Consumer complaint received 2017-12-05
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process — 
Company: NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC (TX)

For all of these transactions listed below, there are recorded conversations, as we ask each time we phoned to ensure these calls were being recorded for 'quality and training purposes '. On XX/XX/XXXX, we received letter from XXXX  XXXX XXXX that we would be awarded {$100000.00} for damages to our home from Hurricane Harvey and that the check would be arriving in the mail. On XX/XX/XXXX, we received letter from XXXX XXXX advising us that they would be selling our loan effective XX/XX/XXXX. We saw a 'train wreck ' happening here with these dates, i.e. our insurance check on its way, and this transfer of our account to another lender. We knew the check would be in our names with a requirement for XXXX XXXX  to sign off as well, and that the mortgage sign-off would be the 'bottleneck ' to get our funds to repair the house. So, we decided that we would rather pay off our mortgage ( ~ {$70000.00} ) and use the remainder to repair our house ( ~30,000 ). So, we phoned XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to find out how we could mitigate this train wreck. The person on the help desk informed us that we had to : 1- Request a payoff for the loan 2- Draft a letter stating that we authorize the funds to pay off the mortgage and refund the balance 3- Endorse the check and mail this to XXXX at address of XXXX XXXX XXXX -- XXXX Ohio. On XX/XX/XXXX, we finally received our check from the Insurance, so we sent the check and all the above information to the address above with 'overnight ' shipping ( ~ {$25.00} ) so that it would arrive at XXXX on Monday XX/XX/XXXX in time to avoid being in the aforementioned 'train wreck '. So, Monday and Tuesday, we waited and we did n't receive any correspondence ( phone or e-mail ) from XXXX regarding this important transaction. So, Tuesday afternoon, we phoned XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to ask about this payoff. We were routed to a new person on the phone, and after we explained everything, they told us that they received the check, but were just holding it, because our account was set to transfer to Mr Cooper the next day. Of course, we were very upset about this, and we asked to escalate to a supervisor. We discussed with supervisor XXXX, who assured us that she was so sorry that this was happening ( in her very well trained de-escalation protocol ) and that she would investigate to see what could be done, and would phone us back. XXXX did not return our phone call. XX/XX/XXXX, we phoned XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX again and left a message ( s? ) for XXXX asking what she had found and, again, we received no return phone call. We were advised that it would be 6-7 days before Mr Cooper Mortgage company would establish our account and recognize us as a client as we discussed with someone from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX requesting payoff of our loan and requesting refund of the balance. At this time, we are informed that they dont know what happened to the check. So, of course, we are enraged. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, we phone Mr Cooper to discuss pay off of our loan and refund of the balance. The XXXX XXXX person initially tells us that there are no notes in our new account regarding the previous mortgage company, and they dont know what happened to the check. What happened to that fully endorsed check that should have been used to pay off our loan and the balance refunded? After more investigation, we were told the notes indicate that XXXX XXXX had mailed the check to XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX Ohio -- We were shocked, since that is the same address ( see above ) that we had sent the check to XXXX XXXX initially. Again, we asked to be escalated to a supervisor. At some point during this week, Mr Cooper 's office found the {$100000.00} fully endorsed check laying around. When we asked about being awarded interest on this check, we were told that we would not receive any interest for this {$100000.00} check that is in now on their account ledger, awaiting processing. They stated that we would have to fill out a form ( on-line ) requesting a new pay off and signing another affidavit stating our intention to pay off the loan with the insurance check. So, we did both of these. And we waited for a phone call or feedback for next steps and timing -- nothing from Mr Cooper that there was any processing of any kind going on. So, early the next week, we phoned again and again, though we have lost track of the many phone calls to Mr Cooper 's offices in search of our refund. We asked to be transferred to a supervisor immediately each time we phoned the Mr Cooper Customer Help Desk. We were told that it takes 30 days to process this transaction for their office. We asked for an escalation process, as our house was flooded, completely gutted, we had lost almost everything in the flood, and had contractors working to rebuild, since we were fortunate enough to have insurance. Supervisor XXXX XXXX was where our next noteworthy phone call was routed ( ~XX/XX/XXXX ). She was responsive and found that all the documentation was received and in the file for the pay-off to take place, and the refund to be completed. So, she came in on her day off ( Saturday ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and completed the documentation and noting in the account to get the loan paid off ( ~ {$70000.00} ) and initiate the refund. She phoned us to tell us the great news, and so we asked if she could direct deposit the refund. She said she would try, so we e-mailed her a voided check with our banking numbers and account numbers, and she said she would check in to it when she was back in the office and when her supervisor was in the office ( Monday or Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX ). So, we waited and waited, and again, we received no phone call or email message from Mr Cooper 's offices. So, again, we phone XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, asked to speak to a supervisor, and were routed to XXXX XXXX. Again, he is well trained in the de-escalation process and promises to look into why we are not getting our refund, who is receiving the interest dollars on our money, and promises to call us back. We received the following information in an e-mail from XXXX XXXX : " I have sent over an email to our lien release department and was informed the release is currently being processed based on our 10 day period after the payoff date of XX/XX/XXXX. The release will then be sent to the county for recording within the date of XX/XX/XXXX. 
Once your refund is reflecting in our system we can move forward in processing your refund by next week. I also did communicate with XXXX and she advised she submitted a Mortgage Affidavit to post as a payoff for you, which I did communicate with you on our conversation. She is still in the process of getting the additional funds out to you. '' Today, is XX/XX/XXXX, and we have not received any refund from Mr Cooper. We did, however, receive in the mail several letters from Mr Cooper welcoming us into their company, and one actually had a summary of the amount of interest that we owe them for our newly transferred loan. We are extremely annoyed and feel harassed with this information. Additionally, we continue to get these roto-dial phone calls from Mr Cooper asking how we are surviving after the hurricane, and to stay on the line to discuss our account with Mr Cooper.  So, as we stay on the line, we get some Customer Help Desk person who knows nothing about our account, our refund and does n't help at all. More harassment!! The remedy we want is to receive the money that is ours -- We can not understand how this mortgage company has the right to hold our refund for this long, without providing any interest to us or any reimbursement for pain and suffering. Our bills are going past due, interest is accruing on the credit cards that we had to open to pay for the work on our home, and we had flood insurance!! -- We have a refund due to us. It is our money!! We want to make sure that the processes are changed at both XXXX XXXX and Mr Cooper so that no one has to experience this insanity and frustration that we have been through. All of this can be validated through the many, many hours of phone calls that both XXXX XXXX and Mr Cooper have recorded