Consumer complaint received 2023-03-17
Company: BMO HARRIS BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: IL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Account status incorrect

Complaint:
BMO HARRIS BANK HELD MY MORTGAGE PAYMENTS FOR 4 MONTHS AND THEN REPORTED IT NEGATIVE ON MY CREDIT REPORT : When I was healthy and working, I paid my mortgage on time and was never late in 20 years ( since the first mortgage in XXXX ). However, during the Covid pandemic, I experienced hardship and lost my job. I also became sick and recently had to have major surgery. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I fell behind on my mortgage and was granted a 3-month forbearance in XX/XX/XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX, I was served with foreclosure court papers. After 3 requests, I finally received the reinstatement letter in XX/XX/XXXX and paid the full amount of {$8200.00} on XX/XX/XXXX bring my mortgage current. 

However, BMO Harris kept my account on hold for nearly 4 months and did not apply the funds to my back mortgage. In the meantime, they were reporting negative to my credit reports and I could not pay at the local bank, or over the phone because my account was " still on hold '' and " funds were in the process of being applied '' ... 

I called and emailed BMO Harris Bank over a dozen times in XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX begging them to release the hold on my account so that I could pay my current mortgage. Then during the time they were not allowing me to pay because my account was still on hold, BMO sent me a letter in XX/XX/XXXX stating that my mortgage would go into foreclosure again if I didn't pay. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO PAY SINCE XX/XX/XXXX, BUT WAS NOT ALLOWED BECAUSE MY ACCT WAS ON HOLD. BMO Harris Bank held my payments for 4 months AND inaccurately reported negatively on my credit report. 

BMO PHONE CONVERSATIONS/EMAILS : My phone conversations with BMO Harris Bank are from the following dates, but not limited to : XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX approved a 3-month Forbearance XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : I called to pay my current mortgage and XXXX stated that the account was current and no money was due at that time. I was transferred to the Foreclosure Dpt who stated that the payment was still being processed and that I could not pay at the local branch. 
XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : I was told that there was a credit of {$3200.00} that still has to be applied to my account. 
XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : I spoke with XXXX who transferred me to XXXX who told me to email my concerns to XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : I emailed XXXX requesting that the {$8200.00} be applied to my account because its being reported negatively on my credit report. 
XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : I was on hold for 30 mins ; then it was quiet with music for XXXX mins. Then it just hung up. 
XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : Team Lead XXXX will research and request they apply the funds. 
XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : XXXX transferred me to XXXX who said she was waiting for 1 more hold code to change. 
XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : XXXX said I was removed from foreclosure on XX/XX/XXXX ( eventhough I paid the reinstatement on XX/XX/XXXX ). 
XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : I emailed XXXX, XXXX ( second time ) requesting that BMO Harris Bank release the stops and flag codes from my account because my current mortgage is due on XX/XX/XXXX. I also requested that they reverse the inaccurate negative credit reporting. 
XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : I spoke with BMO Harris Bank Foreclosure Team Lead XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX stated that I STILL could not go into my local bank to pay my mortgages ( which was 3 months past due at that time ) because the Hardest Hits Funds Department has not responded to her emails that she forwarded to them from me. XXXX XXXX confirmed that the reinstatement process should take about 30 days. It had been 3 months since I paid the reinstatement on XX/XX/XXXX. As of XX/XX/XXXX, my account was still on hold and reporting negative to my credit report. XXXX XXXX confirmed that I was at risk of going into foreclosure again because my account would be 4 months past due on XX/XX/XXXX. I stated that I had the funds to pay the past due mortgages for XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX. 

LOCAL BMO HARRIS BANK WOULD NOT TAKE MY MORTGAGE PAYMENTS : XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : After speaking with XXXX XXXX XXXX I went into the local bank located in XXXX XXXX XXXX IL and tried to pay {$1400.00} with check # XXXX ( XXXX ). Bank tellers XXXX and XXXX stated that they could not do it and sent me to XXXX XXXX XXXX, who stated she could not apply the payment either because my account was still in collections. She gave me a number to call the Mortgage Department. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I called the Mortgage Department and I was finally able to pay the mortgages for XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$1400.00} ( confirmation # XXXX ). BMO charged me {$11.00} for a phone payment system I was forced to use. I am requesting a refund of {$11.00}. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I called Customer Service to request Mortgage statements from XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX to prove that I had a forbearance/ hardship deferment for XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, and that I tried to pay the mortgages for XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX but BMO had my account on hold and I could not pay. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I called Customer Service to request FOIA transcripts of all my phone conversations with BMO to prove that I tried to pay my mortgage. They said it had to be an emailed request. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I emailed communications XXXX  to the following BMO Harris Bank. 

XX/XX/XXXX MORTGAGE WAS PAID IN FULL ON TIME, BUT WAS STILL REPORTED LATE ON MY CREDIT : XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX : I went to the local BMO Harris bank in XXXX XXXX XXXX IL and paid the {$480.00} mortgage due XX/XX/XXXX with check # XXXX ( XXXX ). 
XX/XX/XXXX : I checked my XXXX and XXXX credit report and BMO reported that the mortgage payment for XX/XX/XXXX was late. IT WAS NOT LATE I paid a day early. I called BMO XXXX and they confirmed that it was PAID ON-TIME on XX/XX/XXXX. 

INACCURATE NEGATIVE CREDIT REPORTING ( please reverse ) My credit report states 14 missed payments from BMO. This is NOT accurate. As stated above, I had a forbearance/deferment for XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX ; my account was put on hold in XX/XX/XXXX and I paid the reinstatement on XX/XX/XXXX ; BMO Harris kept my account on hold until XX/XX/XXXX and would not let me pay the mortgage. Technically, I have 6 missed payments, not 14. As a courtesy, I am requesting for BMO Harris Bank to reverse ALL negative reporting. 
I am requesting for BMO to contact XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX Credit Reporting Agencies and : A ) Legally remove negative reporting for XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX. 
B ) Courtesy removal of negative reporting for XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX.

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 explanation