditors regarding remedies and the alleged imposition of certain late charges. The district court concluded that the contracts were not violative of DIDMCA in any respect and this court affirms that holding. There is no genuine issue as to any material fact present in this case. Id.
Plaintiffs assert that the district court erred in holding that plaintiffs were not proper class representatives. The district court correctly held:
Inasmuch as the Court has found that neither Burris, Grider nor Smythe has a cognizable individual claim for relief against either HOFCA or First Financial, none of them may serve as a class representative in a class action suit.
See O’Shea v. Littleton,
For the reasons stated above, we AFFIRM.
Notes
. The Honorable Elsijane T. Roy, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
. Codified at Arkansas Constitution, Art. 19, § 13.
. This issue relates only to the VA guaranteed contract of Burris and not to the non-FHA/VA guaranteed contracts of Grider and Smythe.
. Both statutes were enacted in 1979. The VA preemption statute makes the VA preemption the same as the FHA preemption. S.Rep. No. 260, 96th Cong., 1st Sess. 29, reprinted in 1979 U.S.Code Cong. & Ad.News 1894, 1915.
. This issue relates only to the VA guaranteed loan of Burris.
. Because the FHA and VA preemptions were not overridden by Arkansas' adoption of Amendment 60 in 1982 and because a lender entitled to preemption under the FHA and VA preemption statutes need not comply with the DIDMCA regulations, this issue relates only to the conventional loans of Smythe and Grider.
. Plaintiffs argue that
Moyer
is distinguishable because it specifically stated it was in compliance with federal law, and
Atkinson
is distinguishable because the Court held that the contract was intended to be governed by DIDMCA. Neither DIDMCA nor the regulations implementing it contain any provision which requires the contracts to state on their face that they are federal preemption contracts and that DIDMCA should apply. The contract in
Atkinson
contained a choice of law clause.
Atkinson,
. The notices in question were sent to Grider and were intended to remind Grider that she was behind in her payments. Further, the notice of default and right to cure required by DIDMCA was sent after the reminder notice.
. Plaintiffs cite
Goldman v. First Federal Savings and Loan Assoc.,
. Because the Federal Home Loan Bank Board looks for guidance in the FHA regulations, H.R. Conf.Rep. No. 842, 96th Cong., 2d Sess. 79, reprinted in 1980 U.S.Code Cong. & Ad.News 298, 309, it is aware that lenders may deduct a han *805 dling charge upon prepayment and, thus, chose not to prohibit such charges upon prepayment.
. The language Plaintiffs refer to is found in the "federal box” containing disclosures required by the Truth in Lending Act.