Consumer complaint received 2020-05-22
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: CA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
I've tried everything to work with this company. Below are some of the e-mails I've sent. Eventually I faxed a legal request to stop the impounds so I could pay the taxes and insurance directly ; no answer, but more threatening letters. As a retired Business Consultant who ran a mortgage company, I can honestly say I know how mortgages and impounds are supposed to work. As a seasoned loan on auto-pay, not only has a perfect payment record been established over many years that has never been late but also with a substantial equity position ; therefore, it is illegal to force an impound account. As an investor I established one solely for convenience, and have never had a problem before. So eventually I faxed a legal request to cancel the impound account, return the funds they are holding onto or " floating '' to generate interest for themselves, and I will pay the taxes and insurance directly. 
Their horrific reviews and massive number of complaints shows how this company operates with bad faith and threatens and ignores their customers with impunity. 

" As a retired Business Consultant who ran a mortgage company, I can honestly say I know how mortgages and impounds are supposed to work, yet yours is the worst company I've ever encountered. You botched the hand-off from XXXX, which had been going smoothly for years. You send me e-mails begging me to sign up for auto-pay, which has already been in place for over 10+ years?! Then you send me a letter saying you have an escrow shortage of over {$1200.00}, when taxes on my investment property only went up app. {$500.00}?! Add to that the fact the auto payment has ALWAYS been over the minimum which is required by law to be applied to the principal ( are you even doing that correctly? ) So obviously I tried to contact your pathetic company. You cant/dont/wont answer your phones ( even before the pandemic ), so I sent 2 e-mails over the last MONTH asking for a call from a competent person in management, if there is such a thing, to call me and explain. Both have been answered with useless auto-response case numbers ( below ) promising responses that of course never came. 

Now, as you spew drivel about helping out during the pandemic, and while Ive been waiting on you for an explanation, you send me a threatening letter demanding a check specifically labeled SHORT PAY, yet in the same letter say you wont accept short payments?! 







And the fax I sent, signed and dated. 

Re : Loan number XXXX You sent me a letter saying you have an escrow shortage of over {$1200.00}, when taxes on my investment property only went up app. {$500.00}? You send me e-mails begging me to sign up for auto-pay, which has already been in place for over 10+ years?

You cant/dont/wont answer your phones ( even before the pandemic ), so I sent 2 e-mails over the last MONTH asking for a call from a competent person in management to call me and explain. Both have been answered with useless auto-response case numbers promising responses that of course never came. 


I have a better idea ; cancel the impound account immediately ; I will pay the taxes and insurance myself as I no longer have so many investment properties. I want this done immediately. Having run a mortgage company, I am very familiar with the CPFB. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX Personal cell XXXX XX/XX/2020 XXXX XXXX PST

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation