The D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed the grant of summary judgment to the Lender in its judicial foreclosure action, which sought to enforce and relied on a prior federal court adjudication of its right, under the common law doctrine of equitable subrogation, “to stand in the shoes of a prior lender” (“Prior Lender”), whose lien had been paid off by Lender. The Court rejected challenges to equitable subrogation or enforcement of the lien under the doctrine of collateral estoppel. Thus, the Court held that Lender could enforce the prior loan, including interest, by way of foreclosure under the Prior Lender’s deed of trust.
Md. App.: Assignee of HELOC subject to licensing requirement; foreclosure not barred by merger, limitations, or non-negotiability
The Appellate Court of Maryland determined that an assignee of the Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) was subject to the licensing requirements under Maryland's Credit Grantor Revolving Credit Provisions, Md. Code, Comm. Law § 12-901, et seq.
However, the Court rejected challenges to the enforceability of HELOC as having merged with a prior judgment on the debt, was barred by a statute of limitations, or that Assignee lacked standing because the HELOC was non-negotiable. According to the Court, a recorded assignment of the HELOC conclusively established ownership in the Assignee.
Md. App.: Reverse Mortgage Entitled To Fire Insurance Proceeds To Satisfy Remaining Balance After Foreclosure
The Appellate Court of Maryland determined that a foreclosure of a reverse mortgage did not extinguish the Lender’s right to insurance proceeds for a casualty loss that had occurred presale, up to the amount of the remaining unpaid balance. In doing so, the Court applied the “loss before foreclosure rule” to the reverse mortgage, notwithstanding the reverse mortgage’s prohibitions against collection of a deficiency judgment.