Consumer complaint received 2018-03-14
Company: Freedom Mortgage Company
State: OR
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
I purchased primary resident via a VA Loan and closed XX/XX/XXXX, the original lender was XXXX XXXX, XXXX, CA NMLS ID XXXX. Within one month after closing, this Mortgage Company was changed or transferred from XXXX Lending to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ; and then on XX/XX/XXXX my VA loan was again transferred to Freedom Mortgage. This is a total of three ( 3 ) transfers in one year. 
The monthly principal and interest ( P & I ) prior to the transfer from XXXX to Freedom including an Escrow Account for estimated property taxes and insurance amount of {$460.00} and P & I amount of {$2300.00}, for a total monthly payment of only {$2800.00}. Because XXXX overpaid the XXXX property tax of {$9700.00} whereas the highlighted and actual amount was only {$5100.00} allowing a 3 % discount if paid by XXXX XX/XX/XXXX and reflected an applied widow of a 100 % XXXX veteran for a {$20000.00} exemption which now has been corrected to read an exemption of {$24000.00}. 
The County Tax Office made a refund in the amount of {$4600.00} to XXXX, entered XXXX and then transferred my loan to Freedom showing that my monthly payment was still at the higher amount declared by XXXX ( I believe because the property taxes was overpaid ) and now the demanded monthly loan amount is as high as {$3300.00}. This is an increased amount of {$500.00} from the previous 12 months of {$2800.00}. 
I have made repeated request for Freedom to process an Escrow Analysis with all attempt to date failing. On one telephone call I made during this time, I was telephonically informed that Freedom will not do process an Escrow Analysis until XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. Meanwhile, I made a payment to Freedom in the amount of {$2800.00} for XX/XX/XXXX mortgage payment on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. However, Freedom is demanding {$3300.00} per Freedoms letter dated XX/XX/XXXX. 
Here are the many threating and demanding letters received to date from Freedom with no accomplishment of the Escrow being a mess and Freedom is trying to straighten it out. No, not one accomplishment that I have repeated calls to both XXXX and Freedom and even emailed Freedom proof showing the County Tax Assessor office had in fact made a refund to XXXX because XXXX had overpaid the property tax liability for XXXX on my primary home of residence with a widow tax exemption. 
( 1 ) Freedoms letter dated XX/XX/XXXX states my loan as one payment overdue with a total amount of {$6600.00} to be paid to cure the default on my account. How can I be one month late on XX/XX/XXXX when I paid Freedom {$2800.00} on XX/XX/XXXX through my bank account? Further, Freedoms letter stated this information may have been reported to the credit bureaus. Yet all along I have been informed there is a 60-day grace for any legal action would be taken because of the law when loans are transferred. Found nothing like this in any of Freedoms letter. A false sense that as a consumer I am being protected. 

( 2 ) Freedoms First letter dated XX/XX/XXXX stated we have not received my mortgage payments for months of XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX and my account was in default. Freedom demand payment by XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$6600.00} showing Less Suspense amount of {$2800.00}. Further Freedoms letter informed me to avoid foreclosure that I " must '' pay the total amount due no later than XX/XX/XXXX and I would be responsible for all additional payments and fees that accumulate during this period. If I failed to do so, an immediate foreclosure proceedings would result in loss of my home. If payment is not accepted for any reason or if we accept your payment for less than the total amount due, this matter will not be resolved, and accepting payment for less than the total amount due does not constitute a waiver of Freedoms rights or claims under the terms of my loan documents. 


( 3 ) Freedoms Second letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, outlining as a U. S. Military spouse of an active duty or active service such I was entitled to certain legal protections and debt relief pursuant to Servicemembers Civil Relief Act ( SCRA ) and enclosed a SCRA Notice Disclosure. I am a widow of a deceased 100 % XXXX veteran who served this country for more than 23 years. 

( 4 ) Freedoms Third letter dated XX/XX/XXXX stated Freedom was unable to contact me in regards to my past due mortgage. Freedom has both my home number and email address. A HUD approved housing counselor was available at XXXX and I was encouraged to contact Freedom to discuss a knowledgeable Customer Care Representative possible to workout options that may be available to me. I have contacted Freedom and no one has provide any " option ( s ) '' to me. No option ( s ) have been made available to me during any time that I have spoken with any customer care representative. I have repeated my telephone conversations multiple times giving Freedom my contact information more than once. 

( 5 ) Freedoms Letter dated XX/XX/XXXX once again a thank me for contacting Freedom Mortgages Customer Care Department. I was informed their records confirm the owner/trustee of my loan was XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) and Freedom Mortgage XXXX was a servicer. An account history was included showing transaction types, fees, charges, payment activity XXXX including payments held in suspense ) and escrow activity. This letter reflected a total amount of {$3300.00} with an Escrow increased to {$980.00} and P & I amount of {$2300.00} - remain unchanged. 
( 6 ) Freedoms Letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, this letter was another thank me for contacting Customer Care Department and acknowledge receipt of my written inquiry ( emailed Freedom on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX AM PST with copies of County Tax Assessor Office proof of refund and property tax overpayment ). This letter provided me with information on a Request for Information/Notice of Error, Freedom Mortgage at XXXX. XXXX XXXX, XXXX, IN XXXX. The reason for my email to the Freedom XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX is this was exactly what I was informed to do when I was on the phone with Freedom earlier that same day ( XX/XX/XXXX ). 
On XX/XX/XXXX yet another telephone call was placed to Freedom Customer Care to discuss the missing information and why would my Escrow account increased from {$2800.00} to {$3300.00} ; plus why wasn't my XXXX payment being applied/reflected. The another reason or purpose of my telephone calls and email ( s ) were to point out to Freedom that XXXX received a refund amount of {$4600.00} and it is NOT being accounted for in the Escrow estimate nor is the monthly Escrow payment of {$980.00} in alignment with what would be called " actual amounts paid out in XXXX ''. 
Again on XX/XX/XXXX, I again spoke with Freedom Customer care to telephonically discuss the raised Escrow amount and requested to speak with a supervisor. I did in fact speak with # XXXX, and went over the details of my loan. I was informed a property tax review is scheduled for XX/XX/XXXX. 
When XXXX overpaid the property taxes, this carried a negative balance in my Escrow account when in addition if the correct property taxes were paid, my account with be in a positive balance. After this error in paying the incorrect property tax amount and the annual property insurance premium of {$1300.00}, for the calendar year XXXX, there should be a positive balance if my payment continued at {$2800.00} in lieu of the demanded increased amount of {$3300.00}. The XXXX property taxes overpayment has caused a FALSE Escrow increased amount. XXXX nor Freedom has updated the account to show the property taxes for my home is not {$9700.00} but only {$5100.00} and I have been informed by the County Tax Assessor Office will be lesser amount for XXXX. 
Freedom Mortgage Customer Care is over statement, no care being shown to the situation that I was being forced into. Yes, Freedom has acknowledged receipt of my email correspondences showing proof of the County Tax Office but no action as of the date of writing this complaint, only more letters from Freedom about default and foreclosure.

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