Consumer complaint received 2019-11-22
Company: Mr. Cooper Group Inc.
State: OR
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX Mr Cooper, my mortgage company paid XXXX County Tax Assessor {$4400.00} to cover alleged property taxes out of my Escrow account rather than return them to me as instructed in XXXX of XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX they paid XXXX XXXX {$1800.00}, an amount my mortgage company claims is equal to one year 's worth of Casualty insurance. They did so without authorization from me. Then lied that they had to pay the insurance as they had been informed it was past due. 

Mr Cooper went ahead with paying my property taxes despite having been informed first by phone XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX ( I spoke with a XXXX in customer service ) then per her instructions I followed up with an email and certified letter on XX/XX/XXXX stating that I had been approved for State of Oregon Tax Deferral program dated XX/XX/XXXX and that this program would now be responsible for my property taxes. 
*see approval letter attached. 

XX/XX/XXXX, I again called Mr Cooper customer service to confirm two points : 1 : that the funds in my Escrow account were noted to be forwarded to myself and not paid to XXXX County Tax Assesor. 
2. that from XX/XX/XXXX on into the future until my death, the amount withdrawn from my checking account by Mr Cooper was to be for Principal and Interest only. 
During this XX/XX/XXXX call, I was assured that all was in place as requested and that their Escrow department would be running an escrow analysis. I was told I would receive a phone call and a copy of the escrow analysis once completed. I have a XXXX  injury and lose track of time far too easily. When I realized we were at the end of XXXX I, again, called customer service as I had not received any phone call, correspondence, nor a copy of the escrow analysis as I had been promised. Imagine my frustration when I am told that the Escrow department had used the funds to pay the obsolete property taxes instead of forwarding the funds to me. 
I was told they had done this because when they contacted XXXX County there was no Exemption flag listed on the City of XXXX 's website for my account. Why wasn't I contacted at this point to sort out this disparity between the information in my file and what they were seeing on the City 's website? 
This issue could have been easily remedied if I had been notified at the time of the escrow analysis. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I finally reached a XXXX XXXX at Mr Cooper who identified herself as my account administrator. We played phone tag until XX/XX/XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXX, we placed a conference call to XXXX County property tax division, we reached a Ms XXXX who stated that while there was no exemption on my account it had been notated for the State of Oregon Tax Deferral program. Ms XXXX said that Mr Cooper only accepts exemptions because with deferrals they are still exposed to the possibility of Foreclosure for non-payment of property taxes. Ms XXXX proceeded to explain that my property taxes had already been paid by the State of Oregon Tax deferral program and that the county would be returning the payment made by Mr Cooper to Mr Cooper. I then explained to Ms XXXX that with the property tax payments being guaranteed and paid by the State of Oregon Tax deferral program there was no exposure to foreclosure to Mr Cooper. Ms XXXX continued to repeat that her company will not accept a deferral, only an exemption program. 

XXXX XXXX, After hanging up with Ms XXXX, I called XXXX, coordinator for the Oregon Tax deferral program. XXXX told me she has run into this problem more than once with Mr Cooper in other States. She explained how the Oregon Tax deferral program is protected by State and Federal Statutes and that " the mortgage company can not prohibit and must comply with their Tax Deferral program ''. XXXX sent me a copy of these statutes via email which I then forwarded to Ms XXXX. *see statutes attached. 

XXXX XXXX - XXXX, left voice messages for Ms XXXX with no response. 
XXXX XXXX, XXXX left voice message for Ms XXXX stating that Mr Cooper has again drawn funds from my checking account that includes Property Tax payment. 

XXXX XXXX, After hanging up, I find email from Mr Cooper stating that they have paid my Casualty Insurance for one year. Next payment due XXXX, XXXX. This is a new issue. Mr Cooper is not authorized to pay my Casualty/Homeowners insurance XXXX XXXX, XXXX left voice message for Ms XXXX stating that I have always paid my Homeowners insurance directly to the insurer, it is not stipulated as a condition of my loan and that the amount paid to XXXX by Mr Cooper of {$1800.00} is incorrect, where did they get this information and who authorized? 
XXXX XXXX, Ms XXXX returns my calls stating that they are authorized to pay my Casualty/Homeowners insurance as they are required to maintain an Escrow account for me as stipulated in the loan modification finalized by Seterus in XXXX, XXXX ( Seterus is the company that sold my loan to Mr Cooper. XXXX was the original holder of my mortgage deed ). And further, that their Escrow department was told my account was past due, then given the amount of {$1800.00} by XXXX insurance. I tell Ms XXXX that this sounds like nonsense, that I have being paying my Casualty/Homeowners insurance directly to the company of my choice since I bought my first mortgage at the age of XXXX. 
I have no memory of having signed an authorization for my mortgage company to pay my Homeowners insurance, xxnor did I give my mortgage company authorization to draw funds out of my checking account for anything other than my property taxes. Ms XXXX ends the call by stating that she is still trying to see if she can get my property taxes refunded to me. How can she continue to say that the return of my money is tenuous when she has acknowledged receiving the letter citing the Oregon and Federal statutes they are to comply with? I am rendered speechless and simply hang up the phone. 
XXXX XXXX, I then called XXXX insurance and spoke with XXXX, my customer service contact. XXXX tells me that there are no notes in my file to show that Mr Cooper nor anyone else has inquired about the annual cost of my Casualty/Homeowners insurance, but that they have received payment from Mr Cooper. 
My policy with XXXX was opened on XX/XX/XXXX. I switched both my Auto and Homeowners from XXXX to XXXX with an effective of XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX. I forwarded a copy of the Declarations page, as required per the terms of my mortgage to Ms XXXX at Mr Cooper as soon as I received it. 
As required, I made the first month 's payment for both on XX/XX/XXXX. It is not possible for an account opened on XX/XX/XXXX, accompanied by the XXXX payment, to be past due on XXXX XXXX. 

I am feeling extremely vulnerable and no longer trust my mortgage company. 
What steps will Mr Cooper try next to put my account in jeopardy with the threat of foreclosure? What lie will they tell next? What new fees will they try to attach to my loan or Escrow account? And what can be done to make them comply with, and obey, State and Federal Lending Institution or appropriate Banking laws? 
Their logo is " changing the face of home loans ''. I am not at all comfortable with the face they are showing me. 

Mr Cooper ( a registered service mark of Nationstar Mortgage LLC ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX direct line XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Dedicated Loan Specialist

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation