Consumer complaint received 2020-08-12
Company: Freedom Mortgage Company
State: AZ
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage

Complaint:
I have a mortgage through Freedom Mortgage. XXXX of XXXX I received a call to refinance my loan because the interest rate had dropped. I agreed, and the notary came to my house and we signed all the documents and the notary then sent the documents via XXXX XXXX. Because of the closing, I did not make a XXXX or XXXX mortgage payment. While I was on vacation in XXXX of XXXX, I kept getting phone calls saying that I needed to make my mortgage payment. That I hadn't made any payment. I told them that I had refinanced my loan and didn't need to pay. They said, we are just the billing department and don't know anything about that. After I finally got a hold of a manager, this manager said that they " lost '' my closing paperwork. The manager said that it would be better if we just did the whole refinance over again with a new loan number. I said okay. The notary came to my house again, ( the same one ), and he again put all the documents into a XXXX XXXX envelope and mailed it to Freedom mortgage. I called 24 hours later, and Freedom had received the paperwork and the closing was complete. Now, let 's forward to XXXX of this year. I get a call from a loan officer of Freedom named XXXX XXXX. He tells me that he can lower my rate to 2.875 % and save me about a {$100.00} per month on my mortgage. I say, let 's do it. He sends me via email all the documents that I E-signed to get the refi started. XXXX tells me that I'll probably close XX/XX/XXXX, and to not make my XXXX payment. As we are getting close to the end of XXXX, I'm not hearing anything from XXXX or a notary to set up an appointment. I email XXXX several times and he said that I needed to wait because they were backed up, but it still looks like the middle of XXXX will be close. It's now XX/XX/XXXX, and I have not heard from anyone on my closing. I call XXXX and I tell him I should make my mortgage payment because I don't think we are going to close. XXXX tells me not to pay yet, that I can wait up until XX/XX/XXXX to make a payment. XX/XX/XXXX, I tell XXXX that I don't hear anything I'm paying my mortgage on the XXXX of XXXX. He said I could probably wait another week, but if I wanted to, go ahead. I asked him what the hold up was. XXXX said that he couldn't really decipher the notes on his computer, but it was something about the title. He said he would email other people to find out what was going on. On XX/XX/XXXX I made a mortgage payment because I still hadn't heard anything. I was charged a late payment fee of {$52.00}. XXXX told me to call customer service because you've been waiting on a refi and the late payment should be waived. I called customer service and I told the operator to specifically refund the payment to my bank account. She said it would take about 24 hours to get the refund. After 72 hours, I did not see the refund in my bank account. I called customer service again, and the operator said that the first person put the refund back as part of the principle of your loan. He changed it to a refund and I did get that money back in my bank account within 24 hours. Towards the end of XXXX, I emailed XXXX to find out what the status was of my refi. He replied that they were still working on it. On XX/XX/XXXX, I get a call from XXXX XXXX. He's a manager with Freedom. He said that when I refinanced my loan back in XXXX and then XXXX, the first lien is still showing on the title. It's " our fault " and we need to release the lien from XXXX, so we can do this years refi. I had 2 liens from XXXX that were their fault. I asked how long it would take and he couldn't tell me. I asked about paying my XXXX mortgage, and he said to wait a few days. I never heard anything back so on XX/XX/XXXX, I paid my mortgage payment, but there was a late fee of {$52.00} attached to it. My payment is always {$1300.00}, and now {$1300.00}. I tried calling XXXX XXXX and just get voicemail. I call the customer complaint department and talk to a woman by the name of XXXX. She said that somehow they took off the late payment for XXXX, but then transferred it over to XXXX. How could that happen? In my contract I've got a 15 day grace period. She agreed and just when she was going to credit my account and fix their mistake, I got disconnected from her. I called back 4 times and no one knew who she was because there are so many XXXX 's there. This morning I received an email from XXXX in the loan processing department. Here is the copy : I have been working on your file for some time with our lien release department. I am trying to get a satisfaction for the loan. Did something happen when you did the refinance in XXXX. The issues is there was a loan done in XX/XX/XXXX for {$220000.00} and then XXXX done in XX/XX/XXXX {$220000.00}. The one in XXXX was never released. Your loan will not be closed, this is not something you had control over. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. Thank you. 

XXXX XXXX Mortgage Processing Team Lead On behalf of Freedom Mortgage Fax. XXXX XXXX I tried calling XXXX and got her voicemail. Then I tried her manager, XXXX XXXX, and got her voicemail. I tried calling the complaint department and was told to call the " Escalations '' department. I tried calling them 3 times. Each time a recording said that I would have to wait 15-17 minutes. Each time was 45 minutes and I just finally hung up. I couldn't wait any longer. I want to know why no one at Freedom mortgage can release the lien on their mistake??

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