Consumer complaint received 2021-04-09
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
My mortgage was being serviced by XXXX XXXX XXXX All payments were made via automatic payment. It was transferred to CHASE home lending on XX/XX/XXXX. I received letters in the mail asking me to set up mortgage payments to CHASE on XX/XX/XXXX. I was told that if i had made a payment on XX/XX/XXXX to XXXX XXXX, the amount would be automatically transferred to CHASE. The letter also assured me that there were no late payment fees for 60 days as the mortgage servicing had changed hands. 

When i checked my bank account on XX/XX/XXXX, i noticed a mortgage payment to XXXX XXXX for the full monthly payment. Nonetheless, On XX/XX/XXXX, when i checked my bank account ( also with CHASE ), there was a second payment for the same mortgage monthly payment for XXXX. I did not authorize this payment. In fact, i discovered that I had been enrolled in " automatic payments '' by CHASE, without my consent, or even any notification. Finally, there was no way for me to stop the second payment online. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, when i called CHASE home lending ( XXXX ), the agent on the line told me it was my problem to call XXXX XXXX to get my money refunded. He made no mention of the fact that the CHASE letter explicitly says that any payment for XXXX made to XXXX XXXX would be automatically forwarded to CHASE. He further insisted that my bank accounts details were shared by XXXX XXXX with CHASE, and that alone authorized them to ( double ) charge my account for the monthly payment. 

Apparently, my consent is not needed to charge my account for ( a ) a monthly payment on which I am regular, and ( b ) by a servicing agent, CHASE home lending, to whom i did not release any information on my bank account, leave alone agree to have this automatic deduction. About the matter of the double payment of the monthly installment - the agent again told me it was my responsibility to get in touch with XXXX XXXX to get a refund. 

When i asked that this 2nd payment be stopped, the agent warned me several times that doing so would mean that I would be in default on my mortgage payment for XXXX. And that CHASE would report me to the credit agencies. I reminded the agent that the CHASE letter explicitly says that there is a 60 day grace period to iron out the problems with transferring payments. At that point he was forced to acknowledge that this was correct. He then again informed me that it was my responsibility to ensure that XXXX XXXX passes on my XXXX payment to CHASE. When i reminded him that XXXX XXXX is required to pass on my payment to CHASE, he conceded that this was correct as well. 

It is unscrupulous to charge my bank account without my consent. CHASE was only able to do so because of the coincidence that i bank with them. It is punitive to charge me 2 times for a mortgage monthly payment just because my loan servicing was bought out by CHASE. Finally, when i called CHASE home lending to settle this issue, an agent proceeded to threatened me that I would be defaulting on my mortgage payment if i did not agree to this double payment. This is predatory.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation