Consumer complaint received 2020-01-14
Company: Dovenmuehle Mortgage, Inc.
State: NC
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
I am having a serious problem with Dovenmuehle Mortgage. The communications between Dovenmuehle Agents or not being able to get in touch with certain Agents is preposterous. 
On XX/XX/2019 I sent Dovenmuehle Mortgage Certified Mail ; the proper paper work to request cancellation of my PMI with check for their Appraiser to  come out to my house, as per their requirement. 
On XX/XX/2019 the Appraiser was out at my house. 
On XX/XX/2019, at XXXX ( EST ), I called Dovenmuehle and talked to XXXX . I asked him for a status on my said appraisal since I had not heard back from anyone. I was told that on XX/XX/2019 my PMI had approval to cancel and that the money left in the escrow for the PMI would be returned to me. I asked him is that only the PMI or will the entire Escrow Account be Cancelled. He stated to me that to cancel the Escrow Account that I would have to request it. He told me what my house appraised for and I could hear his calculator in the background, he stated that the loan to value is at 76.8 %. He said that since the PMI was cancelled then the Escrow Account should also cancel and especially having the LTV lower than 80 % which he said was a requirement for Dovenmuehle. 
He also said that he will need to expedite the paper work seeing that there would be enough time to lower my XXXX payment, which would not include an escrow account. He even did the math to let me know what my new mortgage payment would be after the cancellation of the escrow and what I would be expecting from Dovenmuehle in the return of any money that was left in my escrow account. 
He told me to watch my mail from Dovenmuehle that I should be getting a copy of the appraisal and my escrow account refund after the request to remove has been finalized. 
On XX/XX/2019, at XXXX ( EST ), I called back to Dovenmuehle to ask for the Escrow department, I asked for XXXX but he was not available according to the agent that picked up the phone. I asked for a Supervisor and I was transferred to XXXX XXXX in Customer Service. 
I told her the situation and what was discussed with XXXX for the cancellation of my Escrow Account, she pulled out her calculator and saw that my LTV was 76.8 % and also agreed that the Escrow Account should be cancelled. She stated that she will Escalate this to knocking off escrow account, and that the XXXX payment will come down, that the escrow account would be cancelled and the money that is in it would be returned to me. 
Later that day, at XXXX ( EST ), I received an email from her stating that she is following up on our conversation earlier. She stated that she received a response from the acceleration team, which stated that the escrow account would not be removed until the unpaid principle balance reaches {$150000.00} or less. The escrow removal is based off of the original value of the home not the current value. She then said I apologize if this was not communicated to you. She also listed her phone number, XXXX, ext. XXXX. 
That day, I emailed her back stating that no one with Dovenmuehle ever stated this to me. I told that Dovenmuehle informed us that in order to cancel the PMI along with the Escrow we would have to have our mortgage for two ( 2 ) years and have an excellent paying history in which we do. We have excellent credit along with the LTV being at 76.8 % and the equity in the said residence is over {$50000.00}. I also mentioned that nowhere in any of our said closing sheets does it mention how the escrow account would or could be cancelled. Dovenmuehle Mortgage is not the Original Mortgage Lender either, they bought our said Mortgage from Movement Mortgage ; therefore, we can not understand their reluctance to cancel the said Escrow Account, nor their theory. 
Unfortunately, she never wrote back nor called me in reference to my email. I tried calling to the number she had in the email she originally sent me and that number has a recording stating The number you dialed is unallocated. 
On XX/XX/2019, I sent a fax to Dovenmuehle Mortgage, a two ( 2 ) page  letter with a coversheet, requesting the escrow account to be cancelled and requesting Dovenmuehle to respond. We have not received anything via phone, email, or postal mail from Dovenmuehle Mortgage on this said matter.

I want a resolution for my escrow account to be cancelled. I have talked to so many Dovenmuehle agents who have agreed, who have done the math stating that my LTV is at 76.8 % and that they can not see why it should not be cancelled. There is nothing in writing stating that the escrow removal is based on the original value of the home not the current value. 
When I first asked for the PMI removal, I also asked about the escrow removal and I was told to have my residence appraised, through Dovenmuehle which would cost {$320.00}. A check was sent and cashed on XX/XX/2019. I was told that I should list all of my improvements with my said residence and include all receipts after filling out the said forms that Dovenmuehle will mail me. All of this was completed and mailed via Certified Mail.

Dovenmuehle failed to contact me after the appraisal was done and the PMI cancellation was approved. I had to call them for a status. I have also tried to reach back out to an agent after receiving her email on why my escrow account will not be cancelled and she failed to answer my email and gave me a phony phone number with a recording stating it was unallocated.

Communications has been a true struggle but I hope we can get this settled and resolved with the cancellation of my escrow account and the escrow account money to be returned to me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation