卡特-华盛顿诉威尔明顿信托公司案

Angela Carter-Washington filed suit against Wilmington Trust, National Association, solely as trustee of MFRA Trust 2014-2, and Fay Servicing, LLC, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The case was originally filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court and removed to federal court on February 24, 2023. Carter-Washington asserted three state law claims and one federal claim against the defendants. The parties consented to the exercise of dispositive jurisdiction by a magistrate judge. The case proceeded through discovery, and the defendants filed a motion for summary judgment.

On January 24, 2025, the court granted the defendants' motions for partial summary judgment. The court granted the motion in part and denied it in part, allowing some claims to proceed while disposing of others. The case remains ongoing with respect to the surviving claims.

The central dispute revolves around whether Wilmington Trust and Fay Servicing are entitled to summary judgment on Carter-Washington's state and federal claims. The case involves questions regarding the defendants' conduct in their respective roles as trustee and mortgage servicer, and whether there exist genuine disputes of material fact that would require trial.

This case highlights ongoing litigation between homeowners and financial institutions regarding mortgage servicing and trustee obligations. The partial grant of summary judgment demonstrates the rigorous standards plaintiffs must meet to survive summary judgment in mortgage-related disputes. The case adds to the body of federal jurisprudence concerning the liability of national banks acting as trustees and the interplay between state and federal claims in removed cases.