Consumer complaint received 2020-03-05
Company: AmeriHome Mortgage Company, LLC
State: AL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
Emails with XXXX and XXXX We closed on a house XX/XX/XXXX. Amerihome took over the house note XX/XX/XXXX but took it upon themselves to pay out the entire XX/XX/XXXX year house taxes to XXXX County even though we had lived in the house less than 1.5 months. Later told me it was a mistake even though they had no business touching any of my escrow. My home loan was sold after one payment to XXXX XXXX. 

Because of paying taxes already paid, my escrow was in the negative. I called many times questioning this and was later told after the escrow accounting for the year I would be forced to pay an additional {$40.00} a month. I was told I could only pay a part of what was in the red and could not make an additional escrow only payment. Nothing ever added up and because no one would really help me, we decided to refinance due to the interest rates being much lower. 

Amerihome proceeded to pay taxes for XXXX as due. They pulled them on XX/XX/XXXX. We signed refinance XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX County had the excuse that they had issues with their system and posted the refinance attorneys check instead of Amerihomes check that they received first. 

XX/XX/XXXX my house loan with Amerihome was paid in full, shortly thereafter I received the Court documents where it was completely paid in full-seemingly like amerihome no longer had an account for me. 

XX/XX/XXXX I started researching to find a contact higher up. In doing so, I found almost 300 complaints with the XXXX  and many that I was reading through was also dealing with Amerihome stealing ( I use this term loosely due to Amerihome thinking it is okay to keep escrow checks for months even though it is not their money ). I then found a contact with the Presidents office. 

I contacted and was given an acknowledgement. XX/XX/XXXX I was given a screen shot of what I already knew from the XXXX County tax website. It had been paid-then where is my money? I was technically posted XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX Manager of Office of the President proceeds to tell me : On XX/XX/XXXX, out tax team spoke with the County and confirmed that a refund of {$1500.00} for a duplicate tax payment was returned to AmeriHome on XX/XX/XXXX. We have not received the returned funds as of this email. Upon receipt, the funds will be redeposited to your escrow account for accounting purposes, then refunded to you. Once received, we will expedite the process of returning the funds to you. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX then told me Our tax team spoke with " XXXX at XXXX County '', to inquire on the status of the refund. It is noted that the refund may take 4-5 weeks. 

It has now been 5 weeks since this deadline and I have yet to get anything from them. Amerihome Mortgage owes me {$1500.00}. Where is my money? It has been over 8 weeks since the check was returned to Amerihome Mortgage per XXXX XXXX. I have no reason to believe that they are attempting to keep this money to gain interest off of it. There is no longer any account associated under our names due to the house being paid off. I want my refund money owed to me immediately. If XXXX county stated they returned the check on XX/XX/XXXX, why was I told XX/XX/XXXX that XXXX County " said it would take another 4-5 weeks ''? What is the Office of the President trying to cover up because they have admitted that it is my money and not theirs. 

I have also sent a copy of the above to Alabama State Attorney General 's office in order to try and get my money back XX/XX/XXXX was the last date I had anything to do with Amerihome.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation