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Wilkins v. United States (E.D. Va., May 9, 2016) — Opinion and Order — Summary

Factual and Procedural Background

This action arises from a mortgage loan transaction executed on March 8, 2006 between American Home Mortgage and Plaintiffs Jeffrey A. Wilkins and Karen Y. Wilkins for a home in Chesapeake, Virginia. The loan was evidenced by a promissory note and secured by a Deed of Trust to which a VA Guaranteed Loan and Assumption Policy Rider (the "VA Rider") was attached.

Plaintiffs initially sought relief in Chesapeake Circuit Court on March 5, 2013 to enjoin a foreclosure sale based on alleged violations of a consent judgment (to which they were not parties); defendants demurred and Plaintiffs subsequently nonsuited that state-court action. The foreclosure sale occurred on November 4, 2014.

Plaintiffs filed suit in federal court on December 31, 2015 alleging breach of the Deed of Trust "Applicable Law" provision and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Defendants moved to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) on February 5, 2016; the Court granted that motion on May 9, 2016 without prejudice and allowed Plaintiffs leave to seek amendment. The Court granted Plaintiffs leave to file an amended complaint on June 6, 2016. The amended complaint alleged a single breach of contract claim based on the VA Rider. Defendants filed a second Rule 12(b)(6) motion on June 29, 2016, which the Court denied on November 15, 2016. Defendants later filed a counterclaim on January 4, 2017.

On February 1, 2017, Plaintiffs moved for leave to file a second amended complaint. Plaintiffs sought to add factual allegations based on a July 17, 2014 letter (denying a prior loan modification) and additional factual allegations describing telephone calls, faxed documents, and submissions made between October 28, 2014 and November 1, 2014 in an effort to secure a loan modification before the November 4, 2014 foreclosure sale. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants foreclosed without sending a written denial of that later-submitted loan modification application. Defendants opposed the motion, arguing prejudice, bad faith, and futility of amendment. Plaintiffs did not file a reply brief.

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether the Court should grant Plaintiffs leave to file a second amended complaint under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15(a).
  2. Whether permitting the proposed amendment would be prejudicial to Defendants or reflect bad faith or dilatory motive by Plaintiffs (the Rule 15(a) exceptions).
  3. Whether the proposed second amended complaint would be futile — i.e., whether the proposed amendments could plausibly state a breach of contract claim (including whether the complaint sufficiently alleges "dual tracking" such that a loan modification was pending at the time of foreclosure).

Arguments of the Parties

Plaintiffs' Arguments

  • Plaintiffs seek to add factual detail concerning communications and document submissions to Defendants in the week preceding the November 4, 2014 foreclosure sale (October 28–November 1, 2014), which they contend constitute a loan modification application that was pending at the time of foreclosure.
  • Plaintiffs assert that even if an earlier July 17, 2014 letter denied a prior modification request, the subsequent correspondence constituted a separate (eleventh-hour) loan modification application that, under accepted industry standards alleged in their pleading, prevented Defendants from foreclosing while that application was pending.
  • Plaintiffs' proposed amendment does not introduce new legal theories but supplies additional facts supporting the same basic breach-of-contract argument advanced in the first amended complaint.

Defendants' Arguments

  • Defendants oppose amendment on three grounds: (1) amendment would prejudice Defendants because Plaintiffs have had multiple prior opportunities and changing claims have imposed costs; (2) Plaintiffs' conduct demonstrates bad faith and dilatory tactics; and (3) the proposed amendment is futile because it still fails to allege that a loan modification application was pending at the time of foreclosure and thus fails to show "dual tracking."
  • Defendants contend that, as a matter of accepted industry standard or at least under Regulation X (12 C.F.R. § 1024.41(g)), a loss mitigation application is considered "pending" such that dual tracking is prohibited only if the application was received more than thirty-seven days before a scheduled foreclosure sale; because Plaintiffs' submissions occurred within that window, Defendants argue Plaintiffs cannot plausibly allege a pending application at the time of the sale.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
Johnson v. Oroweat Foods Co., 785 F.2d 503 (4th Cir. 1986) Reinforcement of the principle that leave to amend under Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a) should be "freely given" and guidance on prejudice considerations. Cited to support the proposition that delay alone is not sufficient reason to deny leave and that prejudice typically appears when amendment is sought shortly before or during trial.
Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178 (1962) Enumerates reasons for denying leave to amend (undue delay, bad faith, repeated failure to cure deficiencies, undue prejudice, futility, etc.). Quoted to frame the exception list to the Rule 15(a) presumption in favor of amendment.
Steinburg v. Chesterfield Cnty. Planning Comm'n, 527 F.3d 377 (4th Cir. 2008) Restates that leave to amend should be freely given unless amendment would be prejudicial, in bad faith, or futile. Used to list the standard exceptions to permitting amendment and to guide analysis of prejudice, bad faith, and futility.
Laber v. Harvey, 438 F.3d 404 (4th Cir. 2006) Discusses circumstances under which leave to amend may be denied, as incorporated in the Steinburg quotation. Referenced as part of the authority describing when amendment may be denied.
Peamon v. Verizon Corp., 581 F. App'x 291 (4th Cir. 2014) Example of bad faith where amendment was sought to improperly obtain a jurisdictional benefit (artificially inflate damages). Cited to illustrate the kind of improper purpose that can demonstrate bad faith; the Court distinguished Plaintiffs' motives from that example.
U.S. ex rel. Nathan v. Takeda Pharm. N. Am., Inc., 707 F.3d 451 (4th Cir. 2013) Permissible denial of leave to amend after repeated pleading failures; relevant to bad-faith/repeat-failure context. Cited to show circumstances when leave to amend may be denied for repeated failures to cure deficiencies; the Court found Plaintiffs had not repeatedly failed in that manner.
Perkins v. United States, 55 F.3d 910 (4th Cir. 1995) Futility standard: an amendment is futile if it "could not withstand a motion to dismiss." Applied to explain that the Court should deny amendment as futile only if the proposed amendments plainly could not survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion.
Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (2009) Pleading standard: to survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must state a plausible claim for relief with sufficient factual matter accepted as true. Invoked to explain the plausibility standard the Court uses when considering the futility of proposed amendments.
Blick v. Shapiro & Brown, LLP, No. 3:16-CV-00070 (W.D. Va. Jan. 5, 2017) District-court observation that futility is apparent if the proposed amended complaint fails to state a claim under applicable pleading standards. Referenced as a recent example of how futility has been assessed by a Virginia federal district court; used as persuasive guidance.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The Court analyzed Plaintiffs' motion for leave to file a second amended complaint under the Rule 15(a) standard, which favors permissive amendment "when justice so requires," subject to exceptions for prejudice, bad faith, and futility.

Prejudice and Bad Faith Analysis

Defendants argued that Plaintiffs' multiple prior filings and alterations to their claims demonstrated dilatory conduct that prejudiced Defendants. The Court acknowledged that Plaintiffs had multiple opportunities to state their claims and had litigated aspects of the dispute for several years, but concluded that delay by itself is insufficient to deny amendment. The Court found dispositive that:

  • Plaintiffs' proposed second amended complaint does not advance new legal theories but supplies additional facts supporting the same basic breach-of-contract theory already pled in the first amended complaint (including allegations regarding an obligation to follow accepted industry standards and allegations of dual tracking).
  • The amendment was offered well in advance of trial, reducing typical concerns about prejudice that arise when amendments are made shortly before or during trial.
  • There was no indication that Plaintiffs sought amendment for an improper purpose or were attempting to remedy repeated pleading failures for an improper motive.

Based on these considerations and the cited authorities, the Court concluded the proposed amendment was neither prejudicial nor offered in bad faith.

Futility Analysis

Defendants argued the proposed amended complaint would be futile because it still failed to allege that a loan modification application was pending at the time of the November 4, 2014 foreclosure sale, which would be required to demonstrate "dual tracking." The Court summarized the elements Plaintiffs must plausibly allege for their breach-of-contract claim: (1) that accepted industry standards prevented dual tracking and (2) that Defendants engaged in dual tracking (i.e., were working with Plaintiffs on a loan modification while simultaneously proceeding with foreclosure).

Defendants relied in part on Regulation X (12 C.F.R. § 1024.41(g)), which prohibits foreclosure while a loss mitigation application is pending if the application was received more than thirty-seven days before a scheduled foreclosure sale. The Court noted the parties' dispute over whether Regulation X itself defines the "accepted industry standard" and emphasized that Regulation X's timelines were urged by Defendants as the yardstick for whether Plaintiffs' late submission could be considered a pending application.

Critically, the Court explained that in evaluating futility it must accept Plaintiffs' factual allegations as true and refrain from resolving factual disputes about what constitutes a pending loan modification under the applicable "accepted industry standard." The Court applied the Perkins/Iqbal framework and stated that an amendment should be denied as futile only if it is apparent the proposed amendment could not survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion. Because Plaintiffs' proposed second amended complaint plausibly alleged facts (telephone calls, faxed documents, representations by servicer personnel, and lack of a written denial) that could support a claim of dual tracking under the asserted industry standard, the Court concluded the proposed amendment was not futile.

Holding and Implications

The Court's final disposition was to grant Plaintiffs' motion for leave to file a second amended complaint. The Court ordered the Clerk to file the second amended complaint attached to Plaintiffs' motion (ECF No. 43-1) and requested that the Clerk send a copy of the Opinion and Order to all counsel of record.

Holding: GRANTED — the motion for leave to file a second amended complaint is granted and the Clerk is directed to file the second amended complaint submitted with Plaintiffs' motion.

Implications: The direct consequence is that Plaintiffs' second amended complaint will be filed and the case will proceed on the allegations contained therein. The Court did not announce or adopt any new legal precedent; rather, it applied existing Fourth Circuit and Supreme Court authority governing amendment, prejudice, bad faith, and futility in the Rule 15(a) context and declined to resolve factual disputes concerning the scope of accepted industry standards or the precise application of Regulation X at this stage.

Order: The motion for leave to file a second amended complaint is GRANTED; the Clerk is DIRECTED to file the second amended complaint attached to ECF No. 43-1; the Clerk is REQUESTED to send this Opinion and Order to counsel of record. "IT IS SO ORDERED."

JEFFREY A. WILKINS a/k/a JEFFERY A. WILKINS and KAREN Y. WILKINS, Plaintiffs, v. WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., and SAMUEL I. WHITE, P.C., Defendants

         OPINION AND ORDER

         Mark S. Davis, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE.

         This matter is before the Court on a motion for leave to file a second amended complaint, submitted by Plaintiffs, Jeffrey A. Wilkins and Karen Y. Wilkins (collectively, " Plaintiffs" or " the Wilkinses" ). ECF No. 43. Such motion is opposed by defendants Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (" Wells Fargo" ) and Samuel I. White, P.C. (" White," and collectively with Wells Fargo, " Defendants" ). ECF No. 45. For the reasons set forth below, the motion for leave to file a second amended complaint is GRANTED.

         I. Factual and Procedural Background

         The instant case arises from a mortgage loan, completed on March 8, 2006 between American Home Mortgage and the Wilkinses, for purchase of a home in Chesapeake, Virginia. Am. Compl. ¶ 7. The loan was evidenced by a promissory note and secured by a Deed of Trust. Id. A VA Guaranteed Loan and Assumption Policy Rider (" VA Rider" ) was attached to the Deed of Trust. Ex. A, VA Rider 1, ECF No. 1-1. On March 5, 2013, Plaintiffs initially asked the Chesapeake Circuit Court to enjoin a foreclosure sale based upon alleged violations of a consent judgment to which the Plaintiffs were not parties. Compl., Wilkins v. Wells Fargo Bank NA, CL13000588-00 (Chesapeake Cir. Ct. Mar. 5, 2013); see Def.'s Resp. Br. 1-2, ECF No. 45. Defendants filed a demurrer to that complaint. Demurrer, Wilkins v. Wells Fargo Bank NA, CL13000588-00 (Chesapeake Cir. Ct. June 11, 2013). Plaintiffs then nonsuited that action. Nonsuit Order, Wilkins v. Wells Fargo Bank NA, CL13000588-00 (Chesapeake Cir. Ct. July 2, 2013). On November 4, 2014, the foreclosure sale occurred. Am. Compl. ¶ 25.

         Plaintiffs filed a complaint in this Court on December 31, 2015, alleging a breach of the Deed of Trust " Applicable Law" Provision and a breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. ECF No. 1. On February 5, 2016, Defendants filed a motion to dismiss Plaintiffs' complaint, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). ECF No. 3. On May 9, 2016, the Court granted Defendants' motion to dismiss without prejudice to Plaintiffs' right to file a motion seeking leave to file an amended complaint. ECF No. 17. The Court granted Plaintiffs leave to file an amended complaint on June 6, 2016. ECF No. 24. The amended complaint alleged a single breach of contract claim based upon language within the VA Rider to the Deed of Trust. ECF No. 32. On June 29, 2016, Defendants filed a second motion to dismiss based upon Rule 12(b)(6), ECF No. 25, which the Court denied on November 15, 2016, ECF No. 33. Defendants filed a counterclaim against Plaintiffs on January 4, 2017. ECF No. 39.

         On February 1, 2017, Plaintiffs filed a motion requesting leave to file a second amended complaint. ECF No. 43. Plaintiffs request leave to amend their complaint after receiving a copy of a letter purportedly sent from Defendants to Plaintiffs on July 17, 2014, which denied Plaintiffs' pending loan modification. 2d Am. Compl. ¶ 20, ECF No. 43-1. The Plaintiffs do not recall receiving such a letter, id. ¶ 21, however, they seek leave to amend their complaint to add additional facts regarding Plaintiffs' conversations with Defendants regarding loan modification and regarding the documents that Plaintiffs sent to Defendants in support of Plaintiffs' last application for a loan modification, id. ¶ 21-26. According to the second amended complaint, Plaintiffs called Defendants on October 28, 2014, one week prior to the home foreclosure sale scheduled for November 4, 2014, to request a loan modification in order to stop the scheduled foreclosure. Id. ¶ 21. Over the following week, Plaintiffs faxed documents to Defendants, spoke with Defendants on the phone regarding the status of the loan modification application and were informed that additional documents were needed, faxed additional documents, and spoke with Defendants on the phone on November 1, 2014 to confirm that all necessary documents had been received. Id. Without sending Plaintiffs a written denial of the loan modification application, Defendants foreclosed on Plaintiffs' home on November 4, 2014. Id. Plaintiffs seek leave to amend their complaint to allege these additional facts. Defendants oppose the motion on the basis that: (1) amendment would prejudice the Defendants, (2) Plaintiffs acted in bad faith, and (3) the amendment is futile. ECF No. 45. Plaintiffs chose not to file a reply brief to respond to Defendants' assertions.

         II. Legal Standard

         It is well-established that leave to amend a complaint under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15(a) should be " freely given when justice so requires." Fed.R.Civ.P. 15(a). " The Supreme Court has emphasized that 'this mandate is to be heeded.'" Johnson v. Oroweat Foods Co., 785 F.2d 503, 509-10 (4th Cir. 1986) (quoting Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 182, 83 S.Ct. 227, 9 L.Ed.2d 222 (1962)). Leave to amend should be freely given " unless 'the amendment would be prejudicial to the opposing party, there has been bad faith on the part of the moving party, or the amendment would have been futile." Steinburg v. Chesterfield Cnty. Planning Comm'n, 527 F.3d 377, 390 (4th Cir. 2008) (quoting Laber v. Harvey, 438 F.3d 404, 426 (4th Cir. 2006)); see Foman, 371 U.S. at 182 (noting that leave to amend may be denied for " undue delay, bad faith or dilatory motive on the part of the movant, repeated failure to cure deficiencies by amendments previously allowed, undue prejudice to the opposing party by virtue of allowance of the amendment, futility of amendment, etc." ).

         While " delay alone is not [a] sufficient reason to deny leave to amend," when a proposed amended pleading " raises a new legal theory that would require the gathering and analysis of facts not already considered by the opposing party," it may be prejudicial. Johnson, 785 F.2d at 509-10. The " basis for a finding of prejudice essentially applies where the amendment is offered shortly before or during trial." Id. at 510. Bad faith includes seeking to amend a complaint for an improper purpose, Peamon v. Verizon Corp., 581 Fed.Appx. 291, 292 (4th Cir. 2014) (holding that it was bad faith to seek to amend complaint in order to " artificially inflate . . . damages in order to obtain subject matter jurisdiction" ), or seeking leave to amend after repeated " pleading failures," U.S. ex rel. Nathan v. Takeda Pharm. N. Am., Inc., 707 F.3d 451, 461 (4th Cir. 2013) (holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying plaintiff leave to file a fourth amended complaint after repeated prior dismissals for failure to sufficiently plead his claim).

         With respect to the determination of whether amendment would be futile, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has stated that an amendment is futile when it " is clearly insufficient or frivolous on its face." Johnson, 785 F.2d at 510. It was recently observed by another federal district court in Virginia that " [f]utility is apparent if the proposed amended complaint fails to state a claim under the applicable rules and accompanying standards." Blick v. Shapiro & Brown, LLP, No. 3:16-CV-00070, 2017 WL 58864, at *3 (W.D. Va. Jan. 5, 2017). Therefore, a court should deny a motion to amend a complaint as futile if it is apparent that " the proposed amendments could not withstand a motion to dismiss." Perkins v. United States, 55 F.3d 910, 917 (4th Cir. 1995). " To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face." Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (internal quotations omitted).

         III. Discussion

         A. Prejudice and Bad Faith

         Defendants essentially argue that Plaintiffs' dilatory actions constitute bad faith and that it would be prejudicial to Defendants for the Court to grant leave to amend. Defendants assert that Plaintiffs have already had three separate opportunities to state their claims against Defendants and have repeatedly changed their arguments, costing Defendants substantial amounts of money to defend against an ever-changing claim. Defs.' Resp. Br. 4. According to Defendants, without identifying any facts that were previously unknown, Plaintiffs are once more attempting to change their pleading, which at this point constitutes an act of bad faith.

         Plaintiffs seek to amend their complaint after receiving a copy of a letter that Defendants purportedly sent to Plaintiffs on July 17, 2014 that denied Plaintiffs' pending loan modification. 2d Am. Compl. ¶ 20. Plaintiffs now seek to add facts to their complaint regarding correspondence between Plaintiffs and Defendants in the week prior to foreclosure. According to Plaintiffs, even if the July 17, 2014 letter denied a pending loan modification application, Plaintiffs' correspondence with Defendants between October 28, 2014 and November 4, 2014 constituted a separate loan modification application which prevented Defendants from foreclosing on the home. Id. ¶ 21-26.

         While Defendants argue that Plaintiffs have had numerous opportunities to present their case because they have been functionally litigating this case for several years, " delay alone is not [a] sufficient reason to deny leave to amend." Johnson, 785 F.2d at 509-10. Defendants go on to argue that such delay is costly, and thus it would be prejudicial to grant Plaintiffs leave to amend because Defendants would have to respond to new legal theories advanced by Plaintiffs. See id. (noting that an amendment may be prejudicial when it " raises a new legal theory that would require the gathering and analysis of facts not already considered by the opposing party" ). Defendants allege that Plaintiffs' continued efforts to change their claim also constitute bad faith. However, while Plaintiffs' proposed second amended complaint alleges additional facts in support of their claim, it raises no new legal theories, does not seek to remedy repeated pleading deficiencies, and is not for an improper purpose. See Peamon, 581 Fed.Appx. at 292, Takeda Pharm., 707 F.3d at 461. Instead, Plaintiffs seek permission to add facts in support of the same basic argument that they made in their first amended complaint:

(1) that Defendants had a legal obligation pursuant to the Deed of Trust to create a loan servicing program in accordance with accepted industry standards, Am. Compl. ¶ ¶ 10-11, (2) that accepted industry standards prevented dual track home loan foreclosure, id. ¶ 19, (3) that Defendants engaged in dual tracking by foreclosing on Plaintiffs' home while a home loan modification was pending, id. ¶ ¶ 18, 20, 25, and (4) that Plaintiffs suffered harm by losing legal title to their home as well as suffering financial costs associated with the foreclosure, id. ¶ 36.

Nov. 15, 2016 Op. & Order 13, ECF No. 33. Finally, the amendment is offered well in advance of trial, which undermines the possible prejudicial effect to Defendants. Johnson, 785 F.2d at 510 (" [The] basis for a finding of prejudice essentially applies where the amendment is offered shortly before or during trial." ).

         In summary, Plaintiffs request leave to amend their complaint in order to add additional facts supporting the same basic legal argument in their existing complaint. The proposed amended complaint raises no new legal theories and is offered well in advance of trial. Accordingly, the Court finds that amendment is in the interest of justice and is not prejudicial or offered in bad faith.

         B. Futility

         Next, Defendants argue that filing the second amended complaint would be futile because " the Court cannot grant the relief sought by the Plaintiffs in the draft Second Amended Complaint." Defs.' Resp. Br. 7. In order to prevail on their breach of contract claim, Plaintiffs are required to demonstrate that Defendants failed to " 'develop and maintain a loan servicing program which follows accepted industry standards for servicing of similar type conventional loans.'" Nov. 15, 2016 Op. & Order 11-12 (quoting 38 C.F.R. § 36.4346 (2005)). Plaintiffs must plausibly allege (1) that the accepted industry standard prevented dual track foreclosure, and (2) that Defendants actually engaged in dual track foreclosure. With respect to this second allegation, Plaintiffs must show that Defendants were working with Plaintiffs to avoid foreclosure, such as through a loan modification, while simultaneously proceeding with a foreclosure sale.

Dual tracking occurs " when the servicer moves forward with foreclosure while simultaneously working with the borrower to avoid foreclosure." See Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, CFPB Rules Establish Strong Protections For Homeowners Facing Foreclosure 2 (Jan. 17, 2013), http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201301_cfpb_servicing-fact-sheet.pdf .

         Defendants argue that amending the complaint would be futile because, even after adding new information documenting Plaintiffs' phone calls and document submissions in the week preceding the foreclosure sale, the second amended complaint still does not allege sufficient facts to demonstrate that Plaintiffs had a loan modification application pending at the time of foreclosure, and thus fails to demonstrate that the Defendants engaged in dual track foreclosure. Defs.' Resp. Br. 7-8. In support of their argument, Defendants point to the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Regulation X, to identify when a loan modification is considered pending at the point of foreclosure such that it would be considered dual tracking for a loan servicer to proceed with foreclosure. Id. Under Regulation X, a borrower may submit a " loss mitigation application," and servicers must then evaluate the application and determine what options the borrower qualifies for. See generally 12 C.F.R. 1024. The dual track foreclosure prohibition within Regulation X prohibits servicers from foreclosing on a home while a loss mitigation application is pending, but only if the application was received more than thirty-seven days before the scheduled foreclosure sale. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.41(g).

Defendants do not concede that dual track foreclosure was prohibited by accepted industry standards, but argue that Defendants could not have engaged in dual track foreclosure in this case because Plaintiffs did not have a loan modification application pending at the time of the foreclosure sale.

The dual track foreclosure prohibition is not the only regulation requiring servicers to evaluate a borrower's loan modification application. The commentary on the Final Rules implementing Regulation X clarifies that even when a loan modification is submitted fewer than thirty-seven days before a foreclosure sale, a servicer is still " required separately . . . to properly evaluate a borrower who submits an application for a loss mitigation option for all loss mitigation options for which the borrower may be eligible pursuant to any requirements established by the owner or assignee of the borrower's mortgage loan." Final Rules, 78 Fed.Reg. 10696, 10834 (Feb. 14, 2013) (agency commentary to the rules to be codified at 12 C.F.R. pt. 1024), https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-02-14/pdf/2013-01248.pdf .

         While Defendants appear to implicitly recognize that Regulation X does not necessarily constitute the entirety of the accepted industry standard, Defendants nevertheless ask the Court to apply the Regulation X timelines as the accepted industry standard to determine whether Plaintiffs' second amended complaint states facts sufficient to show that a loan modification was pending at the time of the foreclosure sale. Defs.' Resp. Br. 8 (" Regardless of whether Regulation X provides the accepted industry standard for dual tracking, Wells Fargo is entitled to applicability of the timelines provided in 12 C.F.R. § 1024.41." ). By contrast, Plaintiffs allege that Defendants' representative worked with Plaintiffs to submit a loan modification application in the days leading up to the foreclosure sale, something that Defendants were not required to allow under 12 C.F.R. 1024.41(g), but which Defendants allowed based upon internal policies in accordance with accepted industry standards. 2d Am. Compl. ¶ 21-26. Thus, Plaintiffs allege that Defendants allowed Plaintiffs to submit an eleventh hour loan modification, id., that Plaintiffs' loan modification was pending on the day that the foreclosure sale occurred, id. ¶ 26, and that accepted industry standards prohibited foreclosure while a loan modification was pending, id. ¶ 18.

         Just as when ruling on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, to determine the futility of amending a complaint, the Court must consider the motion without resolving factual disputes, such as what constitutes a pending loan modification according to the accepted industry standard. See Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 696, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868; Nov. 15, 2016 Op. & Order 11-12 (quoting 38 C.F.R. § 36.4346 (2005)). While Defendants argue that Regulation X reflects the accepted industry standard and only prohibits servicers from foreclosing when a borrower has submitted a loan modification application more than thirty-seven days prior to a foreclosure sale, Plaintiffs' proposed second amended complaint fails to articulate any particular industry standard, but does allege that Defendants violated the " accepted industry standard" by allowing Plaintiffs to file a loan modification application in the week prior to foreclosure and subsequently foreclosing without sending a written denial of the loan modification application. Even assuming that dual track foreclosure is prohibited by accepted industry standards, because the Court must consider the motion to amend without resolving factual disputes, the Court does not resolve any factual dispute over how much time prior to foreclosure a borrower must submit a loan modification application in order for it to constitute dual track foreclosure. Without resolving factual disputes, the Court should deny a motion to amend a complaint as futile only if it is apparent that " the proposed amendments could not withstand a motion to dismiss," Perkins, 55 F.3d at 917, because the proposed amended complaint fails to plausibly state a claim, Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678. Here, as explained above, Plaintiffs' proposed amended complaint plausibly alleges facts that support a claim. Therefore, the Court finds that amendment would not be futile.

         IV. Conclusion

         Accordingly, for the reasons stated above, the pending motion for leave to amend is GRANTED, ECF No. 43, and the Clerk is DIRECTED to file the second amended complaint that was attached to Plaintiffs' motion for leave to amend, ECF No. 43-1.

         The Clerk is REQUESTED to send a copy of this Opinion and Order to all counsel of record.

         IT IS SO ORDERED.

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Wilkins v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
(Mar 8, 2017)