Consumer complaint received 2015-09-11
Product: Mortgage — Reverse mortgage
Issue: Loan servicing, payments, escrow account — 
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY (WI)

In XXXX, following my wife 's diagnosis of XXXX XXXX, we applied for a reverse mortgage with the Wells Fargo Bank. In XXXX my wife died. In XXXX, I remarried, and after doing so, my new wife and I decided to try to buy back the reverse mortgage. On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, we contacted a local bank and they faxed an inquiry to Wells Fargo for a payoff amount. They responded on that same day with an amount, but allowed only one week to make the payoff before additional charges accrued. In XXXX XXXX, we contacted a Wells Fargo Loan Officer at their bank in XXXX XXXX, WI and after a lengthy conversation with him, decided that it was in our best interest to have legal representation, and thus we contacted an attorney. 
On XXXX, upon advice of that attorney, and under the direction of a Wells Fargo representative, I prepared a release of information, authorizing the attorney to give and receive information about my account, and mailed that release to Wells Fargo by registered mail that same day. The letter was signed for by a Wells Fargo person on XXXX. The attorney sent a letter to Wells Fargo on XXXX also, and has never received a response from them. At that point in time, the payoff amount should have been in the neighborhood of {$110000.00}. 
On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, having received no response from Wells Fargo in almost a full year, I placed a telephone call to their customer service number and spoke with a representative who informed me that in-as-much as I was represented by legal counsel, they could not discuss my account with me, but that they would " reach out '' to my attorney. They knew the attorney 's name and address without my having to tell them, evidence that they knew of him since XXXX. Needless to say, they did not " reach out '' to him, however I did receive a letter from a Senior Vice President informing me that my inquiry was being reviewed and that I should receive an answer on or before XXXX. I received a letter from and " Executive Mortgage Specialist '' giving a payoff amount of {$110000.00}. I have since had contact with representatives of Wells Fargo via letter and telephone, with each contact resulting in the information that my attorney was not authorized to receive information about my account. 
Finally, on XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I received a letter from Wells Fargo stating that my attorney had " reached out '' to them, but that in-as-much as he was not authorized to receive information about my account they were providing their response directly to me. At that time however, while they would not provide information to my attorney, they had no qualms about providing the information to the local bank, whom I have had no contact with since XXXX XXXX, XXXX. I fail to understand how my attorney 's written authorization has somehow expired, yet the banks authorization of nearly 18 months has somehow survived. 
. 
I do not deny that I owe Wells Fargo a goodly amount of money, and I am willing to pay that amount, however I believe that had they replied to my attorney in XXXX XXXX, I could have paid off this account while in was in the neighborhood of {$110000.00} rather then the amount of {$110000.00} that it has now reached. I am further trroubled by Wells Fargo 's refusal to acknowledge my attorney, My right to legal representation, and that they are still to providing confidential information to a banking institution that is no longer authrorized to received that information.