Consumer complaint received 2024-01-21
Company: M&T BANK CORPORATION
State: FL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Sub-issue: Escrow, taxes, or insurance

Complaint:
M & T Bank is attempting to overcharge me for my mortgage and they can not even explain how they arrived at an erroneous tax amount on my mortgage statement. 
Their customer service is very difficult to get ahold of with wait times over an hour and they never call you back. they just send bills and act without integrity towards the XXXX. 

The mortgage company erroneously added some imaginary tax amount to my escrow account even though I am exempt from taxes. My mortgage was originated by XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX who respected my tax exemption that is cared for in the Florida statute below : " Any real estate owned and used as a homestead by a veteran who was XXXX XXXX and has been certified as having a service-connected, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, is exempt from taxation of the veteran is a permanent resident of Florida and has legal title to the property on XX/XX/XXXX of the tax year for which exemption is being claimed. ( XXXX  XXXX ( XXXX ) ) '' I have been part of the homestead exemption program since XX/XX/XXXX. I am registered as XXXX with the XXXX XXXX tax collector on their website that generates tax bills. 
The M & T tax bill is a human error made up erroneously that is causing undue hardship to a XXXX person on a fixed income. This company is Terrible to work with. 

Here is one of the letters I sent the mortgage company on both XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX ( word for word ) and they have failed to address my concern. I need to let the CFPB step in and get some executive presence or a hefty fine on M & T for this civil rights violation. 

Regarding account : XXXX. I called XXXX weeks ago and spoke with the tax department I just got a letter denying my request to have taxes removed, which somebody added. for the first 6 months of M & T servicing, you respected my $ XXXX XXXX tax. What happened. Who messed up. I need answers and accountability. This is absurd and is demeaning to those who have fought and gave all for this country. I am a 100 % Service connected XXXX veteran who is exempt from Property taxes in the state of Florida. I bought the home in XXXX from the previous owner who paid taxes. However with my XXXX veteran tax exemption. I have never paid taxes in Florida and never will. I am on a fixed income and can not afford to pay the proposed increase of close to {$800.00}. My previous mortgage company XXXX did not collect escrow for tax and neither has M & T for the past XXXX billing cycles. I called to correct this issue and you sent me a denial letter because of your lack of research or inability to view a county website showing I am exempt and XXXX and the tax on my home is {$0.00}. M & T Bank are violating my rights as a service XXXX veteran. 

XXXX XXXX attests on their website at the following link that I am exempt from paying taxes. https : XXXX? XXXX & XXXX Florida statute clearly states that a XXXX veteran, once enrolled in the homestead program ( which I am ) shall NEVER pay property tax. Please update my escrow account and make the corrections. I can not afford to make the new proposed payment and plan on making the original and legal payment amount of {$5500.00} Please have a supervisor contact me ASAP XXXX 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 non-monetary relief