Consumer complaint received 2018-04-17
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: MD
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Lease
Issue: Managing the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Problem with fees charged

Complaint:
An auto lease agreement was entered into on XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX between myself and XXXX XXXX, 39 monthly payments at {$550.00}, totaling {$21000.00}, plus $ 31- {$33.00} monthly sales tax when State applicable. This lease was paid in full. 

I relocated to XXXX from XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX, and properly notified XXXX XXXX by phone and with a Power of Attorney request faxed to XXXX XXXX in the Retitle Department. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX sent the title to the DMV ( XXXX, XXXX  ) via XXXX. 
In XX/XX/XXXX, now residing in Maryland, I was notified by the DMV that XXXX County Department of Tax Administration ( FCDTA ) had a registration hold on my account for unpaid property taxes. I called FCDTA and was directed to contact the lienholder, XXXX. 
Initially, Ally Financial ( formerly XXXX ), claim it had not received notification that the vehicle was moved to another state, or a tax bill from FCDTA due its address change and/or relocation of its XXXX, MD, headquarters to XXXX, Michigan. 
I re-contacted FCDTA on XX/XX/XXXX, and XXXX XXXX, supervisor, reconfirmed that XXXX failed to pay the taxes, and as a result, {$350.00} in penalties, interest and collection fees had been assessed. A copy of the correspondences with XXXX XXXX was faxed to XXXX XXXX, and upon realizing XXXX error, she removed the registration hold and collections report with the credit bureaus. She also said she would contact Ally for payment. 
I called Ally and advised that the vehicle had been retitled in XXXX, and tax bill remain delinquent. The representative informed that a speeding ticket paid on my behalf would appear on the next billing statement. The license plate number did not match mine, and was issued by a state I had not visited. I explained I had not received any traffic citations, and requested a copy of the violation and tax bill with proof of payment. The documents were to arrive in 3-5 business days, but never did.

Numerous calls and requests to escalate the matter to executive support for assistance were made, and a letter was also sent regarding the mishandling of my account and erroneous billing. Ally responded with a list of E-85 stations in Georgia, where I no longer resided, instead of Maryland ( originally requested in XXXX ), and a copy of my recent billing statement, not requested. Ally was extremely disorganized while merging its departments, operations, and offices with XXXX. I submitted the dispute via the XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX, and only then did Ally send a copy of the tax bill, citation, and a duplicate of the E-85 stations in Georgia. 
The tax bill ( stamped received by Ally on XX/XX/XXXX ) included the late payment penalty, {$280.00}, interest {$15.00}, and collection fee, {$50.00}, Ally had long denied. According to XXXX XXXX XXXX, the account was cancelled out on XX/XX/XXXX and returned to the County of XXXX, unpaid. 
The citation tuned out to be a photo enforcement ticket issued by the District of Columbia ( DC ), which Ally paid on XX/XX/XXXX, not in XX/XX/XXXX, and {$50.00} not {$100.00} as it claimed, according to DC-DMV record. The Lease Agreement allowed 15 days to pay or contest charges for fines placed on the vehicle once notified. The information originally provided by Ally had no connection with my SUV, and notification for a second photo enforcement ticket issued by the same authority on XX/XX/XXXX, was sent two months later, see attached letter. Ally attempted to collect {$250.00} on XX/XX/XXXX, which I learned from DC DMV was originally {$120.00}, and that the {$250.00} Ally paid on XX/XX/XXXX included a {$120.00} late fee assessed in XX/XX/XXXX. 
The erroneous billing and promises to provide documentation for charges was ongoing, which the company failed to correct as promised. In XX/XX/XXXX, Ally billed {$300.00} miscellaneous fee and {$190.00} photo summons. After a lengthy research period, in XX/XX/XXXX, Ally advised that {$280.00}, not {$300.00}, was the remaining balance from the property taxes. I paid {$280.00} on XX/XX/XXXX, and after my last lease payment ( ended XX/XX/XXXX ), the company advised of a final amount due of {$420.00}, which I paid on XX/XX/XXXX. 
A notice dated XX/XX/XXXX indicated a balance of {$2200.00}. Upon contacting Ally, I was told that {$1700.00} remained on the property tax bill and {$460.00} for summons. 
I have no legal obligation to pay {$350.00} in penalties, interests, and collection fees that were assessed by COF as a result of XXXX/Allys negligence ; {$280.00} in late fees due to Allys negligence to give property notification on citations ; or demand for payment of {$1400.00} it has been either unable or unwilling to explain. I have repeatedly asked for a printout of my account, letter acknowledging receipt of the XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX payments, totaling {$700.00}, and copies of all photo enforcement citations to no avail. Not attempt has been made by this company to resolve my concerns, as it claims in its responses. I have only received incorrect information from customer service representatives, and acts of retaliation. Ally has not honored any of my requests to speak directly with someone in is executive office.

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