Consumer complaint received 2022-12-28
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Closing on a mortgage — 
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY (IL)

My name is XXXX XXXX XXXX. I feel like I have been taken advantage of by my current lender Wells Fargo after applying and being approved for a refinance loan in XX/XX/XXXX. I am looking to get a refund of the XXXX appraisal fee that was a requirement for the cash out refinance loan. My husband, XXXX, and I alerted XXXX that the funds were going to be to finish the remodel of our vintage home in WI. I paid for the appraisal in XX/XX/XXXX shortly after I was approved for the loan. This appraisal included pictures of the interior and exterior of our home. We were upfront that our lower unit was in the process of being renovated. The upper unit had already been renovated. The appraisal pictures verified those statements. At no time did the Wells Fargo representative state verbally, or in writing, that the condition of our unit should have automatically disqualified us from this loan. In fact, we were provided a close date of XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I had a tense email exchange with XXXX XXXX ( the WF representative who we were dealing with ) about his request for previously provided income information. About 1 day before the scheduled close date, I reached out to WF because I had not gotten an update about the time or place the close would happen at. It was at that time that I was told that the refinance had been rescheduled to XX/XX/XXXX. No reason was provided and I had not been sent an update via phone or email. On XX/XX/XXXX, I got an email from our appraiser stating that he had been asked to report to the house to take " finished pictures ''. I called Wells Fargo to talk to the new loan closer assigned to finish the deal, XXXX XXXX. She had no knowledge of this last-minute request put in by XXXX. She also had no answers and was worried that if these pics were not taken that day or the next, there would be another delay. We managed to get the appraiser to come and take the pics and send them in that same day. He was not sure why he was asked to do pictures on a house needing renovations. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I got a call telling me that my loan was now being declined because the house was uninhabitable. My husband had done some small work like putting in the XXXX for our tile install, but as I said earlier, without the funds to order the bigger items like tub, cabinets, insulation we could not move forward. That was the purpose of the refinance. This is not a new development. We were upfront when we spoke to the original representative, XXXX, about the condition of the house. Now XXXX said they had no way of knowing about the state of our home. This is not a true statement. The appraisal that they requested had extensive pictures of the interior of both units. We were honest from day one. I reached out to Wells Fargo and local IL agencies with no success. I just heard about CFPB and thought I would try one last avenue to see if I could get some assistance and possibly be reimbursed. When my husband and I called another lender ( XXXX ) for information on refinance, were were immediately told that the condition of our unit disqualified us from any kind of a loan. They were surprised that we had been approved by Wells Fargo. I do not understand why this did not happen when I talked to Wells Fargo. I feel like I have been taken advantage of and have lost hundreds of dollars because of their deceptive practices. 
Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX