Federal Court Narrows FDIC Lawsuit Against Countrywide

On January 3, Judge Mariana R. Pfaelzer of the Central District of California ruled on motions to dismiss filed by defendants Countrywide, Bank of America, and UBS in an action brought against them by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) concerning $108.4 million in residential mortgage-backed securities.  The Court’s order concerned the FDIC’s claims under Section 11-51-501(1)(b) of the Colorado Securities Act.  The Court granted the motions with respect to alleged misstatements pertaining to owner-occupancy data and additional liens because the Offering Documents indicated that this data was self-reported by borrowers.  It also granted the motion with respect to successor liability claims asserted against Bank of America.  The Court denied the motions with respect to alleged misstatements pertaining to loan underwriting standards and appraisals.  The Court also denied the motions with respect to defendants’ argument that the FDIC did not adequately allege reliance and causation, holding that those are not elements of the FDIC’s claim and thus not required to be pled.  Opinion.