Consumer complaint received 2017-09-17
Company: Shellpoint Partners, LLC
State: TX
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: FHA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
To Whom it may concern, On behalf of XXXX and myself I would like to thank you for your assistance on our unique issue. 

The companies involved are Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing and XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
All contact names, emails and numbers can be provided On or abouXX/XX/XXXX, We received a letter that our mortgage payment would increase by nearly 115 %. Our payment would go from {$1500.00} to nearly {$3200.00} a month! I tried to get in contact with XXXX XXXX within that week to find out why. All that was originally said was it was increased because of our escrow not being paid. I could not get a straight answer from anyone on the general call line as to why and what could be done. 
We then got a letter around XX/XX/XXXX from a XXXX XXXX XXXX in regards to our mortgage. I made contact with XXXX XXXX and he was a huge help as he looked into things to find out what was going on. XXXX XXXX went over the facts of our account, the errors that occurred and speculated as to why it happened. It wasnt until we did so that we both learned that the home loan payment should have been around {$1800.00} a month. He explained that the escrow was calculated off of the land value and not the actual house. He stated that this does occur, but there is supposed to be a system of checks and balances that catch that within the first year. But, in our case they did not notify us until going into our third year! XXXX XXXX explained that it should have been caught in their audits each year and could not explain why it was not accounted for. 
At that time, XXXX XXXX put me in contact to the corporate lawyer. The lawyer did contact me and we had a very brief discussion. He passed the info on to a XXXX XXXX XXXX with Shellpoint. My first attempts to get a hold of XXXX XXXX were not very successful. I kept a log on when I emailed and called her. You are welcome to that log and any proof of calls and emails at any time. It took twelve phone calls and eight emails spanning over two months to finally actually get a response and talk to her. I explained our situation and she listened to what I had to say and unfortunately came back without a real viable solution. Every solution at the time was to increase our payment to eventual payments that we would not be able to afford. She stated that according to her higher ups and account specialists, we could afford it. However, they never really asked what has transpired in our lives since we took out this loan. My wife, has had XXXX not once, but twice and this past XXXX she had a XXXX XXXX which nearly took her life. Over the past few years, our lives have literally been turned upside down. We got deeper and deeper in debt due to medical bills and less work. The stress has been overwhelming, but the one thing we always thought we had, was security in the comfort of knowing we had a roof over our heads and we were safe. Unfortunately, when we got that letter out of the blue this past XXXX stating that our payments would balloon to a staggering {$3200.00} a month you could imagine our reaction. Obviously, with our payments going up it was very concerning that we found out that it was due to a clerical error on XXXX XXXX or Shellpoint side that has caused this and nothing to do with us being at fault. In truth, we know through our conversations that this error does occur, but it is normal to catch after a single year through mandatory internal audits. However, as stated this was not caught until going into our 3rd year on this loan and by that time it had ballooned to a very large amount. 
The first thing I would have thought we would have had from anyone within this process was some sort of an apology. Instead all we get are people that are more concerned on the bottom line and not the people being affected by this very costly error. At every turn, it seems that the representation that Shellpoint gives is that they just want our house or our money. All we wanted was a viable solution and not an increase of payment of {$300.00} for a few months then an increase to up to another $ XXXX {$1000.00} the following year. We have a 30 year note and thats the only solution? The best anyone can offer is to increase our payment to a point where it is not reasonable to afford? 
I am not denying that we owe for the negative escrow on our account. But at what cost? We are being punished for merely being a loyal customer who always makes their payments. In fact, since our first house, we have never missed a house payment in over 12 years. My question is, where does our responsibility with this issue really begin and where does New Penns accountability start? Throughout this problem, there has been no accountability for any of this. All we have ever asked was that the company we entrusted to hold our mortgage, represent us with the care we all expect from a company that holds our home. That trust has been severely damaged. 

At this point, we have a solution that we have been trying to tell Shellpoint. However, once again there is no return calls or emails. Over the past 2 months, I have been leaving messages with XXXX XXXX. Six emails and 8 calls with zero response. I have now started leaving messages with another Shellpoint representative by the name of XXXX XXXX. I have left 2 phone messages with him over the past weeks with no reply as well. In every email and call I stated that this is an attempt to pay! Since when does a company that is put in place to collect debts not call to collect money? We simply can not understand why we are treated as if we caused all this and we dont pay. 
Furthermore, it is frustrating to try and attempt to pay and not get any type of correspondence in return. 

Now, on top of all the other problems, Shellpoint is no longer accepting our payments. Each payment that we made over the past two months has been returned. These payments are in full to the signed contract we made when we took out the loan. Their reasoning is that the payment is not in full, including the negative escrow. This has resulted in them turning us over to the credit agencies making it look as if we were no longer making any payment for our home loan. This has hurt us even harder and increased our stress levels even greater, as it has reduced our credit rating so poor that we cant even get a loan to cover the escrow let alone what it is doing to our everyday lives and business. This is just another example of how we have been punished more, for just being a customer. 
We do have a solution. We are not happy about it because it burdens all the weight of this on us and once again makes XXXX XXXX and Shellpoint hold no accountability or responsibility for the mistake made and the lack of professionalism from Shellpoint. 

Through a gift, we will be able to pay in full and catch up the account. Therefore, eliminating the negative escrow on this account and bringing us to what our payment should be. Again, in our talks with XXXX XXXX, we believed that payment to be around {$1800.00}. With us making the payment in full, we are asking the following. First, eliminate all late fees and penalties on our account starting at the point of origin in which that was enforced. Second, immediately restore our credit to its original state by removing all negative reporting done on behalf of Shellpoint and XXXX XXXX. Further, by any other means that XXXX XXXX wants to help us with financial relief, as good faith will be appreciated. 

Respectfully, XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation