Consumer complaint received 2021-06-28
Company: NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
State: CA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Closing on a mortgage

Complaint:
- XXXX XXXX. Loan officer receives our escrow timeline showing XXXX XXXX is the due date for appraisal, and XXXX XXXX as the removal of loan contingency. Up until this point, the only time we were able to get a hold of our loan officer was via the mortgage hotline that leaves a message with him to call us back. No answers to his phone that he has listed in his signature block during his working hours. The first email correspondence took him 8 days to respond. 
- XXXX XXXX. Loan officer responds to an email from XXXX XXXX saying he'll be in touch with us for what he needs. Not a word on our timeline being unrealistic. 
- XXXX XXXX. No responses from our loan officer via email or call to discuss loan documents. He responds late XXXX XXXX and says that us delaying discussion is delaying the home appraisal, even though he is the one not responding. 
- XXXX XXXX. Talked to loan officer on the phone. He orders the appraisal. Not a word on our timeline being unrealistic. 
- XXXX XXXX. Passed to the loan processor. Not a word on our timeline being unrealistic. 
- XXXX XXXX. Followed up with the loan processor for appraisal. No answer to our question. 
- XXXX XXXX. Followed up again. Processor just now discloses that the appraisal was ordered XX/XX/XXXX, and that turnaround could be weeks. She also says that she can not follow up with the appraiser for 10 days due to NavyFed policy. ( Why are we being told this 2 days before it was supposed to be done, and only because we are following up constantly? ) Our realtor helps us extend our escrow timeline, but the seller could have walked due to us not meeting our contingencies. 
- XXXX XXXX. Followed up again. Processor says the appraiser will be out to the property XXXX XXXX. This is also the date of loan contingency removal. Not a word from NavyFed on not being able to meet this. Luckily our realtor had the foresight to extend this as well. But again, seller could have walked due to us not meeting contingencies. 
- XXXX XXXX. No appraiser. Followed up again. Processor tells us appraiser is busy and will be out to the property Monday instead, a holiday. We have a voicemail documenting that he is too busy to call until the day before to schedule. ( Nobody is too busy for a two minute phone call to schedule. ) - XXXX XXXX. Our loan XXXX says that he did not tell us XXXX XXXX was unrealistic because the appraiser is required to view the property within 10 days. This is not what we were told by our processor. So which is it? Per the VA, the appraiser is required to be in the home within 10 days in CA. 
- XXXX XXXX. XXXX says she will call us if we are not going to meet our extended XXXX XXXX timeline for appraisal and loan contingency approval. 
- XXXX XXXX. Processor does not contact us to tell us NavyFed can't meet the new extended timeline ; we only find out because we reach out multiple times. This is the third time the seller could have walked, and the third time NavyFed has blown by a key timeline without prior notice. 
- XXXX XXXX. We are sent loan closing documents, where there is a notice to call the loan officer immediately upon receipt. We call and email immediately. Nothing. 
- XXXX XXXX. Still have not gotten a call back from the loan officer. Appraisal is still not approved. Loan docs are estimated to be sent to the title company XXXX XXXX, and we are supposed to close on XXXX XXXX. We are told docs will be sent to the title company on Monday. 
- XXXX XXXX. No docs sent to title company XXXX shocker! ), with no heads up again. 
- XXXX XXXX. Due date for funding. Again, no heads up that NavyFed can't meet this timeline. Another escrow timeline blown. 
- XXXX XXXX. Closing day. Not a peep from NavyFed. A supervisor tells us that she has sent an urgent email to the appraiser, and filed a complaint. Why was this not done on XXXX XXXX? Or even the extended XXXX XXXX timeline? We ask for an appraisal refund. Our appraisal was ordered on XXXX XXXX, and at this point, it's absolutely insane and unacceptable by any reasonable person standards. 
- XXXX XXXX. Supervisor responds but ignores how we can get a refund. 
- XXXX XXXX. The appraisal magically is done, and we are told we can't get a refund because it was completed ( more than 30 days after the original contingency removal timeline! XXXX. We raise a stink, and are told that the supervisor has to ask higher, because it's not NavyFed at fault. As the sole entity able to liaison with the appraiser third party, NavyFed is very much at fault. 
- XXXX XXXX. No update on an appraisal refund. Followed up again. 

This is not how you treat service members ( or anyone! ) returning from overseas, who have put life savings into purchasing a home for the next duty station. The ineptitude, lack of customer service, and lack of advocacy is staggering from a organization we have used and trusted since we were both XXXX. Closing day came and went without so much as a peep or sense of urgency.

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