Consumer complaint received 2022-12-31
Company: Caliber Home Loans, Inc.
State: FL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
Caliber has failed to pay required property taxes to XXXX XXXX florida. Property taxes were due XX/XX/2022. The loan documents and closing documents clearly state that both insurance and property taxes were required to be in escrow. The loan officer also clearly stated on multiple occasions that Caliber required escrow for both taxes and insurance. These documents were reviewed and signed at closing. 

On XX/XX/2022 I called and spoke to Caliber 's Tax Department to guarantee the tax payment would be made by the due date of XX/XX/2022. Representative confirmed that the payment would be sent. The automated recording system also states that caliber was aware of the property tax payment and would send a check before XX/XX/2022. 

Taxes were never paid prior to XX/XX/2022 and penalities were assessed on the tax amount. Because of this, I placed another call to caliber on XX/XX/2022, I called the tax department after the taxes had not been paid. The representative informed me that she saw the taxes were not set up to be in escrow in their system and transferred me to Customer Service to fix the escrow. Customer Service submitted a ticket to fix the escrow. Caliber representative stated that there was an issue with escrow shortage and that they would pay the prior year property taxes and it would be assessed over the next 12 months along with fixing the escrow amount so that the correct amount was placed into escrow. 

On XX/XX/2022, I called back to get an update. I was told they had to mail documents to set up a new escrow. I informed them that the escrow should have already been set up per my loan/closing documents. I was transferred to the escalation team and spoke to XXXX XXXX XXXX. She confirmed the closing documents stated the taxes were to be in escrow and submitted a ticket to resolved the escrow issue. The next few days I received call backs to give me updates that the ticket had not been resolved yet. After a few days I stopped getting those updates. 

On XX/XX/2022 I called back and was told the ticket had been closed- denied. The representative told me we needed to talk to the Escrow team manager but he was on a call. They guaranteed me I would get a call back same day but never received a call back. 

Taxes were again due on XX/XX/2022 otherwise additional penalties would be assessed on the amount. 
This issue has been ongoing for two months now and each month that passes more penalties are attached to my taxes. 

Per caliber 's terms and conditions, any escrow shortage would be paid by the bank and would be assessed on the next 12 payments. The loan and closing documents state that both property taxes and insurance were to be placed into escrow. Every payment to caliber was on time and for the amount due. I should not be liable for additional penalties assessed on the property taxes. Caliber needs to pay the prior property taxes they failed to pay in a timely manner and assess those onto the next 12 loan payments minus any additional penalties.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation