Consumer complaint received 2015-05-26
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: NC
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: FHA mortgage
Issue: Loan servicing, payments, escrow account

Complaint:
I did not originate my mortgage with Fifth Third Bank. 
I have asked on numerous occasions for a way of electronic communication from the bank on anything related to my mortgage, an increase, a delayed payment, etc. I have set up a monthly payment with my bank to Fifth Third Bank, and have not missed a payment until this last XXXX. 
Fifth Third Bank periodically reviews the escrow / mortgage accounts for increases or decreases in the payment amount. There is never an advanced notification of when this is going to be done and/or which quarter or month this will be completed. One year, the change occurred in XXXX ; sadly this year, the increase occurred in XXXX. 
Fifth Third will not send me electronic messages like other banks. The only notification is via hard-copy mail. I did not receive my notification. My XXXX hampers me from leaving the house for weeks at a time. I have a centralized mailbox. Fifth Third is the ONLY company / bank / credit / organization who will not assist me with electronic notifications. 
I received a telephone call from Fifth Third bank. There was no message. I immediately returned the phone call to the Customer Service Department. After a lengthy delay in finding out " which department '' called me, I was advised that Fifth Third was only validating my home telephone number. I explicitly asked, " Is there something wrong with my mortgage. '' I was advised by the operator that, in essence, " Nothing is wrong. " Two days later, I receive another telephone call from the bank, and again, leaving no message. I immediately called back, and was transferred to the mortgage department. I was advised that the review of my escrow account had been completed and that I was behind on my mortgage in the amount of {$33.00} and change. XXXX, I started to cry because I did not want a foreclosure and/or a late payment to affect my credit rating. I specifically asked the operator that if I made a payment today would my rating be affected. She advised that it would not. Fifth Third advertises a branch in XXXX, and I was ready to drive there to make immediate payment ; only to find that the branch has never existed, it 's just advertised incorrectly. Back to the customer support area, and I was advised by the operator ( after placing me on hold and stating that she was trying to help me ) that if I made a payment via check, even though it would not be received by XXXX XXXX, that my account would be up-to-date and no late notice would occur. As I was on the phone with the bank, I wrote the check electronically, and saw where Fifth Third cleared the check on the XXXX. I called in via the automative system to validate that " Your account is up to date and no there are no balances. Your next payment of XXX.xx is due on XXXX XXXX. " I received an electronic communication that there was a change in my credit rating on Saturday, XXXX XXXX. Fifth Third placed the " missed mortgage payment '' onto my credit report, dropping it from a XXXX score ( very good ) to a score of XXXX XXXX very bad ). At this point, I ca n't even apply for an emergency loan, credit card and/or line-of-credit for my mortgage. I am in the middle of having my car insurance and home insurance transferred to a different insurance company ; and now ca n't get any savings because of the bad credit report. Today, I called and asked to have the report removed, and the supervisor advised me that he was the only person I could speak with, that while he felt terrible, since there was not an error in banking ; the late mortgage has to remain on my credit rating. I asked that since I explicitly asked his bank operators twice if there was something " wrong '' with my mortgage, and since the operator advised me that if I paid XXXX, everything would be fine -- was that not considered a banking error. Why ca n't notices be delivered immediately and electronically

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief