Consumer complaint received 2017-12-30
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process — 
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION (TX)

In XX/XX/XXXX, I received notice from my previous mortgage servicer that my mortgage was being transferred to a new owner, Fifth Third Bank. I was given instructions to mail a check to Fifth Third for XXXX, since I would n't have an online account set up by the XXXX of the month. I mailed the check on time, and it was cashed on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Since then, I paid my mortgage online for XXXX. In XXXX, I noticed that my autopay setup apparently had not gone through as expected, so I logged in to my account to pay on XX/XX/XXXX. At this time, I saw that Fifth Third still showed me as being late for XXXX, even though I had definitely paid, so I contacted customer service through my online account that day to inquire. 

It was n't until XX/XX/XXXX that I realized I had a reply from the bank, since their system inexplicably does not alert you by email when customer service replies to a message. In subsequent messages, they told me their records showed they never received a payment for my first month under their servicing in XXXX, even though my bank shows a check cleared for my mortgage amount. Customer service asked me for further details to research the issue, including the check number, account and routing numbers, and the amount, which I provided. They advised on XX/XX/XXXX that it would take up to four business days -- until XX/XX/XXXX-- for them to research the whereabouts of the check to get it properly credited to my account. 

By XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, I had not received any further communication from Fifth Third, so I contacted them again via online message to check on the status of this issue. To customer service 's credit, they replied the same day to inform me they had not been able to find the check. They asked me to contact my bank to get copies of the front and back. 

My online account with XXXX did not have images of the check on file with my account as they usually do, so I called my bank by phone to see if there was something they could dig up. Unfortunately, the check was cashed by ACH withdrawal, and there does not seem to be a scanned paper record or " converted check, '' only a notation on the ACH withdrawal for the check number ( XXXX ). At this point, I filed a dispute on the charge with my bank because neither my bank nor Fifth Third seems to have proof of where my mortgage payment ended up. ( I considered that someone could have stolen the check somehow, but I think it 's much more likely my new mortgage servicer cashed it and did n't give me credit. ) XXXX says it will likely take anywhere from 15-45 days to research and resolve the dispute. 

In the meantime, I 've spent the holidays receiving passive-aggressive notices from the bank about payment assistance and my rights in a foreclosure, for a mortgage I have paid faithfully every month. ( No, I do n't need help paying my mortgage ... Fifth Third needs help processing it! ) I 'm worried that Fifth Third insists I double-pay my mortgage immediately because they ca n't find the check they cashed, or else they will drag down my excellent credit score by claiming I missed a payment. I would greatly appreciate the CFPB 's help in expediting resolution on this issue. It 's unacceptable that my most valuable asset, my home, is being threatened because my mortgage account got sold without my consent to some jokers who can barely handle payments.