Consumer complaint received 2022-09-04
Company: Freedom Mortgage Company
State: KY
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX To Whom It May Concern : The purpose of this correspondence is to make you aware of a RESPA violation. 

Our current loan is held by Freedom Mortgage, servicing company unknown. We have had many conflicts with Freedom Mortgage. 

Today, we received our Mortgage Statement, statement date XX/XX/XXXX. On this statement, our escrow payment has taken an increase, but we were made unaware of such increase until now. 

Freedom Mortgage has held our loan since XXXX, XXXX and it has been non-stop conflict with them since then. 

We would like to request to have a complaint researched and answered by the CFPB, at the earliest opportunity to settle this pressing matter. 

Grounds for our request are as follows : Regarding phone calls on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX. As per XXXX ( ID XXXX, Escalations Team ), Freedom Mortgage failed to run our Escrow Analysis in XXXX of XXXX. ( Since an escrow analysis should have been performed in regards to the loan buyout from XXXX XXXX, transferring to Freedom Mortgage. ) 2. When speaking with XXXX ( XXXX XXXX, Escalations Team ) regarding the RESPA violation, she put me on hold. We were disconnected, with no return phone call made.

3. Freedom Mortgage knew the payments that had been made XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, and the current escrow analysis would have shown a deficit, if the report had been run either XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX. 
4. Further, it is a gross misrepresentation for Freedom Mortgage to have an option on their automated system to speak with the escrow department, when in fact, the customers are not permitted to speak directly with the Escrow Department. In addition, it can be considered a bait and switch to inform the customer they are selecting that department, but in facto they are receiving Customer Service. 
5. Three customer service representatives did not understand the problem at hand for the current and forecasted Escrow Account. This is a training oversight by Freedom Mortgage. 

Regarding phone calls made XX/XX/XXXX 1. Spoke with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, she was argumentative and did not understand mortgage escrow processes and procedures. 
2. Spoke with XXXX with the Escalations Team, no ID givenshe also did not understand escrow account processes and regulations. Further, she misstated our mortgage escrow information, and then argued about it. When asking if we could make a payment to bring the escrow account into RESPA acceptable bounds, we were denied. 
3. When speaking with XXXX, she suggested we should request an escrow analysis be runwhich we have requested prior to this phone call. 
4. Three times, the escrow analysis has been requested and not received. We received screenshots of our current escrow account. 

This gross oversight, and RESPA violation could have resulted in default on the part of the customer. 

In our humble opinion, our account, along with all other loans acquired in XXXX of XXXX, should be researched and evaluated for any oversights by Freedom Mortgage and their affiliates. 

The resolution we are requesting is to make one payment that brings the escrow account within RESPA boundaries, for the duration of the year. Once the escrow payment has been made, and the escrow account has the appropriate buffer, we request that our mortgage payment return to the previous payment ( $ XXXX ). 

We appreciate your time and attention to this matter! 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Veterans Affairs Home Loans Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Department of Financial Institutions, Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions, Indiana Department of Financial Institutions, 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 explanation