Consumer complaint received 2021-10-12
Company: Dovenmuehle Mortgage, Inc.
State: CA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage

Complaint:
Although I have stabilized my income, and am ready, willing and able to resume mortgage payments, the terms of the loan modification I have received from Dovenmuele Mortgage Services, has errorswhich I do not agree with and must be corrected before moving forward. 

Secondly, I have received several packets of documents. All of which are copies of Dovenmuele 's responses to the complaints I filed with the CFPB during the month of XXXX. However, none of the language within the documents make mention of XXXX Mortgage 's effort to correct the mistakes done to my escrow balance on XX/XX/XXXX. These mistakes were not of my making and I should not have to pay for them by way of additional fees and unjustified increases in escrow payments. 

Between the months of XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, Dovenmuele'serrors have inflated my monthly mortgage paymentby an average of {$200.00} per month over what I was approved as being able to afford with my original re-fi loan, on XXXX of XXXX. As I willingly and patiently work to obtain a fair loan modification, Dovenmuele has baked in an accounting error which has deprived me of certain benefits that ought to be availed to me under the XXXX XXXX guidelines pertaining to deferment and loan modification. 

Instead of what ought to be a {$710.00} monthly payment ( based on my last conversation with a Loss Mitigation manager, XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX ), I am being asked to commit to a {$770.00} per month payment. 

As of today, I do not agree with the terms of the loan modification as-is. I should not be made to bare the burden of carrying a {$5900.00} Escrow Balance, when my normal escrow is typically {$4200.00} annually. Not to mention the fact Dovenmuele, has spread the {$1700.00} shortage ( they created ) over 12 months instead of the 60 months that XXXX XXXX guidelines allow whenever an escrow shortage is discovered, post deferment. 

Furthermore, although Dovenmuele 's response letters do well to point out that my escrow balance reflected a negative {$1700.00} balance after an analysis was completed on XX/XX/XXXX. They completely fail to acknowledge it was their premature calculation of the Deferment amount on XX/XX/XXXX, only 63 days into a 90 day forbearance extension which set this whole ordeal in motion. 

Plainly put, it was Dovenmuele 's fault, not mine, that theyfailed to process what is called an " Escrow Advance '' of my XXXX semi-annual tax payment on XX/XX/XXXX, in the amount of $ XXXX fees. 

There is no dispute that with the additional in-house fees they went on to charge to my escrow account, my total negative escrow balance was indeed {$1700.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. Where the problem lies is that it was not myfault, it was Dovenmuele that made the miscalculations. Not I. Yet, as of today, over 120 days later, they have neither offered nor made any attempt to make the necessary corrections. Every month of fabricated fees and inflated escrow payments have been at my expense and to the detriment of my other financial responsibilities. 

Dovenmuele 's response letter takes no responsibility for the most egregious errors. Nor do they attempt to correct them.The tone of the response letter ( s ) persist in skimming over the crux of my complaint ( s ) and then proceed to blame any mention of an increase to my monthly mortgage paymenton asupposed increase to my annual property tax bill. When the truth of the mater is that the increaseto my annual taxes was only {$55.00}, while my Home Hazard Insurance decreased from {$1100.00} to {$1000.00} ( - {$110.00} ). So in reality, I should have had a net surplus to my escrow of {$XXXX}. However, by the way the response was crafty worded, along with omissions such as the one described, the CFPB would have no way of knowing how my escrow is being manipulated. 

The bottom line is that Dovenmuelehas mis-appropriated my escrow funds in a way to cause a near XXXX XXXX dollarescrow shortage and are now sticking me with an inflated monthly payment in orderto force me to make up the difference. Thus, if I dont, I lose my home. 

This is completely wrong and I respectfully will not accept this.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation