Consumer complaint received 2015-06-03
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: VA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional fixed mortgage
Issue: Loan servicing, payments, escrow account

Complaint:
My mortgage was sold to Fifth Third Bank in XX/XX/XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX I received a statement in the mail stating that my monthly mortgage payment was increasing {$660.00} per month with no explanation. In looking in the details of my statement, I saw there was a difference in the escrow fees that were being withdrawn. I contacted Fifth Third Bank and they explained that the bank had not withheld enough funds to cover the property taxes on my account for XX/XX/XXXX. I asked for the evidence in which the bank was making this decision and they said they would mail the information to me in the form of an escrow analysis. I requested that Fifth Third Bank stop charging me for escrow stating that I would pay my property taxes and insurance directly to the county and insurance company respectively. Fifth Third Bank stated they could not stop charging me escrow while there was an outstanding balance on my account. During this time, I was still paying the same mortgage amount I was paying previously while we worked out the escrow discrepancy. In early XXXX I began receiving collection calls from Fifth Third Bank stating my account was delinquent. I stated that my mortgage payments were being made in a timely manner automatically from my banking account. Fifth Third Bank agreed that they were receiving funds, but could not apply them to the principal and interest since there was a debit outstanding on my account for the escrow funds that were in dispute. I still had not received the information detailing why there was a deficit. I put in another request for the escrow assessment. Fifth Third Bank repeated they could not apply the funds I was submitting because their " system '' was not equipped to process " partial '' payments. I then took it on my own to contact my county tax department and insurance company to verify what was paid. Once verified, I went ahead and paid the deficit escrow balance to XXXX to Fifth Third Bank. I also repeated the request, both verbally and in writing, that Fifth Third Bank stop charging me for escrow and that I would pay the property taxes and insurance directly to the county and the insurance company. My XXXX statement was reflecting an escrow line item. I thought the issue had been resolved in XXXX when I paid the balance due and re-requested that escrow stop being charged. Further, Fifth Third Bank credited my account for late fees that were charged and sent me a letter to the same effect. Then, I received my XXXX statement in the mail reflecting an escrow charge. On XXXX XXXX, I finally received the escrow analysis the bank conducted that verified what I found out on my own. Now I am now furious because I then received a Mortgage Delinquent [ XXXX ] Notice on XXXX XXXX stating that Fifth Third Bank received my mortgage payment, but do not know how to apply the funds due to the outstanding escrow balance. This notice prompted me to write a letter detailing the same history of the account I am referencing here. I just hung up with the Fifth Third Bank Collections department and escrow department that are stating that my mortgage payment is now 33 days late and they will begin reporting me to the credit bureaus. I am not certain where else to turn besides legal or arbitration at this point. My mortgage payment has never been late. The payment arrives at Fifth Third Bank by the XXXX or the XXXX of every month and I have an audit trail of bank statements to prove so. What can I do to get Fifth Third Bank to stop charging me escrow, apply my mortgage payments to the principal and interest on my mortgage, and get them to correct that I have never paid late to the credit reporting bureaus ( I have not seen a late payment on my credit reports yet, the bank is saying they will report me ), and refund any additional late fees they may be assessing? Please help.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation