Consumer complaint received 2015-11-15
Product: Mortgage — Conventional fixed mortgage
Issue: Loan servicing, payments, escrow account — 
Company: Seterus, Inc. (NJ)

My loan transferred to a new servicing company called Seterus, from XXXX in XXXX 2015. XXXX, which my total payment including escrow of homeowners and flood insurance, exempt of taxes was {$760.00}, advised us in a letter the service was transferring, but no account information was provided, so I called the new company to be informed that I would have to wait to receive a welcome letter with the account information. In XX/XX/XXXX I received a hardship modification package from the new servicer, but no welcome package, so I contacted them to be told that they were still setting up the new loans and there would be no penalty for 60 days and I can not send a payment until they have an account setup for me. XXXX XXXX, 2015 I receive my XXXX statement from Seterus for payment due XXXX XXXX, 2015. Then on XXXX XXXX I receive a escrow statement from Seterus advising me that I had an escrow shortage, which upon review of the statement I see they included taxes to my escrow from which I am exempt due to my husband being XXXX XXXX veteran and also owner on the deed/mortgage. I contact Seterus and speak with XXXX XXXX and an XXXX department representative who assured me this would be corrected, even after I asked if I needed to submit the proof that our property is exempt. Meanwhile my payment, which I had sent to Seterus on XXXX XXXX did not mysteriously get posted till Saturday XXXX XXXX causing a late penalty. I then receive XXXX account statements on XXXX XXXX, XXXX dated XXXX XXXX saying payment due of {$1800.00} and the other dated XXXX XXXX saying the payment is due of {$1000.00}. I contacted Seterus XXXX XXXX, after being disconnected by rep. XXXX once again to be told the account is still being researched and provided a fax number to submit the proof of exemption. On XXXX XXXX, I faxed Seterus a copy of the deed showing confirmation from the tax office of the exemption, along with proof from the previous servicer that we are exempt from taxes ( copies of the XXXX ), with proof of my husband being XXXX XXXX veteran. I called Seterus a few days later to confirm they received the documents to be advised by it was received and although the tax department had already fixed the exemption issue weeks prior it can take customer service over 30 days to update the escrow account and there is nothing they can do about it. I was advised if I send the lower payment they would not apply it correctly, it would be placed into suspense, after they took out their late fee first, but if I send the incorrect payment they will refund me the difference once it was corrected. The representative said it would not be till after XXXX before my account would be corrected, which I would be responsible for the late fee and I then advised the rep. that answer was not justifiable or acceptable, because they were mistreating the consumer. For one they changed my payment without giving me 30 days notice of change of the payment, she advised the letter was dated in XX/XX/XXXX and I reminded her it was sent regular mail, which took over 2 weeks to be received. She apologized and provided me a fax number to submit a dispute in writing and reiterated that there was nothing else she would be able to do, but for me to continue calling to check on the account until it is fixed. As of today, XXXX XXXX the account has still not been updated and to top it off they have once again sent me out another loan mod hardship assistance package, advising it is a response to my fax, which was a copy of my deed and proof of exemption along with a cover sheet requesting my escrow account be corrected, not a hardship loan mod request.