Consumer complaint received 2022-05-17
Company: PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC
State: FL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
Planet Home Lending failed to pay our tax bill from our paid escrow account. We are now in delinquency with our county and default with the terms of our second mortgage. We received written notice from our county that our tax lien would be sold on XX/XX/XXXX if not paid. We contacted Planet Home Lending and they advised us to fax the tax bill to their taxes department and they would pay the bill within 10 days. We faxed the tax bill document to Planet Home Lending on XX/XX/XXXX. Today is the 10th business day. We contacted Planet Home Lending and they advised us they have not paid the tax bill. They state there is a discrepancy in our tax bill and they have not paid it. They confirmed they received this same tax bill on XX/XX/XXXX and verified they did nothing to research or resolve this, instead let it go into default and delinquency. We advised this is the correct tax bill and advised them to pay the taxes. We advised them again that we are in delinquency with the county for the tax bill due to their inaction and failure to pay the tax bill from our paid escrow, and the tax XXXX for our home will be sold by the county on XX/XX/XXXX, which is 10 business days beyond today. We advised them that we are in default with our second mortgage holder due Planet Home Lending 's inaction and failure to pay our tax bill from our paid escrow account with Planet Home Lending. They advised us they would send the concern back for research with no estimated date of completion. They have previously paid our home insurance. They are still collecting escrow in our monthly payments for taxes and home insurance. We have continued paying this escrow in good faith. They have over 2x 's the amount of our tax bill in escrow at this time. They are still declining to pay our tax bill. Because the county will sell our tax lien in 10 business days, we must go pay our taxes and request reimbursement from Planet Lending with no promise of cooperation from them. This will require that we pursue legal matters against them, further costing us beyond the out of pocket tax bill on top of the penalties because it was not paid by Planet Home Lending upon their first notification of the tax bill over 5 months ago. Their inaction continues to cost us out of pocket expenses. They continue to take escrow from us without making payment or resolving their professed discrepancy with a tax bill that prior mortgage companies have paid for the last six years without issue. There is no issue with the tax bill. The county lists one street number of our triple lot at the top of the tax bill. The mortgage company purchased our loan with this already in place and did not question the county, the prior lender, or us to resolve if this was to affect their process to pay taxes as received. Instead they cost us penalties and exposed us to financial hardship, requiring us with their inaction, to protect our asset and investment in our home, to pay our tax bill while they continue to collect against us for taxes they are not paying. Their tax department declined to provide a physical address for documents to be overnighted and served. Another customer service representative from the loan department was able to locate a physical address for overnight and served documents.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation