Consumer complaint received 2020-06-11
Company: Mr. Cooper Group Inc.
State: LA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
Dear Mr. Cooper, Attached is a statement from the City of XXXX XXXX tax collector showing XXXX tax due on this property. I hope this is sufficient. I'm really really hoping, cross-my-heart and hope-to-die hoping. Really. 

I paid my taxes last XXXX. I went down there in person and was told the taxes were {$4900.00} which were paid and a receipt given. 

A few weeks ago, I received a letter from you stating that there was a serious delinquency in my tax account. I was concerned until I read further and saw that the letter stated that there were outstanding taxes due of {$0.00}. Right, XXXX cents. Turns out the taxes were {$4900.00}. I assumed that no human had looked at this, the stupid computer had sent out the letter in error, and there was really no problem to solve. 

I recently received a second letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, which stated in an alarming tone, that I am " REQUIRED TO PAY THE DELINQUENT TAX ASSESSMENTS, CHARGES AND ALL PENALTIES AND INTEREST. '' If I fail to do so and provide proof of payment within 15 days, then Mr. Cooper may elect, without further notice, to advance payment of the delinquent taxes, assessment charges and penalties and interest. I feared the total due could have compounded up to nearly XXXX cents already, and was growing rapidly. 

Still without any indication of any human involvement, I called Mr. Cooper on Tuesday evening about XXXX XXXX. Customer service is open until XXXX XXXX, my time. Keeping my place in line I elected to have Mr. Cooper call me back. I did get a call back Wednesday morning around XXXX XXXX. ( Boy, am I glad I didn't have to stay on hold all that time! ) When I spoke to the human, she was unable to say whether anyone had looked at this, and eventually switched me to the Tax department. The girl in the Tax department also said there was no indication that any human had seen this, but the bad news was that the " System '' had sent out the letter. ( She tried to tell me that the City was demanding the taxes and would soon proceed to a tax sale, but I think this was a lie. Instead third party companies are hired to inquire computer to computer about taxes due and then report back to the mortgage companies. In fact it was the third party company that actually sent me this letter. I don't think the City was demanding anything. ) I was forbidden to speak with the System, but I was told that the investor, in this case XXXX XXXX, was entitled to the delinquent taxes being paid, and the further draconian establishment of the escrow for future taxes. Even though the letter stated that " we may elect '' to establish the escrow, there was no assurance or even any suggestion that a human would intervene to stop it. I suspect instead that it is Mr. Cooper who would zealously take that action in order to profit from the escrow funds in his hands. XXXX XXXX would get only XXXX cents. XXXX XXXX was in trouble a few years back, but I think they're doing better now so XXXX cents doesn't matter to them that much any more. 

The XXXX XXXX computer system was hit with a ransom cyber attack on XX/XX/XXXX which has crippled city operations since that time. That was likely the reason why they didn't give me the exact tax amount originally on XX/XX/XXXX. They are also quite slow in processing and clearing property tax payments. When I paid my personal residence property taxes by check received by them on XX/XX/XXXX, it was not presented to my bank until XX/XX/XXXX. Bless their hearts. 

In the knowledge that I was unable to fight the System, which apparently took over from the Man who displaced the earlier Establishment which ran things in the XXXX, I went to the City website to see what the transaction cost would be to pay the XXXX cents online. That cost was important since that would tell me whether or not I needed to get in my car and drive there in order to avoid an exorbitant fee. I knew I couldn't pay by check, either mailed or in person, because I would not have a cancelled check in time for the System 's deadline. I clicked on " Pay total taxes due now, '' agreed to whatever flashed on the screen, and received a message that the system was unable to handle my request, that I should try again later. I did. Later was the same as before, and after the cyber attack that same message was there for several weeks, which is why I had to pay in person in the first place, so ... 

I contacted the City of XXXX XXXX by phone. They are actually very nice people. I explained the situation to her. She thought I was crazy to be worried about a XXXX cent deficiency. However, she works there, so she took my tax bill number and tried the online payment and was also told to try again later. After a few minutes, I was able to convince her that I really needed to handle this and asked her to confirm they were open so I could bring her the XXXX cents. She interrupted me to explain that they were not open to the public because of the corona virus, and that in any event because of the cyber attack they don't accept cash. Not seeing any way out, she put me on hold to speak with the supervisor. 

I had that sinking feeling that all was lost, I was doomed to perpetual tax escrow to a System that didn't understand how much XXXX cents was, and with which no human could communicate. Just then the city lady returned to the line and announced that her supervisor was herself paying the XXXX cents for me. Finally -- a HUMAN. I went from the depths of despair to total exhilaration in an instant. ( Surprisingly, I was even happier than when I was cured of XXXX XXXX last year. All that was required there were XXXX XXXX, XXXX   XXXX  for XXXX kinds of XXXX  XXXX, a XXXX   XXXX XXXX XXXX  and a XXXX XXXX with XXXX   fears. At least there I wasn't facing a hopeless abyss. And yes, I did throw this in for the sympathy, but it is true nonetheless. Can the System read? ) I asked her supervisor 's name, but was cautioned she instead preferred to remain an anonymous benefactor ( not her exact words, more like " don't worry about it '' ). I guess that makes sense. Otherwise she could be flooded with similar requests and been out a whole quarter or even more than that before she knew what happened. 

Even while I was on the phone with the city, through my joyful elation I still felt the sharp poke of a lingering trepidation. The System was requiring a cancelled check, front and back, or a paid receipt. The System is relentless, and I had neither. In truth I no longer owed the taxes, but the truth is irrelevant to the System. The city computers refreshed overnight, and true to her word, this morning the tax due on this property is now XXXX. The " Pay total taxes due now '' option is gone. Instead, the website proclaims, in an outlined box for emphasis, " No taxes are due on this account. '' That is what I've attached to this email, but if my copy is still not sufficient, the System can find the same information here : https :  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX The letter I received tells me to attach the coupon at the bottom when I send in my documentation of payment. I am attaching the letter here because I don't know how to attach a physical coupon to an email. 

So, again, I'm don't owe the tax any longer, and I'm hoping this letter is sufficient for the System to drop this. Is it too much to ask for confirmation that this is over for now? 

Thanks, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation