Consumer complaint received 2023-09-30
Company: Freedom Mortgage Company
State: FL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Sub-issue: Escrow, taxes, or insurance

Complaint:
Our house was closed on in XXXX of XXXX. Our mortgage company XXXX Freedom Mortgage ) paid our taxes in XXXX of XXXX. We did not receive an escrow analysis until XXXX of XXXX which reflected an escrow shortage of {$1200.00}. Payment was made in the full amount of the shortage in XXXX of XXXX. We then received a second escrow analysis in XXXX of XXXX in the amount of {$1100.00}. When we reached out to Freedom Mortgage we were told that the original analysis in XXXX was incorrect and this was the correct one leaving us with an extra {$100.00} we had paid, which we asked to have allocated to our principal. We then received a third and fourth analysis in XXXX. XXXX which reflected only our required minimum balance and one which reflected a shortage of {$100.00} ( the difference between the first and second analysis ). We reached out again and over the course of several days/hours finally had the {$100.00} re-allocated to the escrow shortage as they then said the original one for {$1200.00} was correct. We were told that the analysis had been run in error, that Florida was a state that was mandated by the federal requirement to run in XXXX and that it was because of when we closed on our home. We continued with out issue until this year. Our XXXX analysis was done on XX/XX/XXXX and showed a {$3300.00} shortage. We elected to have the payments for the shortage spread out over the the next 12 months with the first increased monthly payment starting on XX/XX/XXXX. Since XX/XX/XXXX we have paid our full mortgage payment including {$820.00} to escrow, of which {$270.00} is supposed to be covering our shortage spread. As of our XX/XX/XXXX statement I noticed that the full amount of our escrow payment has been allocated to the escrow balance. I did notice this until XXXX of XXXX at which point I reached out again to Freedom to confirm if this was correct. I spent over an hour on the phone trying to verify if they had in fact been recouping the shortage amount. My issue was escalated to escrow, I was told I could not speak directly with anyone in escrow but that I could send a message through our online account. I received an email and noticed an alert that said I had an escrow analysis ready. Upon further investigation my upcoming payment was reflected as {$55.00} less than my current payment as per an escrow analysis done on XX/XX/XXXX that reflected a {$1800.00} shortage. I attempted to reach via phone on XX/XX/XXXX and spent XXXX hours on the phone of which I spoke to someone for approximately XXXX minutes. I was repeatedly placed on hold only to have a new person pick up. I finally ended the call at approx. XXXX XXXX XXXX minutes after they closed having " spoken '' to XXXX people.I did send a message via the portal. XXXX XXXX reached out to my husband via phone on XX/XX/XXXX. My husband attempted to discuss the issue with her but was told the {$1800.00} shortage was due to our insurance increase and she did not discuss the original issue of if the previous shortage was being allocated. I reached out via email to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and explained that I am the one who reached out and the one who pays the mortgage so I would be the better point of contact. XXXX reached out via phone later that same day where we spoke for well over an hour. I repeatedly stated that we had never asked for an escrow analysis to be done only to have the account looked at to make sure that the XXXX XXXX shortage was actually being applied. I was repeatedly told the issue was due to our insurance going up and us switching and not having paid them the original dispersed amount. They dispersed to our former insurance company on XX/XX/XXXX and then to our current insurance company on XX/XX/XXXX. The former also repaid the funds paid to them on XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX repeatedly insisted that I was incorrect, even telling me that they don't have phrasing in their payment history of " funds recieved '' until I offered to email it to her. I again stated that I only wanted to verify the shortage of {$3300.00} was being recouped properly. At the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX assured me that they were recouping properly even though my escrow balance reflected as though they had been placing the entire {$820.00} into the escrow account and that they would cancel the analysis done on XX/XX/XXXX with my payment remaining the same as it had been since XX/XX/XXXX. I asked for documentation via email and a letter of what had been allocated to our shortage and was told that I would get a letter that stated they had been recouping it. To date I have not obtained that information. On XX/XX/XXXX I logged in to pay our mortgage and noticed that I had a banner alert of an escrow shortage. When I reached the payment screen I had the option to pay the shortage in full. I selected this option to see what it was and the amount displayed was {$3300.00} the amount of our shortage from our analysis done XX/XX/XXXX. I called in when Freedom opened at XXXX XXXX and was connected to XXXX who did not provide ID number. XXXX repeatedly insisted the {$1800.00} was an error, that we had gotten a letter and refused to look at the XX/XX/XXXX analysis. I was placed on hold 3 times, the XXXX time I was not even told about the hold and held for approx. XXXX minutes. After that hold period she came back on and asked how she could assist today as though she did not realize she was still connected with me. I finally asked her to please transfer to someone else if she was unable/unwilling to assist as it is incredibly awful to just be placed on hold in the hopes you'll give up when you have called for assistance. I was transferred to Aapria ID # XXXX and we spoke at length at which time she told me that she was unable to find record of anything being paid to our shortage outside of the payment I made last XXXX despite XXXX making our payment including the shortage spread in full each month. I still do not have a clear answer on if they have allocated the spread or if they will have to take it out of our current balance which will trigger another shortage for the upcoming year. My issue was again escalated to escrow with no option for myself of the rep assisting to speak with them. I am concerned about how they have handled the escrow over the last 2 years and that if I do have another shortage this upcoming year they will not allocate properly.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation