Consumer complaint received 2018-04-05
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: TX
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Home equity loan or line of credit (HELOC)
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage

Complaint:
Here is my side of the case to force me from my rural homestead : This started with the XXXX County Tax Appraisal District Corporation. Charges were put on a TAX STATEMENT that were questioned and when asked what the charges were for, I was ignored. I have had previous problems with the XXXX County Tax Appraisal District Corporation where they over charged and a phone call brought it back down some. There is also a problem of them giving five ( 5 ) acres of my land away. Then there is a problem of double billing. If you do a TAX PROTEST, you go before a APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD with all the staff present, plus their attorney. According to the Appraisal Review Board Manual there is to be a quorum sitting on the Board, there were only two ( 2 ) and one kept complaining about being there. End result was one Board member asked the Attorney if protester had any other remedies, in which she said that the protester can take it to Court. 

Step 4 ARB orders changes resulting from hearings The ARB may rule on a protest at the conclusion of the protest hearing or may postpone the decision to a later date. If the ARB divides into panels to hear separate cases, a hearings panel can not make a final decision. An ARBs decision is not final until a majority of the entire ARB   approves the panels recommendation. 
The ARBs procedures should address how the ARB will handle panel recommendations. The procedures should include if and how the ARB will handle requests by property owners or the chief appraiser to offer new or additional evidence, to rehear a taxpayers protest before the full ARB or to limit issues to those presented to the panel.

Another panel hearing will be conducted if the full ARB rejects a panels decision. The second panel must be composed of ARB members who did not hear the first protest hearing. If three members are not available to make up a new panel, the full ARB may determine the protest. The ARB must notify the taxpayer of the new hearing in the same manner provided for a regular ARB hearing.83 If the ARB postpones a decision, it must tell the parties when it will make the final decision. Any postponed decisions must be in open sessions. 
The ARBs final orders come in two forms : an order determining a protest and an order determining a challenge. 
These are written orders issued to the chief appraiser, signed by the ARB chair and specifying the ARBs disposition of the protest or challenge. The ARB also issues notices of these orders. Exhibit 17 shows examples of these orders ; these are examples and are not mandatory. It is important, however, that orders state specifically the issues being determined, such as excessive valuation or unequal appraisal. 

To make a long story short, I refused to pay the billing without proof of debt. The Chief Appraiser took it upon herself to contact CitiMortgage, Inc. who took it upon themselves to pay the bill. When contacting CitiMortgage, Inc. for a copy of the debt that the Chief Appraiser said was owed, they also refused to answer. Instead they changed the contract and added an Escrow account while litigation on the taxes was going on ( To date, no taxes are owed to the XXXX County Tax Appraisal District corporation. ) CitiMortgage, Inc. kept adding fees to the account, putting on one minute and taking off another until we requested a correct pay off amount. We were wanting to pay off CitiMortgage, Inc. because interest rates went down to less then half of what CitiMortgage was charging and their interference with the Tax Appraiser in which they never answered us either. 

CitiMortgage, Inc. has added charges & fees to the grand total of about {$90000.00} + from about a {$65000.00} Equity Loan balance. To top this all off, they have confiscated insurance checks of about {$40000.00}, keeping us from doing repairs to our rural homestead. I read on the site XXXX XXXX that CitiMortgage, Inc. has kept Insurance checks belonging to others, seems unlawful but there is no supervision of these types of Corporations. 

The Supreme Court of Texas is supposed to hear Constitutional cases? They have denied all petitions so far according to the Attorney. So far all Government Employees and Agents have passed the buck. The Oath of Office seems to mean nothing to Public Employees.

I took my case to Common Law Court with a Jury of my peers and got a judgment against the Chief Appraiser of the XXXX County Tax Appraisal District Corporation, they are refusing to recognize that Court Judgment in XXXX County. 

The Texas Constitution provides the Law and states that taxation shall be equal and uniform unless exempt : THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION ARTICLE 8. TAXATION AND REVENUE Sec. 1. EQUALITY AND UNIFORMITY ; TAX IN PROPORTION TO VALUE ; INCOME TAX ; EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY FROM AD VALOREM TAXATION. ( a ) Taxation shall be equal and uniform. 
( b ) All real property and tangible personal property in this State, unless exempt as required or permitted by this Constitution, whether owned by natural persons or corporations, other than municipal, shall be taxed in proportion to its value, which shall be ascertained as may be provided by law. 

By the Constitution my land is exempt. I have put claim to the Texas Land Grant/Patent ( DECLARATION OF LAND PATENT filed at the XXXX County Courthouse ) that came out of the Treaty of XXXX XXXX. When Texas became a state, all vacant or in appropriated land was retained by the State of Texas ; not the United States, as in all other states. I have also declared my land a Homestead ( also filed at the Courthouse ) according to Texas Law. 

The actions of XXXX County Tax Appraisal District and their Council has damaged me and my family beyond repair. We can never be made whole and undamaged again because of their ignorance of the Law that resulted in their abuse of power and failing their Oath of Office to protect me and my personal, private and inviolable property but things can be righted. 

The Treaty ( Contract ) Law can not be interfered with, as the Supreme Court has held that 'Treaties ' are the 'supreme law of the land '. See also Article 6, Sec.2 of the U.S. Constitution. The Treaty is declared the will of the People of the United States and shall be superior to the Constitution and the laws of if any individual State.

The successful bidder of the property will not get possession of the property. The Declaration of Land Patent " CLOUDS '' title to the land forever. 

Respectfully Submitted,

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