Consumer complaint received 2020-07-28
Company: REGIONS FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: TN
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: FHA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
In XXXX I had a leak in my home that the insurance company tied to hail damage to my roof. I was sent part of the check direct deposit and the other half was sent to me by mail and was made out to me and Regions since the claim was over $ XXXX. Regions needed to sign off on this claim and make sure sufficient repairs were done to release the funds. I started by going to my local branch around the beginning of XX/XX/XXXX with my insurance check to see what I needed to do to get it cashed and the funds released to repair my home. I was told I need the contractors w-9, license, proof of insurance, and a notarized lien release stating that the contractor would not put a lien on my home once payment was received. I provided all of these items at my local branch who then contacted mortgage and the claims department to see how to get everything submitted. All the documents were submitted to the claims department and nothing else was said for at least 2 weeks. I then had to follow up with them mid-XXXX to find out why I had not heard any update about releasing the funds of my check. At this point in time, I had already paid my contractor in full, from my own savings account. The claims department told us on XX/XX/XXXX, well after this process started and also never told the assistant manager from the branch I was working with, that the check was not going to be endorsed at the branch but needed to be mailed to the claims department. The lack of communication from the claims department to me and the branch was highly unprofessional. I finally receive a check in the mail in XXXX and it is made out to me and the roofer who has now been paid in full for 2 months. The branch employee I was working with then reached back out to claims to see what was needed to get the check made out directly to me. We were told that they only need a signed letter saying my contractor was paid in full with my name, address, loan number, contractor name and the amount. As I am in the 21st century, I do everything electronically and do not have access to a printer, so I sent them a letter that I typed up on the computer and signed on my touch screen using XXXX XXXX. The branch associate and myself both sent this from 2 different email addresses to the claims department and Regions mortgage. After 2 weeks, I still had not received a new check made out to me. We called Regions back and they magically didnt get either email sent from myself or the branch employee sent on XX/XX/XXXX. I can understand maybe not receiving one email, but not receiving an email from both of us sent from different email addresses is a bit baffling. The branch associate and I resend 2 more emails to Regions mortgage and the claims department with the same signed letter as before. This time several more weeks go by and on XX/XX/XXXX, my local branch receives an email from the claims department and they have informed me that they can not accept the letters I have sent because I signed them on a computer and they require a wet ink signature. The difference between my signature with a pen or on a touch screen, with a company that does all account opening with e-signatures, is beyond me. We then XXXX a typed and physically signed letter with the same information as the last FOUR letters we have now sent. The check I have is cancelled and around the first week of XXXX, they issue me a new check which I received a few days later, made out again to me and my roofer, who has still been paid in full and now done with the job for 2.5 months. I call Regions back again to tell them that the check is incorrect, and I also schedule my final inspection to get the last bit of the funds they were holding. They tell me they will cancel that check and get it adjusted. From there I should hear from the company doing the inspection within a week to schedule my final walk-through. The company they used did not reach out to me within a week and I then had to follow-up and keep track of, not only this check, but also scheduling my final inspection. It took 2 weeks for me to get my inspection scheduled. Around the middle of XXXX, I still do not have a new check issued to me in my name only, but now Regions has the information from my final walk through that my repairs are 100 % complete and the funds can be released in full. Believe it or not, someone actually reaches out to me from Regions claims department ( XXXX ) to tell me that AGAIN my FIFTH letter is not sufficient to get the funds released to me because in my letter I had said I would appreciate them expediting the process due to the delays and because I was getting other work completed on my home ( not related to the claim in any way, this was a patio/pool project ) and needed the funds to do so. I was told this letter was not sufficient because it sounded like I had not paid all of my contractors related to the claim in full. I then send a SIXTH letter to regions that everyone is paid in full. Regions sends 10 % of the claim to me in a check made out to only me, however, I am still missing 90 % of the funds at this point in time. I had spoken to both XXXX and another associate 2 weeks prior to speaking with XXXX, who had both informed me that they were issuing a new check to me in my name only. This never occurred. The first associate never actually followed up with anything after taking my call, and the second associate, XXXX, thought I was referring to the last bit of funds, which was the check for 10 %, so she of course did not realize that I was still missing the bulk of my funds. On XX/XX/XXXX I still do not have a check made out to me in my name only and call Regions Mortgage again and I am now irate at this situation, how long it has taken to resolve, and the lack of follow-up from anyone in the claims or mortgage department. It seems like everyone is really quick to pass the buck off to someone else or just ignore you and hope someone else in the company is taking care of the issue. On this phone call on XX/XX/XXXX, I am told that a check was never reissued to me in my name only and I asked to speak to a manager or supervisor. I am then transferred to XXXX XXXX. XXXX does assist and gets in touch with the claims supervisor to expedite the process. She then tells me we need ANOTHER LETTER ( the SEVENTH LETTER ) from my contractor saying he is paid in full, the property address,  and amount. I am not sure how, after months of back and forth, no one else that I spoke to could tell me that we also needed something from the contractor. It seems that their own department doesnt even know how to get checks released and can not be bothered to ask a manager for assistance if they dont know the answer. I reach out to my contractor that evening and ask him for a signed letter. He emails me back and sends me a paid in full invoice. I also have some of my accounts with Regions, so the transaction in question to pay my contractor is on my Regions credit card and can be seen on my XXXX statement. I email XXXX XXXX back on XX/XX/XXXX and provide the paid in full invoice from my contractor, the receipts from the 2 payments I made to my contractor, and my Regions credit card statement all showing this contractor was paid in full for the exact amount listed on the invoice. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX calls me and leaves me a voicemail telling me that she thinks we have enough to issue the funds directly to me, but she is still waiting to hear back from claims to make sure everything is good to go. In her voicemail she says it will be 3-5 business days to cancel the check and get a new one reissued. She says she will XXXX  this to me with 2-day shipping and will email the tracking number to me. On XX/XX/XXXX, I still have not heard back from Regions or XXXX and I follow-up with her via email to ask for the status and if everything is good to go. My email goes unanswered. I call back on XX/XX/XXXX, and while I do not speak to XXXX directly, the employee I spoke to instant messaged XXXX and XXXX told her to tell me that they had sufficient information to release the check directly to me. I call back on XX/XX/XXXX or XXXX, as I still have not received these funds and I was told it would be 3-5 business days from XX/XX/XXXX. The associate I spoke to let me know the check was mailed on XX/XX/XXXX. I never received a XXXX   tracking number as promised but nonetheless, assume the check was sent via regular mail. Today, XX/XX/XXXX, I call Regions again, as I have no check and a week has gone by since it was supposedly mailed to me. XXXX does not speak to me directly but assists the associate that is handling my question and lets me know the check is still not issued but will be in the next day or two. I cant help but wonder why I was told last week that the funds were mailed to me, but I am now being told today that the funds still have not been released. I was told the funds would be released 3-5 business days after XXXX voicemail on XX/XX/XXXX. It has been 19 days since that call, well over 3-5 business days, and I still do not have my insurance claims funds for  repairs that have been completed for almost 2 months now, in full and the roof repairs that were completed and paid for in XXXX, 4.5 months ago. I was told today the funds would be released today or tomorrow, but I have been told this many times in the past and do not believe it is true. But they were sorry it was taking so long to correct months of their own mistakes and lack of follow-up.

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