Consumer complaint received 2019-09-17
Company: Freedom Mortgage Company
State: FL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
We did Emergency Services work for a customer after their home flooded. The work was covered by their insurance company and when the insurance company paid us they mistakenly put the insured 's mortgage company on the check. The mortgage company even agreed that they should not have been on the check because it was Emergency Services work and there was no rebuild on the job. Meaning we did not put anything back into the home that the mortgage company would have rights to. 

Because the check had already been written and signed over to us by the insured we were forced to send the check, in a self-addressed stamped overnight envelope, to the mortgage company, Freedom Mortgage in order for them to sign it and send it back to us. We were instructed, by Freedom Mortgage, to endorse the check and send it to them and were told that they would return the check to us in our next-day self-addressed stamped envelope. We sent the checks to the on XX/XX/2019. 

Since receiving the checks, Freedom Mortgage has told us a different story nearly each time we call. They were sent two different checks, one for the water damage and one for the mold. We have been told that the checks were approved and sent back to us. When I pointed out that they hadn't arrived and that our envelope was not showing that it was in the mail they then said that they were sent in their own envelope. We waited several days for them to arrive. 

When they hadn't I called back and was told that it would be 3 business days before they sent them. When they again didn't arrive I was told that they had to be deposited into Freedom Mortgage 's bank account and that once they cleared they would be sent and that it would be three business days. 

When they didn't arrive we were told that they wanted us to send them a bond and a copy of our General Contractor 's license. We explained that we were not a General Contractor, that again, we did not do any build back and that our work did not require a bond. They had to request an exemption which took several days to get OK'ed. 

When the check again did not arrive I was told that the home owner would need to come current on his loan before they could release the funds. When I called back and spoke to someone else I was told that one of the checks, the water damage check, was sent and that the second check would be sent once they had a " clean air '' test. They did not specify what that meant or what would qualify as a clean air test or a passing standard. 

Now we come to find out that they did not send the water damage check and that they are still holding onto it. 


The latest is that they want to combine the two checks and have us petition to have half of the balance sent to us. We had to ask for another exemption from them. and are waiting to hear back but it makes no sense to combine the two checks and then have to request that they send half of it. 

We have been waiting for our checks from Freedom Mortgage, who has no legal claim to our checks for 28 days now. They have been collecting interest on our money, without a right to the checks because the insurance company made a mistake by putting their name on our checks. Freedom Mortgage is now profiting from this mistake with our money. 

The amount in question is {$11000.00}. {$5700.00} for the water damage and {$5200.00} for the mold. 

The supervisor I have been speaking to is XXXX XXXX and her direct number is : XXXX The loan number is XXXX the Tracking number is XXXX.

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