Fifth Circuit Interprets Texas Constitution, Upholds Variable Rate Home Equity Loan
On July 22, 2010, the Fifth Circuit affirmed a Western District of Texas opinion in favor of a lender and loan servicer in a lawsuit brought by mortgagors who alleged that the terms of their home equity loan violated the Texas Constitution. Cerda v. 2004-EQR1 LLC and Barclays Capital Real Estate Inc., --- F.3d ----, 2010 WL 2853651 (5th Cir. July 22, 2010) (King, J.). Applying Texas law in a diversity action, and with one judge dissenting on one issue, the Fifth Circuit declined to certify the issues presented to it to the Texas Supreme Court and instead interpreted Article XVI, Section 50 of the state constitution in accordance with past Texas Supreme Court decisions, reliance on agency determinations and textual interpretations, and at one point an “Erie guess.”
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