Consumer complaint received 2023-12-12
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: WV
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process
Sub-issue: Escrow, taxes, or insurance

Complaint:
In XXXX, I was notified in separate letters about XXXX properties I have, were behind on tax payments, so an escrow would be added to both mortgages. The escrow would collect for Future Taxes, as well as for previous taxes owed. I could not afford the new escrow payment amounts, as well as I was late on my taxes, so I pulled from my retirement and paid the taxes for tax year XXXX & XXXX, on both properties. I did want to maintain the escrow amount for the future taxes amount, so I contacted Fifth Third bank at the number they provided, talked to them about the situation and requested a pathforward on how to adjust the escrow on both properties, so that I was not being charged any erroneous charge for back taxes due. Per XXXX XXXX instructions, I sent the necessary supporting documentation, with the letters to XXXX with thorough instructions of what I was asking for. Prior to the adjustment, it must be noted in XXXX, Fifth Third sent the tax payment for both properties to the XXXX XXXX XXXX, and then received the funds back prior to the end of XXXX, because the funds were already paid. In XX/XX/XXXX they fixed the escrow on XXXX property without issue, but the other property they did not adjust. I reached back out to the bank via the number I previously called several times, and sent the information in XXXX more times, of which the second time they did not adjust anything and then the XXXX they adjusted it completely wrong and in a manner against my wishes. I had told them time and time again, I should not be charged for the shortage on the taxes because there is no shortage, which I provided support for as well as they should have been able to see when they attempted to send the money in XXXX. The last time I sent the information in, which was mid XXXX, they adjusted the escrow, mailed ( which I have not received and it has been 7 days ) the entire amount of the escrow plus future amounts that would be paid to it, so that they would maintain my payment of {$920.00} a month which was the amount that was to high that I was trying to get lowered. The payment should have been less than {$700.00}, including the escrow amount for the future. Each month, I have contacted them about this I have explained to them that I am only requesting the same process be done on this property as they did on the other when I originally sent the request in back in XXXX. I have reached out now to the branch XXXX of the branch I visit, she put me with the escrow department, which I spoke to XXXX employee and a supervisor XXXX ( employee # XXXX ). I explained the situation to them, and they would not take action. XXXX 's suggestion was that I take on a financing option that fifth third could provide. This was extremely unethical. Rather than fix the situation, which they had caused they wanted to push me to a product of theirs that would make them more money so that I could continue to pay them the amount that they were erroneously charging me. I don't believe I should have to pay more to the bank to have them correct this issue. As well, I do not understand how XXXX escrow can be adjusted but the other can not. The adjustment that did happen on the property that I am having issue, is only in the banks favor and does not resolve the issue they created when they did not fix both properties in the summer as requested.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation