Consumer complaint received 2020-01-06
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: FL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
This complaint deals with a loan issue and a Real Estate Settlement Procedure issue. My wife and I would like the return of our mortgage payment we sent CitiMortgage. This money was supposed to be forwarded to our new mortgage provider XXXX XXXX, but that was never done. Citi has insisted the money was sent back to us but that has not been done. They have failed to even provide tracing information. 

My spouse and I took out a loan with CitiMortgage in XX/XX/XXXX. I am a XXXX  in the United States XXXX. XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) handles my paycheck by direct depositing money into our bank account and handling any XXXX allotments we have. The loan payments to CitiMortgage were automatically drafted from my paycheck each month by XXXX through XXXX allotments. All payments were on time and we were never late on payments. 

On XX/XX/XXXX a letter was sent from CitiMortgage notifying us our loan would be transferred to XXXX XXXX beginning XX/XX/XXXX. We did not open this letter for many months because the payments were automatic and I assumed everything was okay with the mortgage. I was also out to sea a lot during this time and not home. 

From XXXX through XXXX, CitiMortgage continued to accept the direct XXXX allotments and forwarded those allotments to XXXX. After that, however, the allotments were not forwarded. Specifically XXXX and XXXX payments were not forwarded to XXXX. 

We know this because XXXX notified us we were late on our payments for XXXX. By the time we realized we were late on XXXX payments XXXX payments had already been automatically drafted from my account to Citi. At this point in time we opened the mail from CitiMortgage and learned XXXX had bought our mortgage. To avoid foreclosure, my wife and I were forced to take out a loan to pay back the late amount. Importantly, Citimortgage never notified us the automatic transfer payments to XXXX would cease through any form of communication. 

We need help getting the loan payment sent to Citi returned to us. Citi has yet to send back the mortgage payment that was automatically drafted from my account for XXXX and XXXX. Citi insists they have sent the money back. 

We have reached out to XXXX to see if Citi sent the money back. DFASs representatives have not located the allegedly returned funds nor do their records indicate the allotments were returned. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, the Military Pay Operations Supervisor with XXXX, requested that we obtain a tracer number, account number and returned date for each returned payment so that XXXX can trace the funds. 

CitiMortgage has been unable to produce a tracer number, account number, or returned date, despite insisting the money was sent back to XXXX. They have been contacted by ourselves and judge advocates XXXX attorneys ) for the United States XXXX on numerous occasions over the last few months. Each time, Citi insisted the money was sent back. Citi even opened an internal investigation that failed to turn up any pertinent information. 

We would like Citi to return our money. If they have returned it, then we would like for them to produce a tracing number, account number and return date so we can follow up with XXXX.

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 non-monetary relief