Consumer complaint received 2023-06-12
Company: FIRST HORIZON BANK
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
I have sent XXXX letters of complaint to the Office of the President at First Horizon Bank. 

The first on XXXX XXXX and another on XXXX XXXX. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX CEO Office of the President XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Tennessee XXXX XXXX By email & post XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Complaint Dear XXXX XXXX XXXX : ********************* I write to complain in the strongest possible terms at the unacceptable level of service that has been received from First Horizon following XXXX XXXX damage to our property. 
My husband XXXX & I live in XXXX, but have a home in XXXX XXXX, Florida on which First Horizon holds a mortgage. 
XXXX XX/XX/XXXX - our home was struck by XXXX XXXX, causing extensive damage resulting in the necessity of a completely new roof and other structural repairs. 
XXXX XXXX- we flew over to Florida to assess the situation. 

XXXX XXXX- entered a claim with our Insurers XXXX - Claim # XXXX XXXX XXXX - Loss Assessor assessed extent of damage and confirmed scope of repairs needed. 
We flew back to XXXX. 
Interim cheque from XXXX for {$9100.00} issued. 
XXXX XXXX interim cheque received in XXXX and sent to First Horizon ( FH ) for endorsement. 
XXXX XXXX cheque received and signed for at FH. 
XXXX XXXX email sent to FH asking for an update. 
XXXX XXXX reply from FH stating cheque would be sent out that day and asking for a copy of XXXX Assessors report. I telephoned FH to check where cheque would be sent. 
See attached invoice from XXXX XXXX for the phone call. 

XXXX XXXX - Copy report emailed to FH Loss Draft Dept. 
XXXX XXXX email from FH Loss Draft Dept confirming receipt. 
XXXX XXXX emailed FH chasing cheque see attached. 

XXXX XXXXr FH finally responded saying that for security and privacy they could not provide any information and suggested that I ring. 
We had to use our personal savings to transfer money to USA to pay the roofing Company. 
XXXX XXXX email FH saying that I wanted someone to ring me as it was over XXXX weeks since I was supposedly sent my cheque. 
XXXX XXXX I received XXXX x letters from FH both dated XXXX XXXX but post marked XXXX XXXX arriving over XXXX weeks later than posted and over XXXX weeks later than created. 
Why such a deplorable delay? 
Ironically XXXX of the letters states, We hope to assist you with repairing the property as quickly as possible Some hope!

Out of sheer frustration I rang FH and spoke at length to the Loss Draft dept who told me that our cheque had been returned to them on XXXX XXXX as undeliverable. They had apparently left a message on our telephone number in Florida despite knowing that we lived in XXXX and that is where the cheque was supposed to be going. 
If I had not rung it would still be there! I was rightly, as you will agree, beyond angry!

FH clearly failed to provide a satisfactory standard of service.

I asked that the cheque be sent out again and ensured that they had the correct XXXX address. I was then transferred to a Customer Service Supervisor, XXXX, who apologised for the ongoing debacle, assured me that the cheque would be sent out as a matter of urgency. She also suggested that I write in with my formal complaint. I told her that I was expecting further cheques from Insurers and did not want the same thing to happen again. 
I was on the phone for over an hour! See attached invoice from XXXX XXXX for the phone call. 

XXXX XXXX yet another email to FH enquiring about the whereabouts of the cheque which was supposed to have been sent out by FH as a matter of urgency and still not received XXXX weeks later. 

XXXX XXXX having had no reply to my email of XXXX, I emailed FH to make further complaint that I had been waiting for this cheque for 3 MONTHS and to ask about their Complaints Procedure. 

XXXX XXXX email to FH requesting the courtesy of a response. 

Deafening Silence! 

XXXX XXXX cheque finally arrived attached to a letter from FH dated XXXX XX/XX/XXXX but because it had not been presented ASI put a stop on it on XXXX XXXX and reissued it. 

I am still awaiting the replacement cheque and so this will have to happen all over again with cheques bouncing back & forth over the XXXX! 

It is now XXXX weeks since our home was damaged and we are no further forward and it is down to the ineptitude and prevarication of FH.

All this time FH has been able to send us several Mortgage Statements and notices of Interest Rate change stating that my mortgage is going up by {$200.00} or so, so why has it not been able to do a simple task of endorsing and returning XXXX cheque? 



I am so genuinely very XXXX XXXX and obviously distressed at, not only the mental, but the financial burden that all of this has placed upon myself and my husband through no fault of our own. 

Not only have we suffered the damage to our house we have been made to suffer further by FHs failure to operate in a professional or efficient manner and to deal with the matter in a timely manner. 

As an ex XXXX XXXX in Her Majestys government, I am appalled at the laisez-faire attitude of FH I am seeking an offer of recompense from FH for all the time ( XXXX hours and counting ), costs and angst that we have had to bear due to the direct failure of FH to provide a level of service that one could reasonably have expected it to provide. Also, some clear assurance that it will improve. 

Your advices awaited. 

Yours sincerely ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By email & post XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Complaint Dear XXXX XXXX XXXX : I originally wrote to you on the XXXX of XX/XX/XXXX about the unacceptable level of service that we had received from First Horizon following XXXX XXXX damage to our property. 
On XXXX XXXX I have received a very curt response from XXXX XXXX  of your office asking for 30 days to investigate. She advised that we thereafter then receive a response as the matter had been escalated to the Office of the President.

Deafening silence! It would appear to have been filed, certainly not escalated. 

I have phoned your offices on several occasions and have always been assured that someone will be in contact but I have heard nothing. 

I wish to receive a letter of apology along with an offer of recompense within the next 21 days whereafter I will refer the matter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for them to deal. 

Your urgent advices awaited. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First Horizon 's eventual response was factually incorrect and dismissive. 

They have acted in a truly abhorrent, deceitful and unprofessional way and I want them reprimanded and made to offer an apology and fair compensation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation