Consumer complaint received 2019-06-19
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: FL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
CFPB Complaint Details : Weve had our primary mortgage on our property through Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company since XX/XX/XXXX. Our monthly payment includes principle and interest only, as we pay property taxes ( quarterly ) and homeowners insurance separately and have maintained an excellent payment history always paying in full and on time. 

Our property suffered significant damage from hurricane Irma in XX/XX/XXXX. We immediately filed a claim with XXXX XXXX to repair the damage, however after months of repeated inaction and misrepresentation by XXXX XXXX we acquired legal representation to assist with our claim. 

After denying the vast majority of our claim we filed a lawsuit against XXXX XXXX, whose representatives have been evasive, unhelpful and blatantly lied about the status of our coverage and for the past several months ( since late XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX XXXX and their attorneys have become unresponsive to both our existing claim, as well as repeated requests for information and status of current coverage, so much so that our attorneys were forced to file to compel them to respond. 

Dealing with countless temporary and permanent repairs and mitigation required to prevent further damage has caused an incredible financial and emotional burden on our family, which brings me to my complaint concerning the Predatory and unfair lending practices that Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company suddenly and unexpectedly began engaging in by placing an exorbitantly priced and hazard insurance on our property, which could cause the financial issues for our family to go from difficult to catastrophic. 

Despite the financial burdens stemming from the claim issues weve had with XXXX XXXX ( our Home Insurance company ), we continued to made our normal mortgage payment of {$1900.00} on time every month with no issues, so we were shocked when we suddenly received notice in the 2nd week of XXXXl ( not sure of the exact day ) in the form of a letter detailing an escrow summary which revealed that Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company had placed an unauthorized forced insurance costing over {$9000.00} per 12 months, on our property, causing an escrow shortage on our loan and informing us that our next monthly mortgage payment, due XX/XX/XXXX ( less than 3 weeks ) would increase from {$1900.00} to {$3800.00}! 

We had no prior notification to this communication. No letters. No calls. Nothing. 

Attempts to Resolve : Since all communication with XXXX XXXX had been going through the attorneys handling our claim, I immediately contacted our attorneys to request they check on the status of our home insurance policy and spent a couple days unsuccessfully attempting to contact customer service for Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company via phone, only to be put on long holds and eventually be hung up simply trying to find out what was going on. 

After getting the expected lack of response from XXXX XXXX, I wasted no time and began the difficult process of trying to secure a new home insurance policy while still dealing with an open claim. 

Despite having to take off 2 days of work I was somehow able to find home insurance coverage through XXXX XXXX ( no relation to Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage /Citizens Bank ) and since the phone customer service was so unprofessional and difficult to reach and even more unhelpful in trying to resolve any issues, I submitted multiple e-mails ( including details and documentation ) from XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX, requesting Citizens Financial Group   Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company to have the hazard insurance and all associated billing/charges/payments removed from our policy, as we were never properly notified of these charges in addition to being unable to pay for any increase to our mortgage payment. 

Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company took days to respond and only then did so in e-mail, compounding the frustration and making achieving resolution even more difficult. 

The first response from XXXX XXXX, asked to wait for 5-7 days for a response, which came 3 days later on XX/XX/XXXX ( the day before our mortgage payment was due! ) stating they would only update our account once our new home insurance policy went live. Over the next couple weeks our family suffered the inconvenience and expense of rushing to schedule and pay for 2 new 4 point inspections ( inspection 1 : XX/XX/XXXX, inspection 2 : XX/XX/XXXX ) to secure our new home insurance and the finalized policy documents were e-mailed to Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Approximately 2 weeks later we received notification from Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company via mail that the hazard policy would finally be removed, however our shortage was barely reduced and instead of our mortgage payment reverting back to the original amount, it remained nearly {$4000.00}! 

After our family did all we could, while experiencing little to no help from Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company , to resolve the issues related to the exorbitant hazard insurance including the unexpected and outrageously unfair and untenable increase to our monthly payment, I repeatedly called Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company   customer service until I was finally able to get to supervisor XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX . 

I explained the extended financial burdens and communication difficulties our family had been dealing with since XX/XX/XXXX, regarding our open hurricane Irma claim with XXXX XXXX and the extreme jeopardy to our familys good credit and home ownership the forced place hazard insurance from Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company put on our family and as well as the illegal  or unfair lending practices being engaged in by adding this coverage without sending the legally required notifications and notices. 

Timing of the Required Notices The servicer must send the first notice at least 45 days before purchasing a force-placed insurance policy. 
The servicer must then send a second noticea reminder noticeno earlier than 30 days after the first notice and at least 15 days before charging the borrower for force-placed insurance coverage. This notice must include the cost of the force-placed insurance or a reasonable estimate of the cost. ( 12 C.F.R. 1024.37 ).

Supervisor XXXX XXXX, stated that 2 notices were sent out earlier, but she was curiously unable to immediately provide the dates or notices sent and said that I would receive copies of the previously sent notices within 24 hours. XXXX XXXX also assured me that shed have all charges removed completely and promised shed protect any damage to our credit by preventing any late or delinquent payments from being reported while we were working through resolving these issues, since it may take several days to receive some of the information and documentation needed from their insurance department. 

When XXXX XXXX, called back 24 hours later, as promised on XX/XX/XXXX, she still wasnt able to provide the supposed prior notices, but told me they would be mailed to me in the next couple days. She then reiterated that she was working on resolving our issues and after providing her phone and direct extension ( XXXX ext. XXXX ) to reach her directly with questions or concerns, she assured me that she would follow up with me in the next couple days with a resolution and not to worry. 

I never received any further contact or follow up from XXXX XXXX, or any other representative from Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage  Company and after trying to reach Supervisor XXXX XXXX via her extension 5 or more times, I was unable to reach her directly and every request to be connected to her and to resolve our issues directly with Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company have failed , which is why we are now filing a complaint with the CFPB, as well as taking the following additional steps ; 1. Registering complaints with the XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
2. Notifying the State Regulatory Board. 
3. Notifying the Attorney General to Investigate Violations 4. Report Problems to HUD. ... 
5. Filing a Complaint with the Federal Reserve. 
6. Reporting possible Fraud/unfair or predatory lending practices to the FBI. 

In addition, as a XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX in gaining top and effective ranking on XXXX and other search engines, Ill be XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX with updated XXXX XXXX to ensure star ratings and reviews are reflected in XXXX, where I plan on publishing the details and updates of our families experience with Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company and allowing other customers to express their own stories and experiences with Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company and publish ratings and reviews of their services that will be found on the 1st pages of the top bank, mortgage and loan related local searches across the country. 

I also plan on sending continuous communications detailing current and future issues and updates via e-mail and letter to the following list of Senior Leadership and Board of Directors of Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company ; Citizens Bank Leadership XXXX XXXX XXXX Chairman and Chief Executive Officer XXXX XXXX XXXX Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer XXXX XXXX XXXX Head of Business Services XXXX XXXX XXXX Vice Chairman, Consumer Banking XXXX XXXX President , Consumer Deposits and Lending XXXX XXXX XXXX General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer XXXX XXXX Chief Risk Officer XXXX XXXX Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Virtual Channels XXXX XXXX Chief Human Resources Officer XXXX XXXX XXXX Vice Chairman and Head of Commercial Banking XXXX XXXX Chief Information OfficerXXXX XXXX Head of Corporate Finance and Capital Markets Citizens Bank Board of Directors XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX . ( " XXXX '' ) XXXX XXXX XXXX. ( " XXXX '' ) XXXX XXXX XXXX. ( " XXXX '' ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Lead Director ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX As I have repeatedly stated via e-mails and phone conversations over the past 2 months with representatives from Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company , our family has continued to faithfully pay our original monthly mortgage payment of {$1900.00}, in-full and on time, with the last payment processing on XX/XX/XXXX. 


Desired & Fair Resolution : Resolving our issues is simple and shouldve been done weeks ago. 

Since we never received the legally required notifications and notices before Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company forcibly placed hazard insurance on our policy, the fair resolution our family requires is for any and all past and future charges/billing associated with the hazard insurance policy be removed immediately and our escrow shortage be corrected. 

In addition, as good customers with a good payment history, who are still struggling to work through the open claim and lawsuit with our former insurance company ( XXXX XXXX  ) and may be for many more months, if any form of insurance needs to be placed on our mortgage policy by Citizens Financial Group Inc./Franklin American Mortgage Company in the future, Id expect our mortgage company to treat our family with the decency and respect we deserve, by practicing fair and legal lending laws and procedures, as well as simple and decent customer service, by reaching out to us to modify our mortgage policy to an acceptable payment amount that we are able to afford without incurring more debt than we already have from repairs to recover from a disaster and required mitigation 's to protect our property from future damage.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation