Consumer complaint received 2020-05-21
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Closing on a mortgage

Complaint:
I have had a mortgage loan with Chase Bank since XX/XX/XXXX. However, on XX/XX/XXXX- I received a letter and a text message from Chase advising me that my mortgage loan was transferred to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I had not received a welcome letter from XXXX- I did not know where to send my mortgage payment. However, I was not too concerned because I know in the past if my other loan was transferred, I had a 60day grace period to get everything situated. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I had an automatic mortgage payment from XXXX XXXX XXXX taken from my Chase account in the amount of {$890.00}. 

I was a little flustered because I was not aware the money was going to be taken from my bank account. I never authorized XXXX to take any money out of my account. I had just received a welcome letter from them 2 days prior. At any rate, I said to myself- if the mortgage would have still been with Chase XXXX they would have taken it out of my account so I let it go.

Apparently- Chase provided XXXX all of my information including my bank information. My loan with Chase was set up on auto draft and came out of my account every month on the XXXX so it appeared XXXX was doing the same. 

That said, on XX/XX/XXXX- I had an automatic withdrawal from my account from XXXX XXXX XXXX in the amount of {$920.00}??? 

I called Chase Customer Service I was on hold for literally an hour. I asked the representative what the payment was for? She advised- it appeared to be a payment I had authorized and set up. I told her I had never heard of the company before and asked if it was for a mortgage? She said she didn't know. I asked if there was a phone number associated with the transaction- she said no. She wasn't very helpful so hung up with her and I drove to the Chase Branch in XXXX, CA. I spoke with the manager XXXX. He said I needed to make an appointment because he only had 1 banker. However- as I waited in my car, he looked up my account and brought me back some forms to fill out to dispute the transaction. I asked him as well if it was for a mortgage and told him how XXXX took money out of my account without my authorization. He also said he didn't know and said there was no phone number associated with the transaction. 

Around XXXX XXXX the branch manager called me and said he heard back from his back office and they advised him to tell me that I needed to close my bank account and open a new one and  change my passwords. 

I assumed that someone from the back office was able to see something that I could not so I took his advice and made an appointment with the XXXX branch to have my account closed and open a new one. 

I met with XXXX the banker in XXXX and she had me change my email address and passwords to open up the new account. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I received a very disturbing letter from Chase advising they were closing my account. I was very perplexed and thought they were referring to the account I had previously closed until I saw the account number- it was the new account I had just opened!!! 

I called the number on the letter XXXX XXXX XXXX and the representative said my account was going to be permanently closed on XX/XX/XXXX. I asked her why- she said Chase does not have to give a reason. She further stated when I opened the account I agreed by when I signed the forms that Chase could close my account at any time. Even though, the banker pretty much singed all the documents on my behalf because of COVID-19. Anyway, she said the decision could not be over turned. And  that I needed to have my money out of the account by XX/XX/XXXX or it would be a process for me to get it after the account is closed. 

I was very puzzled by the letter and the conversation and had no Idea what happened or why I was being treated this way.

I decided to go online and set up payments for my bills to come out of a checking account that I had with another institution since this one with Chase would soon be closed. 

I went to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX website to set up my mortgage payment with the other institution and guess what??? it said my last payment to them was made on XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$920.00}??? 

Put Simply, I never authorized for XXXX to take out a mortgage payment on XXXX XXXX but they did. Then they took out XXXX XXXX mortgage payment not on XX/XX/XXXX but XX/XX/XXXX for a different amount and it was under a different name XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Unbeknownst to me I thought I was a victim of fraud and went through a lot to get the account closed and to reopen a new one. Additionally- I was not prepared for XXXX XXXX XXXX to take money out of my account. I have been stressed and XXXX ever since not to mention- Chase has elected to close my account after all these years due to a misunderstanding. 
Chase provided the company my information. They took money out of my account- twice. They used different names for the withdrawal 's and took out different payment amounts Once again, when the unknown transaction appeared on my account, I called and visited a Chase Branch- I asked if it was for a mortgage and if there was a number, I could call to find out what the transaction was for- I was told NO.

When I called XXXX- I was told they go by both company names. I also asked why did they take out different amounts- he said I agreed to have them take out an additional principal payment. I told him, I never spoke to anyone from his company before and I definitely hadn't spoken to anyone between XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. He also said the payment taken out of the XXXX was done manually and the one on the XXXX was set up on the withdrawal. I further asked him, who authorized XXXX to change the date from the XXXX to the XXXX he could NOT answer the question. 
This is really a mess and at a time like this when folks stress levels are already high-I have been treated unfairly by both institutions at no fault of my own.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation