Consumer complaint received 2023-04-19
Company: PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC.
State: FL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: FHA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
I was in forbearance during the pandemic. When I was getting ready to exit the forbearance the " point Person " for the mortgage loan servicer and I spoke by phone. I had lots of questions, and they advised the amount owed would be placed on the back of the loan. I recall '' deferred " being mentioned, but that is not what happened. 
I specifically asked about the escrow, and how it would be handled, due to my payments beginning in XXXX which is mid year. The person I spoke to said I would be starting at " XXXX ''. 
I asked multiple times how escrow would be handled, knowing if escrow is negative it can be almost impossible to climb out of that hole. I was assured that my escrows would be paid for all back payments. My loan was reinstated and my first payment was due XX/XX/XXXX of XXXX. I made my payment on XX/XX/XXXX for XX/XX/XXXX. 
In XXXX I went to my online portal for Pennymac and discovered a negative balance owed for escrow. 
I called to inquire and was advised that I had a negative balance, due to my homeowners Insurance and taxes both being due in XXXX. I advised they had just gotten a XXXX Partial claim payment how could my escrow be short any money. 
I have emailed the secure portal and the answers that have been provided do not answer the question. 
I have called and spoken to Escrow dept, Regualar representatives and Partial Claim people. None of the answers make sense as to how with aXXXX partial claim payment I owe negative escrow. 
When talking to one person I was advised that in XXXX my taxes were incorrectly collected by the escrow company- they went off the previous year. The previous years taxes my house was dirt ( it is new build- XXXX XXXX XXXX ) So they said they collected the wrong amount. 
I am required to escrow with them because it is an FHA loan but they did not verify how much they are required to collect and pay? 
I Then reviewed all 3 years of my escrow and I found that when the partial claim of XXXX was applied I calculate out the payments and {$6900.00} was paid to interest, {$5500.00} went to principal and {$5400.00} was paid to escrow. Escrow was paid the least amount. 
I thought according to the Covid Mortgage Final servicing Rule, it had to wipe out pre-existing debt when being offered as a solution. This partial claim did not do that. My XXXX escrow analysis showed a {$2000.00} negative balance, and a XXXX reserve payment required, for a total of {$2500.00} and if unpaid my payment will jump from XXXX to {$1500.00}. This was not the understanding I had regarding forbearance. Additionally, my Taxes are due, XXXX but can be paid until XXXX with a total increase to the bill of {$76.00}. However the servicer, does not review escrow until XXXX and begin new payments for any shortage until XXXX and then pays the " annual '' bill in XXXX, providing 6 months to accumulate and account for any shortage that is needed for a 12 month calculation. Today I spoke to the servicer at length and realizing all this the escrow person I spoke to said my account had been flagged for a refinance offer. 
I asked if this is there business model, to create a negative escrow so people are perpetually in the negative to offer them the ability to refinance their loan, with the serivcer? I thought the purpose of forbearance was to help keep people in their homes not get them foreclosed on for escrow. I have serious questions regarding if my servicer has applied the partial claim correctly, and if they did why would escrow be short? Why would interest and principal get the greater payment instead of escrow? There is a XXXX mortgage on my house due to the partial claim, @ 0 % for the {$17000.00} so why did they pay themselves now, applying the payments to principal and interest the very least to escrow, and when I sell my house or refinance they get paid again? This does not seem correct to me. I have spent countless hours on the phone multiple emails have been sent through secure portal and I am not sure this has been handled correctly. Can you provide any insight as to what the process should be? Can the servicer allow pre-existing debt when the partial claim should have satisfied it? 
Pennymac is the servicer. My payment was XXXX according to them on XXXX it is supposed to go to XXXX which included the additional escrow and a shortage fee and a reserve fee. Not sure it those fees were to bring the shortage current or if they were fees, the servicer keeps. Something very similar is being experienced by another person I know whose servicer is Pennymac as well, and who also was in forbearance. I would greatly appreciate insight and answers regarding the partial claim, and the Covid Mortgage Servicer Final Rule. 

Kind Regards, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation