Consumer complaint received 2021-08-14
Company: Freedom Mortgage Company
State: NY
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Closing on a mortgage

Complaint:
I signed the initial mortgage refinance application with freedom mortgage on XX/XX/2021. I provided all of my documents on the same day, or worse case the following day. APpraisal were scheduled promptly and Freedom mortgage received the report by end of XXXX. They have a customer service team where they try to call you once a week to provide an update. 4 weeks into the process, i was told its in " Final review '' and should be closing shortly. 5 weeks into it, same status. 7 weeks into it, same status. Each time it was a different person calling me for an update. I have asked a number of times why its taking so long - i emailed the loan officer and ask what happened, and he told me it was in underwriting and should be closed shortly. 8 weeks into it, customer service called me and said its in " Final Review '' and i question why isnt it in underwriting. I was told it was never in under writing. I emailed the loan officer again - and theres no response. I sent another follow up, no response again. 

I called the XXXX number on XX/XX/XXXX and i was told freedom is waiting for " new bank statements '' from me becuase the one i provided were too old. ( Of course it is too old, when i provided it, it was only in XXXX ). No one contacted me to let me know they are waiting for new statement. So i provided the statement 10 minutes after my phone call. The XXXX number people gave me the Loan officer 's manager email, and the processing manager 's email address. I emailed them asking for assistance, and of course then the loan officer emailed me within an hour. 

I was also told my " customer advocate '' is Ms XXXX XXXX and she should have trying to keep it up to date for me - which i have never heard from her in the first 8 weeks of the process. The following monday on XX/XX/XXXX, Ms XXXX called me and said she will bring this to the finishing line for me. THings started happening more quickly after my complains to the manager. i was contacted for closing in the last week of XXXX for a XX/XX/XXXX closing. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I still did not receive final disclosure ( I did receive the initial one in last week of XXXX when i was scheduling closing ), and i phoned the XXXX people again, and they emailed it to me. The notary came to my house for the closing, and things went smoothly. It was closed in 45 minutes and but things did not stop here. 

On XX/XX/XXXX - the Notary called me and said Freedom had asked him to come back to me to sign an additional Mortgage Note because it was missing from the original packet on XX/XX/XXXX. I looked back my own copy and i did see the correct loan amount on a mortgage note - and I was told by Notary that Freedom mortgage is looking for 2 notes for my file. I told him okay come to my house again and i can sign it. I did ask him to email me the documents before hand so i can see what they are. I made a time with the Notary to meet at my house on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX to take care of this. I also called my sister who is a closer for over 20 years - and she told me i do not need to sign that becuase there is no " Gap Note '' since my new loan amount is lower than the original unpaid balance. She has never seen a negative amount, and it is not required as per her knowledge. She told me to inform freedom and tell them this is not required for my case becuase my loan amount is less than original unpaid balance. 

Notary emailed the documents to me on XX/XX/XXXX morning - after looking at it, I had 1 question and found 1 typo on the document. 

My question was why is it a negative $ XXXX on the mortgage note and a negative $ XXXXmonth payment from me to freedom mortgage. I have never seen a negative amount on a mortgage document before. 

The typo was on Page 4 Item E - the dollar amount says - $ XXXX but it spelled out " None and XXXX/XXXX  '' on the space where you are suppose to spelled out the number in English form. Just like how you are suppose to write a check with " XXXX XXXX XXXX Dollars '' with a {$150.00} check. The English form of the negative {$16.00} was wrong. 

I called freedom mortgage Closing escalation department at around XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX letting them know the Notary is coming at XXXX and there is a typo as well as my question on what is XXXX and what does it mean. I was told she would look into it and will call me back in 1 hour. And if anything they will email the notary a new copy. No one got back to me. 

The notary was late due to a previous closing and we met at my house at XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. I asked if he received a new copy and he said no. i showed him the typo, and asked the XXXX number. He said he has never seen a negative number in his career. 

I made some attempts to call the Loan Officer on the spot, and he tries to contact the title company - but neither of them picked up the call. 

I called closing escalation department again - and Mr XXXX XXXX told me he also have never seen a negative amount on a mortgage loan before and he is not sure why that is. But he agreed because of the typo, this document can not be signed and should be taken care of next day. I emphasized i want to know what does " Borrower agreed to pay negative $ XXXX to Freedom mortgage for 30 years '' mean and where does the negative XXXX come from. And also fix the typo. XXXX told me he would get back to me next day. 

The next day - at around XXXX - a lady called XXXX XXXX from Freedom Mortage Legal department emailed me with the following message, " The attached documents were missed at closing. We need you to sign and return the attached document. I was notified that you refused to sign the documents you are not understanding the difference in the loan amount. It is urgent that we have these documents signed and returned as soon as possible. '' She called me 1 minute after this email and the first thing she said was, " Mr XXXX, what seems to be the problem and why are you refusing to sign ''. Her tone was aggresive. I told her i dont understand how it became " i refuse the sign '' when i made an appointment with the notary at XXXX the day before. I also explaind there is a typo on the document and i want to understand the negative number and where it came from. 

Ms. XXXX brought up the document infront of herself and asked me where is the typo. I told her it is on page 4 item E where the english form of the number does not match the actual number of - $ XXXX. She saw it and said she doesnt know. I asked her if she has seen a negative number on a mortgage document and she said she has never seen it before. She told me she will find out and call me back. 

30 minutes later, XXXX emailed me and explained the XXXX is becuase I had a pay down from the original unpaid principal balance. My original unpaid balance was $ XXXX and my new loan amount is $ XXXX and the negative XXXX is becuase I am paying down and therefore they need a mortgage note document of XXXX. It was missing from their original mortgage closing packet on XX/XX/XXXX and therefore they need it to be signed. I responded to XXXX okay i understand how it is calculated now, but what does it mean for me to pay negative $ XXXXmonth to freedom mortgage? How do i make negative {$71.00} per month to freedom mortgage? 

While waiting for XXXX response, Legal department Ms XXXX called me again - she asked again the same question, why am i not signing and what seems to be the problem. I told her i understand the XXXX number now, but what about the typo? Shouldnt it say, " Negative XXXX XXXX and xxxxxx ''? instead of " XXXX and XXXX/XXXX ''? She again said she had already explained to me why there is a negative XXXX and i need to sign. it is my legal obligation to sign or else there will be legal actions against me. 

I asked her if she is asking me to sign a mortgage document knowingly that it is wrong? I asked her why not just fix the wording and i can sign it. Or i can cross out the english form and write it in myself. She told me i can not cross out anything, and she said " That is how it is, and she see it all the time ''. i was very suprised with that and i asked her " this is the same as a written {$150.00} check but the " XXXX and XXXX/XXXX '' - will the bank take it? She again asked me where do i see that, and i again pointed out to her its page 4 item E. She asked me where it is again and I read out the entire item E to her again ( 4th time ). She finally said, " oh i see what you mean '' and she said she will get back to me. At the same time i told her i will be traveling on XX/XX/XXXX for 2 weeks and i would like to take care of it today. She told me she needs it sign today and again asking me to sign it. I asked her, " did you forget about the typo '' In my mind, i am thinking if she has short term memory as she keeps forgetting about the typo again and again. 

at XXXX i emailed Ms XXXX and XXXX again - telling them i am leaving tomorrow morning, and no one got back to me about a new fixed document. 

Guess what - XXXX responded that they made another mistake upon their consultation, and turns out that document is not required for me to sign at all and my sister was right. They said their closing department should have thrown it away and not even required in my case due to loan amount is lower than Unpaid balance. 

Again no one told me that they realized its not required and just left me hanging. Not even once anyone apologized for the confusion. Not even once anyone apologized they wasted my time, the notary 's time for coming to my house for nothing. 

It was a big waste of time and their communication is extremely poor.

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