Consumer complaint received 2018-05-07
Company: PNC Bank N.A.
State: IL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
This is a complaint about PNC Mortgage who grabbed our money and is refusing to return it.

We are a hard-working family. We pay our bills and definitely pay our mortgage on time ALWAYS!

PNC unfortunately holds the mortgage on our primary residence. Our Property/Real Estate Taxes and annual Homeowners Insurance are in an escrow account with our mortgage lender- PNC .

We are stuck with them.

We paid off our original mortgage and refinanced our home through a Broker.

PNC then bought our mortgage.

We are being bullied by PNC!

Like many Americans we chose to take money from our Savings and pre-pay our Real Estate taxes prior to the end of XX/XX/XXXX -- pre-pay 1st Installment of Real Estate taxes due in XX/XX/XXXX. We did this in order to obtain an Income Tax deduction benefit. 
We contacted PNC Escrow Department prior to pre-paying our Real Estate Taxes. and they assured us that we would retrieve our money directly from PNC /Escrow Account that they were holding. They said that " once they verified that we pre-paid our taxes they would then use the Escrow money to pay us directly '' We paid out of pocket a total of {$5000.00} directly to XXXX County. 
It took 5 phone calls, 4 faxes of receipts from XXXX County and a local Branch Manager to finally get PNC acknowledgement of the fact that we pre-paid our Property Taxes. 
Finally our check came from PNC mortgage escrow department -- -- however for only {$4100.00}. There was a shortfall of {$880.00} They kept {$880.00}. 
PNC ALSO increased our monthly payments by {$120.00}. This was due to a shortfall of {$1400.00} in our Mortgage Escrow Account ( taxes and insurance went up ) PNC grabbed OUR money that WE paid out to the county AND raised our escrow monthly payments Both were done ostensibly to cover the SAME shortage in the escrow account. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I spoke to XXXX XXXX to report the problem She told me that they did not return all of our money because of the Escrow Account shortage. I reminded her that PNC holds 2 extra months of escrow money and they are not actually short in the account. She said that the extra escrow money held by PNC is for " PNC and not for me. '' She also said I would need to pay a penalty to manage my own Property Taxes and Insurance payments. She said that we agreed to pay a penalty to manage my own payments when we closed on the loan. 
A letter dated XX/XX/XXXX from XXXX XXXX/ Officer Consultant Executive Client Relations came stating that they were assessing the problem and I would receive a response within 30 days. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I spoke directly with XXXX XXXX and again explained the issue of grabbing our money AND forcing us to pay extra to cover the same escrow account shortage. She readily verbalized understanding and would discuss it with her superiors and get back to me. 
I did not hear back from XXXX XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX. Long after the 30 day mark - stated to resolve this of grabbing our money. She said that there was nothing to do about it. 
I once again requested that she send me a copy of my agreement to allow PNC to Escrow my Insurance and Property Tax payment OR pay a penalty. 

As a result of PNC grabbing our money, we are unable to make College Tuition Payment for our son. 
We are obviously waiting to speak with someone who can help us understand why it is OK to bully us into paying 2x for escrow shortage. 

We are trying to understand why PNC can withhold 2 extra months of escrow money ( without interest on our money ). We have paid on time since the inception of the loan. 

We are again bullied into having to pay a penalty for wanting PNC to give over the reins of payments toHomeowners Insurance and Property taxes. Why won't they send us a copy of our signature at Loan Closing that shows that we will have to pay a penalty if PNC does not manage our escrow. 
We are sorely unhappy with PNC 's management of OUR money. 
My son 's college is very very important and we have no one to talk to .... 

Please help us

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation