Corey Spector v. Accredited Home Loans, Inc. ( 2021 )


Menu:
  •                  United States Court of Appeals
    For the Eighth Circuit
    ___________________________
    No. 20-1893
    ___________________________
    Corey Spector
    lllllllllllllllllllllPlaintiff - Appellant
    v.
    Accredited Home Loans, Inc.; Select Portfolio Services; Millsap & Singer, P.C., as
    Trustee; U.S. Bank, N.A., as Trustee, as successor-in-interest to Bank of America,
    N.A., as Trustee as successor by merger to LaSalle Bank, N.A., as Indenture
    Trustee for the holders of the Accredited Mortgage Loan Trust 2005-3 Asset
    Backed Notes
    lllllllllllllllllllllDefendants - Appellees
    ____________
    Appeal from United States District Court
    for the Eastern District of Missouri - St. Louis
    ____________
    Submitted: February 26, 2021
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    [Unpublished]
    ____________
    Before LOKEN, COLLOTON, and KOBES, Circuit Judges.
    ____________
    PER CURIAM.
    Corey Spector appeals the district court’s1 dismissal of his action. He argues
    on appeal that the district court erred in dismissing his wrongful foreclosure claim,
    and erred by not granting him leave to amend his complaint. Upon careful de novo
    review, see Ballinger v. Culotta, 
    322 F.3d 546
    , 548 (8th Cir. 2003) (standard of
    review), we affirm. We find that Spector’s wrongful foreclosure claim was barred by
    res judicata, as he previously litigated the same claim in state court, and the same
    parties or their privies were involved in the state court proceedings. See Brown v.
    Kan. City Live, LLC, 
    931 F.3d 712
    , 714 (8th Cir. 2019) (elements of res judicata
    under Missouri law); Kesterson v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 
    242 S.W.3d 712
    , 716
    (Mo. 2008) (en banc) (where evidentiary details needed to prove claims were
    different, but crux of inquiry was same, res judicata applied); Meadowfresh Sols.
    USA, LLC v. Maple Grove Farms, LLC, 
    606 S.W.3d 193
    , 205 (Mo. Ct. App. 2020)
    (assignee was in privity with assignor); Topchian v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.,
    
    539 S.W.3d 879
    , 901 (Mo. Ct. App. 2017) (attorney appointed by bank for
    foreclosure was in privity with bank). We also find that the district court did not err
    in failing to grant Spector leave to amend his complaint. See Clayton v. White Hall
    Sch. Dist., 
    778 F.2d 457
    , 460 (8th Cir. 1985) (no abuse of discretion in failing to
    grant leave to amend where appellant merely concluded response to motion to dismiss
    with request for leave to amend, and did not offer proposed complaint or even
    substance of proposed amendment to court).
    The judgment is affirmed. See 8th Cir. R. 47B.
    ______________________________
    1
    The Honorable Stephen R. Clark, United States District Judge for the Eastern
    District of Missouri.
    -2-