Consumer complaint received 2024-06-18
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process — Private mortgage insurance (PMI)
Company: Data Mortgage Inc. (CA)

I am writing for assistance with removal of XXXX  from my conventional mortgage held with Essex Mortgage. I have actively been trying to request the removal of XXXX based on the current value of my home since XX/XX/year>. Essex Mortgage is unwilling to provide me with clear direction or respond to my requests accurately and in a timely manner which has led me to believe they are purposely delaying this transaction. I have wasted countless hours trying to complete a simple and common transaction with no concrete results. For the second time now, I have decided to lodge a complaint against Essex Mortgage with the CFPB in hopes of resolving the issue. 

XX/XX/year> - I sent a completed form requesting removal of XXXX  to the email address as instructed on the form that was provided by Essex Mortgage ( XXXX ). A XXXX of initial email is attached, titled XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

XX/XX/year> - XXXX followed up with a phone call to XXXX XXXX to ensure my request was received Spoke with XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX and she informed me that I had emailed the request to the wrong email address ( even though that is what was on the form they provided ) and she put me on hold to see if she could put the request in for me. She then directed me to email the request to XXXX, which I promptly did. 

XX/XX/year> - Called customer care at XXXX XXXX and talked to XXXX to follow up on my request for XXXX  removal and to ask if it had been received. She told me the request was received and that it was put into their system the previous week. She said the escrow department needed to review it to see what my options were and that someone would reach out to me by phone the following week, which never happened. 

XX/XX/year> - Received an email response from Essex XXXX XXXX confirming that my request was received and that someone would reach out to me regarding next steps. This is included in the attached XXXX, titled XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I was never contacted regarding next steps. 

XX/XX/year> - I had not been contacted by Essex regarding my request so I called XXXX XXXX to follow up again. I spoke with XXXX XXXX who told me there was an update on my account and that based on the current market value the appraisal or XXXX  needed to return at a value of {$830000.00} or higher and that if the value came back under we could make a curtailment payment to make up the difference. She said we had XXXX options : We could either order a XXXX with Essex which would cost {$190.00} and was non-refundable XXXX we could pay for our own appraisal and submit it to Essex. She said as long as the minimum value was met they should remove the XXXX. I made sure to clarify multiple times that the option of getting an appraisal on my own was viable and she assured me it was. 

XX/XX/year> - Emailed Essex XXXX care with a copy of the home appraisal completed on XX/XX/year> by a licensed property XXXX and stated that the value of the home came back at {$850000.00} and asking what the next steps would be to remove XXXX from our loan. The appraisal is attached. 

XX/XX/year> - Called Essex XXXX XXXX at XXXX and spoke to XXXX XXXX XXXX let her know we had the property appraised and that the value came back at $ XXXX and that I emailed a copy of the appraisal to Customer XXXX XXXX She mentioned I could also upload it to the portal, which I later discovered was not possible for me to do. XXXX said Essex would review and probably hire someone to independently review the appraisal and that within XXXX days we should have an answer and would receive notice in the mail. We never received anything related to this in the mail, nor any follow-up phone calls. 

XX/XX/year> - Received an email response from Essex XXXX XXXX thanking me for providing the property appraisal and that the document has been forwarded to the appropriate department for processing. It also stated they would be in communication regarding the inquiry. This is detailed in the attached XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

XX/XX/year> - Received an email from Essex XXXX XXXX stating that due to XXXX XXXX regulations they can not accept the appraisal to remove XXXX  They offered me a reimbursement and told me I could either order a XXXX  or appraisal through Essex. 
XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XX/XX/year> - Received a separate email response from Essex XXXX essentially the same information that provided in the entry above. This conversation is attached and the XXXX is titled XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

XX/XX/year> - Called Essex XXXX XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX to discuss a potential path forward and I offered to have them use the reimbursement money to order a full appraisal correctly which I was told would cost {$450.00}. I also specified that I did not want a XXXX which costs {$190.00} and asked that the request be expedited since at this point it had been over XXXX  months since the process was started. I reiterated this agreement in an email response to Essex on XX/XX/XXXX included in the email chain XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

XX/XX/year> - Received an email response from Essex saying that they have expedited the request and with the XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. The email also stated that we would receive further communication regarding the removal of our XXXX  in the mail in the coming days. We still, to date, have not received XXXX piece of communication via mail. 

XX/XX/year> - Emailed Essex XXXX XXXX to ask for a status update on the request. Received a separate email ( not on the original thread asking for the status update ) stating that the appraisal ordered through XXXX XXXX has been placed on hold because the XXXX was unable to reach me. The email states that XXXX phone numbers were provided to the XXXX ; however, when I finally contacted the 'appraiser ' directly, she informed me that she was only given the XXXX phone number ( the wrong phone number ) with a last name and nothing else. I immediately responded to Essex to inform them that I had not been contacted and that I would contact the XXXX directly. Attached is a copy of this email conversation titled XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XX/XX/year> - Contacted the 'appraiser ' assigned to schedule the appraisal and notified Essex via XXXX that I had contacted the XXXX and that we had scheduled the inspection for XX/XX/XXXX. Email conversation detailing the difficulties of getting the hold removed even though all parties had been properly notified that contact had been made and an appointment had been scheduled is attached and is titled XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  - Received a separate email response from Essex XXXX XXXX XXXX that their special loans department had been trying to reach me even though I have no record of phone calls or emails or voice messages left at my contact number. I replied asking for an explanation of how they had been trying to reach me and provided a contact number, which is the same number I have always contacted Essex at and is the main contact number on record. 

XX/XX/year> - Called Essex XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX to try and get Essex to assist with getting the hold removed so the appraisal could take place. Called back by XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX  to be told that they could not help get the hold removed and that I should call the XXXX to see if she could call the company that hired her to get the hold removed. I called the XXXX and she said she would try to call the company that contracted her ( XXXX ) to see if they could help get the hold removed. 

XX/XX/year> - Received email confirmation from the XXXX that the hold had been removed and to confirm my appointment ; however, I noticed that the email was labeled as a property condition report and not an appraisal ( XXXX - XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and when I asked for clarification she said thats what she performs, not an appraisal. This concerned me since I had explicitly requested a full appraisal. 

XX/XX/year> - XXXX emailed Essex XXXX XXXX to ask when we can see the full appraisal, detailed in XXXX - XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

XX/XX/year> - Received an email from Essex XXXX XXXX saying that they " ordered a XXXX to appraise the property on XX/XX/year> '' and that " on XX/XX/year>, that the XXXX had booked an appointment for an appraisal and that the appraisal is no longer needed '' detailed in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Once I read this confusing email, I called Essex XXXX XXXX and spoke to XXXX at XXXX. I asked for an update on the situation and clarification regarding whether or not a full appraisal had been ordered or if a XXXX was ordered. The arrangement we had agreed to was a full appraisal that would be paid for by Essex in place of the private appraisal I had paid {$450.00} for. XXXX was asking me questions that she should have been able to provide answers to and said she would forward my request to someone and that I should hear back within XXXX days. 

XX/XX/year> - I have still not heard from Essex and at this point it appears they are purposefully delaying the completion of this appraisal.