Consumer complaint received 2017-07-17
Product: Mortgage — VA mortgage
Issue: Closing on a mortgage — 
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY (VA)

Dear Sir or Ma'am, I believe Wells Fargo Mortgages is in violation of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, here in Virginia, they are doing the same thing here in Virginia as they were doing in Maryland where the were found guilty in case #  XXXX  on  XXXX    XXXX    2015.
I was in the process of buying a house and had been approved by Wells Fargo. After getting pre-approval I found a house and put in an offer which was accepted I called and talked to   XXXX   XXXX    NMLSR #  XXXX  Wells Fargo employee, on  XX/XX/XXXX at that time   XXXX   informed me that i would have to close with Wells Fargo closing and the cost would be  XXXX  dollars When i discussed this with   XXXX   XXXX   my agent she said no its my choice and i can go with who i choose that Wells Fargo can not dictate closing companies. So I told   XXXX   XXXX   I was going with   XXXX   XXXX   in   XXXX   due to it being lower cost and since it was my choice thats who i was going with I also gave  XXXX  the contact information to   XXXX   XXXX   so that he could send them the paperwork to get started on the title search.   XXXX   XXXX   on  XX/XX/XXXX  called me and told me that they were changing my rate, Which I felt was wrong and illegal since we had signed documents and i threatened to get an attorney if they did change the rate. I was then transferred to   XXXX   XXXX   NMLSR  XXXX  Well Fargo employee, who was   XXXX   XXXX    supervisor who I told him the same thing and he said he would resolve the issue. ( I feel they were trying to retaliate at this time due to my not going with them for the closing ) On  XX/XX/XXXX  I talked with   XXXX   XXXX   again since they were needing more information to get my COE from the VA.   XXXX   XXXX   on that date said i could not go with   XXXX   XXXX   since they were not on the VA approved list for closing companies. I then explained to him that i did not care what the VA or WF said it was my money that was paying the closing cost it will be my choice and on  XX/XX/XXXX I will be in   XXXX   XXXX   office to close.   XXXX   XXXX    then stated that i was asking for an exeption from the VA and that would cause delays and put off the closing. ( this was an out right lie ). I went to   XXXX   XXXX   on XX/XX/XXXX  and talked with   XXXX    ( Office Manager ) (   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   ) she stated they had done 4 VA closing in the past 3 months and was unaware of any VA list. Also at this time 3 weeks after i made my decision Wells Fargo was still holding the paperwork and no title search had been started.
On  XX/XX/XXXX  the appraisal was done on the property I was looking to buy which cost me  XXXX .
On  XX/XX/XXXX  while talking with   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   ( Wells Fargo,  XXXX   XXXX  ) she called to tell me the appraisal was good and that the only thing found wrong that the VA would declare to be fixed was it needed a hand rail going to the basement. During this conversation I was told by   XXXX   XXXX   that the VA did not have a list of settlement companies but that  XXXX  was not on Wells Fargo 's list. A contradiction of what   XXXX   XXXX   stated on  XX/XX/XXXX . I called my sister that night since she an attorney for the US attorneys office to see what she recommended she was the one that pointed out the case on  XXXX    XXXX   2015 and suggested i go to you all.
On  XX/XX/XXXX  I called   XXXX   XXXX   at Wells fargo because i was upset for being lied to on several occasions and that Wells fargo was using the VA as a scape goat for everything. I then explained i wanted the names/titles/ and contact info of everyone involved from the VA to Wells Fargo to the Appraiser, and that i wanted to talk to someone higher up which i talked with   XXXX   XXXX   who I did tell that i was on the verge of making a complaint with the CFPB about the handling of my mortgage and the deceitful practices in which WF has employed to try to get me to go with a closing company of their liking.   XXXX   XXXX   said she would oversee everything and that there would be no problems, and asked that i did not make my complaint.
  XXXX   XXXX   finally received the paperwork on XX/XX/XXXX to start the title search. A full month after I made it clear that was the closing company I was going with.  XXXX  at   XXXX   XXXX   called   XXXX   XXXX   on  XX/XX/XXXX  to let her know there was not a clear title on the property and that it could not be fixed by closing.   XXXX   XXXX   called me on the   XXXX   to let me know what was found out and what my options were.
On XX/XX/XXXX    XXXX   XXXX   called me and told me that the VA denied the appraisal and would not be guranteeing the loan ( which was in contradiction of what   XXXX   XXXX   had said on the  XXXX , ) and that i would have to look at redoing the whole loan process again from scratch. I asked for him to forward me the email from the VA which he flat out refused to do, so I feel there was no letter at all, this was Wells fargo 's act of retaliation for stating that i was going to make a complaint with the CFPB I feel that Wells Fargo violated the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act by 1. trying to dictate what company i had to use,2. by using deceitful tactics to trick me into changing settlement companies 3. retaliation tactics I feel the Wells Fargo cost me  XXXX  since they with held the paperwork from   XXXX   XXXX   back on the    XXXX  of  XXXX  until  XX/XX/XXXX . I f   XXXX   at   XXXX   had the paperwork on say the   XXXX   or   XX/XX/XXXX   she would have found the problem with the title and the appraisal order could have been cancelled and my money returned.
I can fax or mail documents to you if you need them. Wells fargo also has recorded conversations of the phone calls which i 'm sure you can get.