Consumer complaint received 2017-07-04
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NY
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Home equity loan or line of credit (HELOC)
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage

Complaint:
This complaint is in response to " Citibank 's Response Letter_dated XXXX ''. <P/>REAL FACT 1 Citibank Personal banker, XXXX XXXX XXXX, had never told me that Citibank would have to pay off and close my XXXX HELOC account and he never informed me Citibank does not lend in third lien position. See my support email Citibank Heloc_Email_Asking to close my XXXX HELOC : XXXX/XXXX/XXXX @ XXXX XXXX emailed to ask me to sign a document allowing Citibank to request a payoff statement from XXXX XXXX XXXX/XXXX/XXXX @ XXXX I wrote email to XXXX about our conversation on the first day before submitting my application and on the email I asked if Citibank would pay for the XXXX penalty. The conversation on the first day before submitting the HELOC application was basically informing him that I must have my XXXX HELOC open for three years to avoid a penalty ; He told me he understood and it would be fine that I could pay it off and let it open as INACTIVE till the third year of my withdrawal period is done with XXXX. XXXX/XXXX/XXXX @ XXXX XXXX emailed me, Hello sir, Hold on ok. I forwarded the info to XXXX. This email chain shows that : XXXX DID NOT deny it. XXXX DID NOT tell me about I must close my XXXX account. XXXX DID assure me not to worry and it would not be a problem that I COULD keep my XXXX account open after I pay it off as inactive till the end of my third year. XXXX DID NOT inform me that Citibank does not lend in third lien position. There are no facts to support otherwise. If they were, please provide. <P/>REAL FACT 2 On XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, Citibank Processor, XXXX XXXX, did email me asked me to sign a document allowing Citibank to request a payoff statement from XXXX and close the account. NO ONE ever communicated with me to close my XXXX HELOC account BEFORE that date. I submitted the XXXX agreement on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX with a check for HELOC application to my CoOp board and had it signed on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. So, XXXX/XXXX/XXXX was already too late. If anyone would had told me about this, I would not have applied for the HELOC with Citibank in the first place. From the start, I informed XXXX that I did not want to close my XXXX HELOC account. I never spoke with XXXX. I only communicated with her via emails. Provide me with the records that XXXX communicated verbally with me on several occasions explaining that Citibank would need to close my XXXX HELOC prior to XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. See my support email Citibank Heloc_Email_Approved for XXXX from XXXX, XXXX XXXX ; sent Tuesday, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX ; To XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX Subject RE : XXXX XXXX. She wrote, Hello XXXX, The borrower is going to get the Promo of Prime - .51 % for the First 12 months and {$100000.00} We do have to send out a New XXXX Agreement. Payoffs : XXXX ( Heloc ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Total {$60000.00}. Her email proofs that she did not inform me or request that I must close my XXXX HELOC ( XXXX ( Heloc ) ). She misled and deceived me into believing I only need to payoff my XXXX HELOC and keep it open as INACTIVE. <P/>REAL FACT 3 Citibanks response letter ( dated XXXX/XXXX/XXXX ) from XXXX XXXX stated, You informed XXXX XXXX that you were not familiar with the PrePayment Penalty fee from XXXX until you were late in the application process with Citibank. This is absolutely NOT CORRECT. I HAD informed XXXX XXXX the first day I came to Citibank to ask information about a HELOC that I currently have a HELOC with XXXX, signed on XXXX XXXX, with a clause that I may not close it within 3 years during the withdrawal period because I would get charged an early termination penalty. I told him I did not want to close it early and did not want to pay an early termination penalty fee. I would use the Citibank HELOC to pay off my XXXX HELOC but keep it open with XXXX balance. XXXX said that he understood and not to worry about it. He said I could keep my first HELOC with XXXX open as INACTIVE till the end of the withdrawal period with XXXX. So, I agreed to submit the HELOC application with Citibank on that same day. See my support email Citibank Heloc_Email_Asking to close my XXXX HELOC ( same explanation as REAL FACT 1 above ). Also, see my support email Citibank Heloc_Email_Approved for XXXX ( same explanation as REAL FACT 2 above ). <P/>REAL FACT 4. I did NOT informed Citibank that I did not wish to move forward in the process to obtain the HELOC with Citibank. I DO want to move forward in the process to obtain the HELOC with Citibank without closing my XXXX HELOC as it was not on our original agreement as one of the requirements when I applied for the HELOC. The COMMITMENT LETTER and XXXX AGREEMENT did NOT state that Citibank would have to pay off and close my XXXX  HELOC account. It was NOT listed as one of the requirements I must fulfill to close. See my support XXXX Citibank HELOC Commitment Letter only stated, Payoffs : The following are items required to be paid with the proceeds of this loan. XXXX {$1200.00} and XXXX XXXX XXXX {$8200.00}. There was no mentioning about my XXXX XXXX must be closed. Also, see my support email Citibank Heloc_Email_Approved for XXXX ( same explanation as REAL FACT 2 above ). <P/>IN SUMMARY Per the above facts and supports, Citibank failed to disclose/inform me as a consumer that I must close my XXXX HELOC account as one of the requirements to apply for Citbank HELOC. Citibank ( through its personal banker, XXXX XXXX XXXX, and its processor, XXXX XXXX ) deceived me with false promise into submitting a HELOC application with Citibank. See my explanation on REAL FACT 3. Citibank mistreated my application while finding excuses to deny my application after more than three months playing with my emotions, and wasting my time, my energy, and ultimately, my money. Citibanks employees, XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX, are lying to their internal investigator ( executive response specialist ) in the course of the review of the above situation. I respectfully request a refund of {$350.00} HELOC application fee I had paid my CoOp board.

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