Consumer complaint received 2023-03-10
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: MA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
I am lodging a complaint due to Citizens Mortgage ( my lender ) s inability or refusal to pay the property taxes on my home from my funded escrow account, in breach of our agreement dated XX/XX/XXXX when the home mortgage was established. Property taxes for XXXX ( due XX/XX/XXXX ) went unpaid until I paid them directly to the city with interest fees, 9 months overdue. Property taxes for XXXX ( due XX/XX/XXXX ) remain unpaid by Citizens despite Citizens Bank staffs assurances to me, by phone, three times in the month leading up to the due date. The XXXX property tax payment is still overdue and accruing interest fees daily as of XX/XX/XXXX. 
Citizens has stated the XXXX property taxes were not paid by them due to a change in parcel number by the city, and inability to confirm the new parcel number. However, this parcel number change was complete prior to XX/XX/XXXX ( as confirmed to me by phone by the City of XXXX ) and would not have affected XXXX payments. Further, the parcel ID change did not in fact impede my payment directly to the City of XXXX for the XXXX payment I was able to successfully pay the taxes using the original parcel number. Parcel number change was not a barrier to payment as Citizens declared. 
I and my partner took out a home mortgage loan with Citizens bank in XX/XX/XXXX to purchase our first home in the City of XXXX. Because our mortgage lender representative ( via Citizens XXXX told us the overall fees would be lower, we enrolled in an escrow program, to remove {$1200.00} or so per month to an escrow account, from which would be paid property taxes. We paid both the mortgage payment and the additional escrow payment monthly on time every time. My money is being misused. 
I am concerned about the lack of accountability and responsibility on Citizens part misusing my own funds in my own escrow account, and damaging my reputation and good name as a taxpayer ( I have never in my life had overdue taxes until now ), and causing me months ( 19 months and counting since XX/XX/XXXX ) of effort inconvenience and hours spent sorting this issue out. Finally, this incapacity is costing me money in the form of interest fees. Citizens has been unable to resolve this over the past 19 months. 
For all of these issues I have been in contact with Citizens bank by phone and by fax to upload documents ; these interactions include : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX calls to Citizens property tax and escrow departments representative XXXX XX/XX/XXXX called 3 times : to Citizens Property Tax dept to remind of taxes due same month ; they were unaware ; I faxed current tax bill, applied for interest reimbursement from citizens to me. 
XX/XX/XXXX call XXXX to leave voicemail with Renise supervisor in Citizens Prop Tax Dept. 
XX/XX/XXXX in person visit to Citizens Bank XXXX XXXX branch, spoke with XXXX XXXX branch mgr, then by phone to loan officer XXXX XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXX call to Citizens Escrow Dept with XXXX then supervisor XXXX to ask to stop escrow accnt, separate call to Property Tax Dept to request reimbursement of interest from XXXX, and that citizens pay XXXX current tax bill XX/XX/XXXX cheque received to me disbursing overage funds from escrow account to me not cashed in error on Citizens part. Call to Citizens same day where they confirm taxes sent to City of XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ( not true ) XX/XX/XXXX received email from Citizens stating XXXX property taxes were paid on XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX per City of XXXX, no payment received from citizens. 
XX/XX/XXXX phone call to citizens confirmed payment takes up to 10 days ( which has passed ) Citizens is not sure where money went, supervisor XXXX XXXX promises to follow up. 
XX/XX/XXXX call to City of XXXX confirms no payment yet received for XXXX prop taxes due XX/XX/XXXX. 

My requests to Citizens have been futile. 
XXXX ) I would like to be reimbursed for interest fees accumulated by Citizens inability/refusal to pay XXXX property taxes as required on time ; interest fees were paid by me totalling {$290.00}. I have requested reimbursement formally with Citizens and they refused ; my appeal is open. 
2 ) I would like Citizens to pay the XXXX property taxes to the City of XXXX directly from my escrow account as soon as possible ( {$5100.00} due XX/XX/XXXX ). Per our escrow agreement from XX/XX/XXXX. 
c ) I would like Citizens to pay the XXXX property tax interest fees to the City of XXXX directly ; these fees are accruing due to their inability/refusal to pay on time for XX/XX/XXXX due date ; accruing daily and as of XX/XX/XXXX approximately {$200.00}. This late fee is in no way my responsibility as I have been in contact by phone and reminding Citizens to pay property taxes since 4 wks prior to their due date. 
d ) I would like to waive my Citizens escrow account without fees. Due to Citizens negligence, it seems necessary for me to pay property taxes directly and I prefer to do from funds within my own control. I further have requested a waiver of the fee associated with waiving escrow ( {$2500.00} per Citizens documentation received in XX/XX/XXXX ) ; it has not been my choice to mismanage my escrow funds Citizens has breached our agreement, making escrow inoperable for all intents and purposes. Citizens should allow dissolution of escrow without penalty to me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation