Consumer complaint received 2020-05-01
Company: Shellpoint Partners, LLC
State: TX
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
We escrow with NewRez Mortgage company ( our loan was sold to them last year ). Our taxes for XXXX were XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, they paid {$2800.00}. No body has ANY IDEA why they picked this number ... but this is the amount they chose to pay. 

We had filed a tax protest, so the county returned this amount pending the decision on XX/XX/XXXX, and it went back into our escrow account. My husband and I made MULTIPLE attempts by phone to sort out why they paid the incorrect amount in the first place, and to resubmit the Tax bill for payment. 

We were assured the tax bill, in its full amount would be paid in two weeks. 

Two weeks later, the tax bill remained unpaid. I called, was on hold, transferred, repeated the story 4 times and was again promised this would be flagged as urgent and paid. 

XX/XX/XXXX I get notice that we have a escrow surplus check heading our way in the amount of {$3300.00}, due to the large surplus in our account. DUMBFOUNDED I call the mortgage company to tell them NOT to send the check, but to send it to my tax agency. They informed me it has already been cut, my escrow payment has been reanalyzed and they are dropping my mortgage payment by close to {$300.00} a month because I had such a surplus. I tried for HOURS - we are talking 4+ - to figure out what to do. I reached out to the county office who had no answers and was shocked, and again called my mortgage company. Finally, they decided the best course of action to prevent future complications was to submit payment by phone as escrow only, forward the tax bill to a specified e-mail which I immediately did ( XX/XX/XXXX ). I asked for confirmation of receipt, which I of course did not receive. 

I called a few days later to make sure they had the tax bill on file and it would be paid. They looked it up, said they saw it in my file and that they had no idea why it hadn't been paid but they would " flag it as urgent '' and promised to make sure it was paid. After two weeks, and fast approaching the penalty deadline, I called again to make sure they planned to pay my taxes before a penalty of XXXX occurred on our account. The woman I spoke with said they usually pay 2 weeks before the due date and not to worry ( which would have been 2 weeks prior to this phone call ). Once again, I was assured it would be taken care of, and that any penalties incurred would be the responsibility of the loan servicing agency. 

In XXXX ( after being charged the penalty ) we called multiple times to make sure it would be paid by XX/XX/XXXX, the second penalty. I was told on one phone call that " people have bigger problems right now than taxes. People have lost their jobs, people are losing their homes and your tax woes are minor in comparison. '' They told me to stop calling and trust it would be taken care of. Since it wasn't, I called again ... this time crying over the amount of time wasted and the lady hung up on me when I asked her to please not transfer me. ( After being transferred 3 times and on the phone almost an hour ). I started back at the very beginning with a brand new person ... and immediately asked to speak to a manager to which I was told " we don't have any. '' I'm sorry, what?? Okay, I need to speak to someone above you because I NEED this to be done. " You may not request to speak with a manager.  I can give you an e-mail and you can e-mail your complaint. '' I have NEVER heard of being unable to speak to someone higher in authority ESPECIALLY given my NUMEROUS attempts to resolve. this. Also important to note, the e-mail they gave me was the same e-mail I submitted the tax bill to " XXXX '' - which I highly doubt is a manager. I told the young lady that I was absolutely exhausted with the time spent trying to sort out a problem that was not my error in the first place. She LITERALLY responded " Ma'am, it is no one 's fault. It is not ours, not yours. '' FALSE - It is ENTIRELY your  companies fault. 

XX/XX/XXXX, we are notified that a payment of {$320.00} was made for our taxes. (?!?!?!? ) When we called our mortgage company ... not only do they have NO IDEA why XXXX was paid instead of the now XXXX ( because of the XX/XX/XXXX penalty ) ... they have NO IDEA where it was paid to. The person on the phone can not look up the payment, the check, etc. We are OF COURSE told they would flag it and look into it. The guy we spoke to seemed diligent in his attempts and asked we give him 10 business days before checking back which would be mid last week. 

Today is XX/XX/XXXX. Our taxes have not been paid and multiple penalties have been incurred. Our escrow ( despite no less than 5 times requested to be reanalyzed ) has dropped so much that we will be THOUSANDS off next year at tax time, and our payment is going to absolutely skyrocket. So I am having to set that aside and escrow myself so we have the money when they eventually correct their error. ( Already, last year they had done such a bad job estimating that our payment amount went up {$250.00} A MONTH to account for their bad analysis in the first place. ) I am worn out. I am exhausted. They are the worst COMPANY, not just mortgage company I have EVER worked with. I have today {$5000.00} sitting in my escrow account to pay these taxes ( minus the penalties which are not my responsibility ) and am begging them to simply do their job. Not only this, but then I tried a different avenue, simply asking them to release me from escrow so I may pay my own taxes, to which they sent a denial letter. 

PLEASE help us get our taxes paid. I have no other avenue or person to reach out to. I have exhausted every other option and am at a loss as to what to do. Every time we call, we get a new person, we relay the WHOLE story and we get the same answer ... " flagged urgent. Taken care of. '' So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't stop with that answer. 

So grateful, so thankful for your help! 
Warm Regards, The XXXX XXXX

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