Consumer complaint received 2018-06-27
Company: NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC
State: GA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX my husband and I purchased a home through XXXX/Nationstar. We requested that our property taxes be included in the loan with funds set aside in escrow to cover the cost of the property tax at the end of the year to avoid a possible hardship. When we received the loan documents, I looked at what was quoted as the annual property tax amount and was surprised that it was below {$800.00} for a home valuated at {$250000.00}. I called our Realtor who stated that XXXX County property taxes were pretty low and to consider it a blessing. I then contacted XXXX/Nationstar and was told that they went by what the, XXXX County Tax Assessor 's Office gave them. I then asked if they would please confirm and see if there were special circumstances associated with the low property taxes and was told that they would. They came back to us confirming the amount due. It bothered me, but I decided to trust the " professionals '' who handled mortgages everyday and was comfortable with our monthly payment of, {$1200.00}, so we signed the documents to move into our first home together. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, we called XXXX/Nationstar to make our mortgage payment and was told the amount due was, {$1800.00}. I was shocked because we always paid early or on-time, so there could not have been late fee 's due, and we always paid a little more to put toward the principle. We were told that the property taxes were due in excess of {$3800.00} and in order to cover the escrow deficit, we would have to pay an additional {$600.00} per month to make up for it. I was outraged and explained that I had requested that someone look into the property tax data prior to signing the loan documents and was told by XXXX/Nationstar that it was the XXXX County Tax Assessor 's fault for giving them the wrong amount. I called XXXX County and was told that the amount given was due to an Exemption given to the previous owners and that the mortgage company should have recognized that the amount was inconsistent with the property value and should have specified the needs of the new owners. I then contacted our Realtor, who stated that the closing attorney or the mortgage company was at fault. I called the closing attorney and was told that it was the mortgage companies fault. I explained to each of them that my husband had had a XXXX in XX/XX/2017 and has been unable to work since that time and all of our bills depended upon my sole income. I stated that handling the {$1200.00} mortgage payment on my own along with all of our other bills was difficult, but manageable but there was no way we could feasibly afford such an increase. XXXX 's Agent 's initial response and " solution '' was for us to sell our home and move. Once I requested a Supervisor ( he apparently was an XXXX ), she offered to spread the payments over a 48 month period which still caused the payment to be an additional {$400.00} per month, stating that was the maximum she could allow. She then stated that the XXXX property taxes would also be coming due and would cause our mortgage payment to exceed escrow again if XXXX 's " past due '' deficit was not satisfied prior to receipt of the new bill. 

For the past 4 months, we have consistently been behind on our mortgage payments causing exponential late fees and was sent a late notice stating that we were in default of the loan. Our water has been cut-off, cell phones disconnected, electricity threatened to be disconnected, and borrowed money to keep from going into default. Furthermore, I was in a car accident which totaled my vehicle. So not only is our credit rating being affected but because our scores are below normal, I am told I need a much larger down-payment to put toward a vehicle, which we obviously can't afford. So instead, I have added the expenditure of a weekly car rental to enable me to get to work, which is over a 3-hour daily commute. 

The stress this is causing on both me and my husband is unmitigatedly obscene. My husband, who has XXXX and suffers from other affects of his XXXX is forced to referee basketball and football games at {$18.00} per game to try and help ends meet. I am terrified that he will suffer another XXXX from having to be forced back into work but we are both horrified at the prospect of losing our home because no one did their due diligence, even at my request. We are suffering the consequences of XXXX 's negligence and the fact that the XXXX County Tax Assessor 's Office told me that they see this ALL the time is appalling. The laws need to protect the Consumer against what I consider as a form of fraud and hold these institutions responsible. 

It is this Consumers opinion that XXXX/Nationstar is unequivocally responsible for getting this information correct. Because loan documents are a legal and binding, it should be the Underwriter 's  responsibility to ensure that all of the information provided is correct. THEY are the " professionals '' in this arena and should be aware of the property tax/home valuation ratio ( and all other aspects ) and should recognize and question inconsistencies before asking a client to sign a document that holds US responsible. They should be held to the same standards of perjury that a home buyer/seller has if something on the document is " untrue '', and take complete responsibility for their errors. My husband and I would have definitely made different decisions if the loan documents had been based on reliable numbers. We would have never agreed to a monthly mortgage payment that would exceed our financial means. This being thrust upon us for something I made an effort to resolve beforehand is incompetency at its worst. So we ask that CFPB, please assist us with a resolution in regard to this matter.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation