Consumer complaint received 2021-08-12
Company: MUTUAL OF OMAHA MORTGAGE, LLC
State: CO
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
My complaint is with regard to Mutual of Omaha mortgage lending for two items : Deceptive sales practices and failure to comply with multiple requests to set up an Escrow account.

When I was reviewing different offers from mortgage lenders, I decided to go with Mutual of Omaha because their salesman pitched me on a bi-weekly program that would lower the effective rate over the life of my loan to 2.25 %, with XXXX points. When asked on XX/XX/XXXX to confirm I would get the bi-weekly option, the salesman replied, " Yes. Bi-weekly is a great program. '' However, I came to find out at signing that not only did I indeed have to pay over {$2000.00} in points, but after my mortgage was in place that Mutual of Omaha did not even have or offer a bi-weekly payment option. 

I received the following message from Mutual of Omaha on XX/XX/XXXX : " Dear XXXX XXXX XXXX, This email is in response to your inquiry sent XX/XX/XXXX, regarding your payments. 
We currently do not accept bi-weekly payments, nor do we offer a bi-weekly automatic payment program. '' My XX/XX/XXXX statement shows the following transaction to set up the Escrow account, yet after seven months of calls and requests and even the initial deposit, the Escrow account has still not been set up : XX/XX/XXXX Initial escr/inter. deposit, etc. {$280.00} Their customer service center requested that I send in a new check for an initial Escrow deposit, which I mailed on XX/XX/XXXX, but has still not been processed by them. 

I also received the following message from Mutual of Omaha on XX/XX/XXXX : " Additionally, our records indicate that, in regard to your request to establish an escrow account, a letter was sent to your mailing address on file as of XX/XX/XXXX, advising that in order to complete your request a payment of {$2800.00} was required by XX/XX/XXXX. At this time, we have not yet received this payment. However, once it has been received, we can complete your request to establish an escrow account. '' As mentioned above, a check for the requested amount was mailed to Mutual on XX/XX/XXXX but has still not been processed. The entire purpose of my wanting an escrow account is to better manage finances by having consistent payments each month and not be faced with a giant lump sum payment twice a year. However, now I am faced with the predicament of having a check for {$2800.00} floating uncashed for over a month at time of writing, because they refused to accept payment via internet or over the phone for my escrow -- despite the fact my monthly payments are on electronic auto-draft from the same bank. 

I am requesting the CFPB take measures to ensure Mutual of Omaha immediately stops selling and pitching customers on payment plans that are clearly not even offered or available, such steps are deceptive and unethical. Furthermore, I would like a formal complaint registered for Mutual 's inability to set up something as rudimentary as an Escrow account for the past seven months this mortgage has been in place. 

Thanks, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation