Consumer complaint received 2023-01-31
Company: Shellpoint Partners, LLC
State: TX
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
RE ; XXXX XXXX XXXX VETERAN with a VA home Loan We are struggling to make our mortgage payments because Newrez has our monthly payment to include an escrow for property tax that we do not owe ... ... .as a XXXX XXXX XXXX veteran we are exempt from paying property tax, yet Newrez will NOT recognize our XXXX XXXX Appraisal District Exemption Status Letter. 

Our Home mortgage is with Shellpoint doing business as Newrez. 

We are continue trying to get Newrez to remove the tax portion of our escrow from our mortgage payment. This would save us hundreds of dollars each month. 
As a XXXX XXXX XXXX Veteran with a VA loan this seems as if Newrez is discriminating against XXXX. I have sent the XXXX XXXX XXXX District Exemption Status Letter showing we have the XXXX XXXX and Vet XXXX Total Exemptions multiple times. 

I have gone through every channel, followed every direction asked of me, answered every question and still all we get are excuses or reasons why our request for an escrow analysis is delayed or denied...... yes, our most recent ( XX/XX/XXXX ) request for an escrow analysis was denied because it was " not Texas mortgage 's turn for escrow analysis! '' An escrow analysis was run in XX/XX/XXXX it came back indicating we still owed school taxes even though I have sent in XXXX 's Exemption Status Letter multiple times and the agents form Newrez say they can see that it is in our file. 

The XX/XX/XXXX payment amount/coupon did not reflect that escrow analysis was done and neither did the XX/XX/XXXX payment amount/coupon So I sent the XX/XX/XXXX payment by Cashier check a separate check for interest, principal, XXXX what we calculated as the correct escrow amount for ( insurance only ). Each cashier 's check included in the memo section our account number, what the check amount should be used to cover as the XXXX payment. These cashier checks were cashed and the monies were left in an undetermined account ( I can see that these funds are NOT applied to the XXXX mortgage payment according to our Newrez Dashboard ). 

We have been asking for a correct payment since XX/XX/XXXX here we are XX/XX/XXXX XXXX we are still waiting. I was aware that XXXX XXXX might be a little slow at getting our exemption status list on line, so I waited to have the Exemption Status Letter from XXXX XXXX in hand ( dated XXXX ) to start the process with Newrez trying to avoid this type of situation. 

I have asked for the escrow analysis every month starting in XX/XX/XXXX, asked and been told our escrow concerns will be " escalated '' one agent even said she put in a formal complaint for us, yet there is still no resolution five months later. 
The customer service from all departments has been very poor, I have been transferred from one department ( escrow, taxes, and customer service departments ) with no resolutions.

Crazy as it sounds, our XXXX payment amount is now HIGHER than our original payment amount. It feels like Newrez is discriminating against my husband and it hurts me to my core. XXXX was an XXXX soldier with accolades and no reprimands on his military record ( he has an XXXX XXXX DD214 ). He went to war several times and now trying to get Newrez to correct our escrow, adjust our payment and refund our surplus in our escrow account has become a war of attrition, I will not stop fighting for a correct mortgage amount that reflects XXXXXXXX XXXX earned Exemption Status as a Vet XXXX Exemption as awarded to him from our great state of Texas through XXXX XXXX. 

I have been handling the whole process because XXXX 's XXXX would have us homeless by now ... .this is no joke ( it has gotten increasingly worse due to the stresses of Newrez not recognizing his XXXX XXXX Veteran XXXX!! His XXXX has taken control over him and changed our marriage relations as well as his ability to think clearly.

I don't think Newrez is deserving of our business and we would refinance with another mortgage company if we could be assured we would have the same or better interest rate and not have to pay all the fees associated with refinancing our mortgage. We are completely dissatisfied and disappointed with Newrez as our mortgage company. We are beyond furious with the lack of customer service and attention to our mortgage by Newrez. We feel as if Newrez is being very prejudice against XXXX as a XXXX veteran. 

The financial hardship this has caused us has effected our home life, our savings, and our assets ( we were forced to sell our only vehicle that had no payments, we borrowed money multiple times form family and have had no choice but to try to lower our expenses and not doing routine maintenance to our vehicles and property. 

My husband XXXX is the veteran this situation has had grave effects on his mental health ( his XXXX has worsened and his XXXX has increased ). As for me I have increased XXXX and loss of sleep trying to figure out how we can manage our finances and remain in our only home all while trying to keep my husband safe and our marriage together. 

My husband is a proud Veteran as XXXX Solider he was trained to not ask for assistance but to deal with that is handed to you ... ... .He is NOT in the Military anymore but will always be a soldier. Texas offers this Tax exemption as a way to honor our Veterans... ..but Newrez continues to deny him this honor. 

We feel Newrez is discriminating against my husband as a XXXX XXXX XXXX Veteran. XXXX XXXX XXXX does NOT deserve this, we all should honor our Military soldiers as heroes! 

Please help us before we loose our home and our finances are ruined. 

Any assistance and support you can offer would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you,

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