Consumer complaint received 2024-07-22
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process — Escrow, taxes, or insurance
Company: Dovenmuehle Mortgage, Inc. (IL)

XXXX, the servicer of my mortgage has made many mistakes so I requested for my PMI and escrow to be removed and followed every step I was told to make including getting an appraisal and paying {$14000.00} in escrow shortage, but yet the company severely delayed, stalled and gave wrong misinformation until yet a further tax bill came out that put me back into a negative escrow balance. My reason for wanting to removemy escrow and pay the taxes and insurance on my own was because of many mistakes and wrong amounts given by the company I received several denials, even after I put in several requests and qualifications were met. I was told several times that they did not see an order or task to remove my escrowand to put in another one and it would XXXXake5 days 5 days turned intoover 20 days. I have had constant issues since they took on the servicing of my loan. 
It started in XXXX somewhere around the XXXX where I received a notice that {$29000.00} For escrow shortage. I had already had issues with misinformation and incorrect information before where they sent me a tax statement for {$12.00} XXXX then they corrected it. They also at XXXX point said I was delinquent by a little over {$8000.00}. They corrected both. Then, the taxes and escrow issue came about later, I knew that I would have an escrow shortage because my taxes had gone up about XXXX or XXXX and there XXXX enough because their previous taxes were much less, but again each time I tried to find out how much the shortage was I was told to wait. So now when I receive this escrow shortage was said to be XXXX when it should not have been more than XXXX. They had the incorrect tax amount. I asked why was it so much more and if the taxes were paid again for the first installment and I was told no. After doing research and calling the bank that my mortgage that I could check the counties website to see and thats when I found out the taxes were indeed paid and thats why the amount was larger than I had thought. However, the amount of the taxes were inflated and not correct, so everything was being calculated on the escrow statement from that incorrect amount.. In the meantime, I was still paying my escrow with my payments so it was going down a little bit. I contacted the bank that owns my loan, XXXX who has been the main source of my communication and have been desperately trying to assist and help me,. XXXX has even been getting the run around from XXXX and promises were not kept. They've done whatever they could within their ability becasue they transferred the servicing of my loan over to XXXX. However, I was unable to speak with the escrow department at XXXX and kept getting the run around, Even the managers I spoke with said they could not approve anything but can only put in yet another request. After several attempts to get to the bottom of it and XXXX reached out to find out what the issue is and to find a resolve a few times. They came back to tell me that the original issue was because of the new tax amount, but they had to find out where the mistake liebecause that much I already knew. Both a XXXX at XXXX and the VP of compliance of the bank said it would be a few weeks before they could correct the mistake or do research and that I had time before the new payment would be due in XXXX. in the meantime, I proceeded to request for my escrow to be removed so I could pay my own taxes and insurance and I would not have to worry about mistakes being made, and I was told to put in a request in which I did and I sent them a copy of my tax bill showing that their amount was wrong and what the correct taxes should have been. They told me it would take at least five days. I sent the new bill and requested for my escrow to be removed in an email and was later tonight and told that I used a different email address than what they had on file. I had sent two emails. Then I received a denial saying that PMI couldnt be removed because I was not at 80 % loan to value. I asked if I could remove the taxes and I was told yes that I could put in the request over the phone so I did. I was denied yet again because my PMI was not 80 % value. I could not remove anything which they did not tell me that from the beginning actually they encouraged me and said they dont see a reason why I could not, the taxes. They told me I could pay for an appraisal to have the PMI removed so I did. That was actually before I asked for the taxes to be removed again and was once again tonight saying that they couldnt remove the taxes now because I had an escrow shortage. I told him I knew I had an escrow shortage and have been asking. What is it? How much is it so I could pay it but I still wasnt told I was just told to Wait to see if appraisal came in where it should be and was told that it was and that PMI would be removed. I requested a copy of letter stating that as well as a copy of my appraisal. I told him now that XXXX has been removed I would like to, pay the shortage so how much is the actual shortage and was told that it was {$14000.00} so I told him I would pay it in the meantime I receive another denial letter to taxes and I asked them. Why would you send me another denial letter I did request escrow to be removed was waiting for the appraisal to come through because we were waiting. So I got my bank involved and I asked him to contact them to find out why they keep sending me the letters and why do they still have the wrong amount on my escrow statement I want to pay the XXXX so we can be down to XXXX and they can remove my escrow which they said that they could, when I called to find out the status, XXXX out the appraisalcame through at XXXX percent so the PMI was removed. I asked for it in writing as well as a copy of the appraisal. I alsorequested for escrow to be removed in that same conversation because I also paid the {$14000.00} over the phone and it was done in that same phone conversation. I was told that I had to put in another request to move the escrow and it would take about 45 days to run a new analysis and 5 days for the escrow to be updated. Then I received another denial letter based off of XX/XX/XXXX, so I called the bank and we had a meeting. It was the vice president of compliance, it was her XXXX and someone else from my bank, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX. Again, I could never speak with the escrow department of XXXX who isservicing my loan.. They said they would get down to the bottom of it and now that my PMI has been removed and the request had been put in for my escrow to be removed we should be good and the taxes will not be paid because a new tax bill had come out in the process of us waiting for all of their mistakes. They told me and be patient and check back on Monday after the XXXX holiday. I did check back and was told that there was no request to remove the escrow and they did not even see where I was below 80 % loan value. I said it should be in your records because I received the letter. I am at 66 % loan to value and they said XXXX sorry was nothing we can do, but would you like us to put in another request would take another XXXX days so now the time is approaching when the taxes have to be due and I still have not made my XXXX payment because they told me to wait until this was fixed and I told him I did not want to be affected nor do I wan na be charged late fee they dont pay the amount thats on there or a partial amount to wait so I did another call back and now theyre telling me that they cant. Theyre looking at a letter from XX/XX/XXXX so one of the previous denials and said Im sorry we dont see where anything was put through again and I asked what is happening to all of these request that Im putting in is not me so I asked to speak to a disconnected a couple times and after probably talking to at least XXXX people over the course of XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX or ninth, and Im sorry but all I can do is put in another request and I dont see why they can not remove your escrow this time. I am sorry that it was not done previously, but I cant approve anything so all I can do to help you is to wait. I called my bank back and told them that they said they would make sure this is taken care of, and they apologize for having to go through all of this and they will see it that the taxes are not paid and my escrow will be removed. They asked me what exactly did I request? What words did I use? I said I asked them to cancel and remove my escrow several times and they should know because they are so many records and notes on my account that even the representative was confused when I called and had me on the phone for, couple of hours which is not the first time so they can dig through the notes to see but the fact that I have denial letters for the escrow to be removed should say that they know exactly what it was I was requesting. So I go back to check to see if the escrow was removed and they ran a new analysis and the new pay statement and I was told that it was not after all this time never ever receiving an email from me. I received an email saying that bill was paid in the amount of just a little over {$8000.00} and I was furious because I had no I told them they would be holding my escrow XXXX to pay the new taxes before they remove the Escrow, and I was told that probably would not happen because as soon as they ran a new analysis and see the escrow was up to date, they would adjust the new payment. Well, it did happen, they paid the new taxes before they were due and they did not honor my many requests to remove the escrow. It's like they were stalling and then going to force a new escrow on me which now that will put me right back into the negative so they can just increase my mortgage payment again when they already told me that it wouldnt have anything but my principal and my interest to pay once escrow was removed and all the errors were corrected so after paying {$14000.00}, I am still frustrated I have been on the phone countless of hours during my work time dealing with this frustrated to the point where this is affecting my mental health and my well-being. I have no solve and its costing me money and unnecessary grief. Now here it is XX/XX/XXXX and I am on vacation with my family and just had to pay my XXXX college tuition, but have now been forced to pay the taxes early on XXXX terms and still no escrow removal and no lowered payment without the escrow as previously requested since XX/XX/XXXX, after paying XXXX, an appraisal, removal of PMI and doing everything else that was asked of me. Now I am forced to come up with the money sooner, pay a larger mortgage payment and pay the taxes earlier than I had planned, amount many other family and financial obligations I am dealing with including sending my kids to college. Once they finally do remove the escrow where I only pay principal and interest, I am afraid that it will be another issue when my ARMs expires because I have no reason to trust that things will go smoothly because so far they have not. I asked if I could move to a different servicer but was told I could not, far XXXX has never emailed me once other than a reply to my initial forwarding of my correct tax statement and initial request to remove PMI and escrow on XX/XX/year>, not have they emailed me when a tax bill or anything was paid or received, but yet I get a notice immediately that hey, we paid the taxes, that we were not supposed to pay which was noted in the many notes on file after numerous phone calls. I also received a delinquent notice. I never received any other notices, everything has always came by mail, slowly and delayed.