Consumer complaint received 2020-06-21
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: DC
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
In late XXXX, I was informed by Washington DC that due to an audit ( that completed in XXXX of XXXX XXXX, they had determined that the previous owner, XXXX XXXX, had mistakenly received a homestead deduction for the property during XXXX through XXXX. My partner and I purchased this property at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX of XXXX. At the time of our purchase, there were no outstanding property taxes due. However, after this audit, it was determined by Washington DC that XXXX XXXX owed the district {$14000.00}. As we had 45 days to submit our response, I had reached out to the Title company we had used to establish the best way forward. However, with the COVID situation, communication was slow so it was taking awhile to patch together what had happened. In the meantime, On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from Chase indicating that " We don't collect money to pay exemption revoked taxes as part of your escrow payment. However, after we received your request, we made a one-time courtesy payment of {$14000.00} to District of Columbia. '' I want it very clear that neither my partner nor I made ANY request to Chase to make this courtesy payment. Chase made an unauthorized payment on our behalf without asking as nor informing us until after they went ahead and did something. And due to Chase making this payment we have been hamstrung in fixing the situation. While Chase makes it sound like they provided a special payment on our behalf, what they really did was drain down our originally funded escrow account. Our monthly payments are going up by over 1/3rd to rebuild our escrow account. Something that would not be necessary had Chase not paid it while we contested this retroactively revoked taxes payment. Now, we are in an awkward spot of trying to have Chase ask for a refund to get our escrow money back and then also have DC negate their demand that we owe them this {$14000.00} revoked back taxes owed by the previous owner. Our title company has made it clear we were not liable for that amount. 
I have called twice to have Chase ask the DC Homestead office for a refund for that amount so that the current owners can contest the payment. Both times have been followed by Chase sending us a letter indicating that they called the taxing authority and verified that there were no overpayments on our account and that everything is paid for and on-time. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON THE PHONE. Each time I have called, I have asked for Chase to work towards getting the {$14000.00} recalled back. Instead they seem to just check the box that everything is ok. Washington DC doesn't think anything is wrong either because they got their money. With the Covid situation, communications with the DC Homestead office has been extremely slow as we try to rectify this situation. What Chase needs to be contacting is the DC Homestead office and not the DC Tax office. Also why am I getting letters back instead of a person to confirm what happened. Why not a three way call set up if necessary?

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation