Consumer complaint received 2016-03-30
Company: FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE CO.
State: CA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Other mortgage
Issue: Loan servicing, payments, escrow account

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX we received a supplemental property tax bill from the county ( XXXX County, California ) tax collector. We called customer care at our mortgage company, Franklin American, and the rep we spoke to said to fax them the bill and they would pay it out of the escrow account funds. We faxed it to the rep at ( XXXX ) XXXX, which we subsequently learned was the fax number for that representative and not a general company fax number. This supports our contention that the conversation took place, because we would n't have had that number otherwise. 

Anyway, we assumed that the bill would be paid as they promised, but in XXXX, XXXX we received a notice from the county that the bill had never been paid and was delinquent, and furthermore that we had incurred a late penalty. So we called Franklin American again, and got a totally clueless rep who had no idea what was going on. After several more fruitless phone calls ( and hours spent on hold ) my wife was finally told on XXXX XXXX by a rep named XXXX that a refund check for {$990.00} had supposedly been mailed on XXXX XXXX, which was after the late fee had already been assessed, and to be perfectly honest, I do n't know if they ever really sent it. They had promised to pay the bill last XX/XX/XXXX, and did n't do it, and have made multiple promises to us since then, none of which they 've honored. We have a secure locking mailbox that cost over {$200.00}, so it 's extremely unlikely that any check from them or anyone else was stolen. XXXX also told her that their research department was supposedly working on reimbursing me for the late penalty XXXX {$37.00} ) and that it would take 10 days. We 've heard nothing about that since, either. 

My wife told me what XXXX had told her and asked me if I ever saw the refund check. I told her I had n't, and would certainly remember a check that large. On XXXX XXXX my wife called back and spoke with a rep named XXXX, and told him we never received the refund check. He requested a new one. He also requested for it to be sent by overnight mail. He said it should take less than a week to get it to us. 

A week later, on XXXX XXXX, still no refund check. My wife called yet again and spoke with multiple people - XXXX & XXXX in customer service, and then XXXX the supervisor about 45 minutes later. End result of that series of conversations was that the check had been cut, but had not been overnighted and instead was being sent regular mail, and was supposed to arrive by XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX at the latest. Our escrow balance was {$1300.00}, an amount which reflected the {$990.00} refund already being taken out. 

Anyway, It is now late on the evening of XXXX XXXX, and we still do n't have the refund check that was to have arrived by last week at the latest. In less than 2 weeks the second installment on our supplemental property tax bill will be delinquent as well if I do n't pay it. I need to come up with {$610.00} by XXXX XXXX, and Franklin American is still sitting on almost a thousand dollars of my money and playing games with me. 

I have attached a copy of the delinquent tax bill.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation