Consumer complaint received 2020-10-08
Company: Shellpoint Partners, LLC
State: NJ
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
In XX/XX/2020, we were informed that my husband qualified for our state 's property tax exemption due to his military service. We filled out the forms and submitted them to our township, while it was processing our property tax came due and we paid them. Once the exemption was approved our township refunded our taxes from the period we had just paid, but the check went back to our mortgage company instead of coming to us.

I have spent nearly two months providing proof of the exemption, trying to track down the check, having our escrow analysis run and trying to have a surplus check issued. 

On XX/XX/2020 I emailed a copy of proof of tax exemption to NewRex and according to our township, the tax refund check was sent XX/XX/2020. It took almost a month for our check to show in NewRez 's computers as received ( XX/XX/2020 ). 

While we waited an escrow analysis was run to lower our montly payment on XX/XX/2020. Upon making our XXXX payment I realized the amount wasn't lowered so on XX/XX/2020 I had to call again to figure out what we needed to do to stop the overpayment to the account, at which point I was put one a 45 minute  hold ( by a CSR by the name of XXXX ) and subsequently hung up on. I immediately called back and asked to be connected to a supervisor. I spoke to a Mr. XXXX XXXX at XXXX, I was less than kind dealing with Mr. XXXX but hearing my frustration he told me he would take a look and make the necessary notes so that our payment would be updated. He assured me the payment would be corrected and that when our refund check showed a new escrow analysis would be run our our surplus would be returned to us. Mr. XXXX, gave me a number and an extension to reach him if the problem was not resolved by the following Wednesday. 

On XX/XX/2020, I, with the issues still unresolved I called the number provided to me by Mr. XXXX, the extension ( that I confirmed during our initial call ) did not exist. I tried the company dial by name directory and Mr. XXXX was not listed in the directory. I hung up and called again. This time I spoke to a CSR that was " checking with Mr. XXXX '' but who returned to tell me he was out of the office but everything would be solved by the next day, informing me I would have a call to confirm the following day. Needless to say nothing changed. 

The following day XX/XX/2020, I was informed by XXXX XXXX that the " escrow analysis was run incorrectly, '' I asked to be elevated and I spoke to XXXX Sellers who informed me that they payment information had been updated but that the escrow department was " closing out '' the request for a new analysis because XXXX, which is when our annual one is run, was approaching and it was too close to do another. When I pointed out that several of her CSRs ( some that very same day XXXX had each told me something different, she said that they were mistaken but that this is how it would go. She told me they would send a surplus check in 7-10 days after it was performed on XX/XX/XXXX. I hung up with her, grateful to possibly have an answer just to find out that hours later the escrow analysis was actually run on XX/XX/2020. 

A week later we received the new analysis in the mail. Although the surplus was listed on there we never received a check. I decided to try to wait until XXXX, to see if maybe they had to run it again, but nothing changed. I called tonight XX/XX/2020 and was elevated three times ( 45 minutes on the phone ) before getting in touch with and  XXXX XXXX who told me she tried to reach out to the escrow team but that they had gone for the day. She said she " put it in the notes '' that there was an error, as checks are usually printed and mailed soon after the analysis. She said she could see that this was unusual. She could not help me any further due to the department being closed but told me to wait another two days for the problem to be corrected. She advised me to call on Monday if it was not showing in my account payments.

This experience has be absolutely infuriating and a waste of my personal time. My calls have been a mash up of hours on hold, being hung up, being lied to, being told they could " see the problem '' but that there was essentially nothing they could do and I would have to  wait for the problem to be fixed, all while they hold almost {$1000.00} of our money with no accounting for it. I believe there is some type of fraud going on with this company as it is extremely hard to get in touch with anyone, their information is almost always contradictory and when you finally get someone who may know what they are doing all they can tell you is that you have to wait for the problem to fix itself.

Company public response: Company believes complaint is the result of an isolated error
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation