Consumer complaint received 2024-03-22
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process — Escrow, taxes, or insurance
Company: Guild Holdings Company (TX)

We received an escrow statement from our mortgage company, Guild, issued XX/XX/XXXX, which indicated that we had an escrow deficit. Upon researching the document they sent us, we saw they issued two payments for property tax, one for the correct amount and the other for some unknown reason. Because of this, our mortgage payment would be going up by nearly {$1000.00} per month starting in XX/XX/XXXX. 

The first time I reached out to Guild regarding this issue was XX/XX/XXXX. I spoke with an agent who told me that they could see that the additional payment was marked as aged, stale ( something along those lines ) and that they would send a note to the escrow department about it to get more information. I asked what that notation meant, and she said it more than likely indicates that they realized the payment was made in error, but they'd need to call me back. 

I reached out to the local tax office and they told me that error payments were dispersed back to the mortgage companies mid XXXX. With this information, I called Guild again. This was XX/XX/XXXX. I spoke with a different agent and explained the situation. They told me they saw the note on our account and that we would just have to wait for XXXX ( their payment processing ) to refund our account. They would not give me a date as to when this might happen. The were to update us when the got more information. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I reached out to Guild once more as I heard nothing. I again had to explain the issue. Once again, the agent told me basically the refund, if there is one, will happen when it happens. I asked if they could provide me with the invoices they received from the property tax office. The woman told me that I needed to visit the website for our tax office and the records would be there. I mentioned that's not what I asked, I asked again for her to provide me with the invoices that Guild paid. She told me again that it would be on the tax site. When I asked if they keep records of those invoices, she avoided answering my question and again referred me to the tax office 's website. 

After that call, I reached to the loan officer with Guild that helped us get this loan. I explained the situation to him and he said he'd see what he could do. 

XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from him saying, " Let 's give them a little more time '' which included a forwarded note from an agent at Guild reading, " the tax team received the borrower 's inquiry from customer service regarding the double payment made to the county, it is currently being researched with XXXX and the County. As soon as we have an update, I will follow up with you ''. 

I replied with, " I have no choice but to file a formal complaint with the Texas Attorney General 's office and the Consumer Financial Protection Agency today. That money was sent back in XXXX. It is not our fault that Guild isn't processing this faster and yet we are being penalized. '' To which he responded, " We really don't know what happened yet or where that money went. I'll follow up with them on Monday and apply more pressure. I'm bringing my regional manager into this. Maybe he can apply some pressure. Hang tight. I'll stay on it. ''