Consumer complaint received 2017-08-31
Product: Mortgage — FHA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process — 
Company: CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC (NJ)

XX/XX/XXXX Carrington Mortgage Services , LLC XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX CA XXXX Attn : Customer Research REF : Home Mortgage Account # SUBJECT : Request to Assist in Correcting Credit History To whom it may concern : We are respectfully requesting that Carrington Mortgage Services , LLC review our loan history. We are requesting that you assist us in making the necessary and appropriate corrections to our credit history and thereby restore our credit moving forward. This is in response to a conference call conducted on Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX with Carrington Mortgage Services Customer Service Manager XXXX and XXXX XXXX Customer Service Representative, XXXX. 

This is not our first mortgage or financial obligation. We have both had several during our adult lives. However, this is certainly the first that has negatively impacted either of our credit scores. Since the beginning of our financial dealings with Carrington Mortgage in XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX, it has definitely been a rocky road despite numerous conversations with Carrington customer service. However, it has always been our goal to remain in good financial standing. After speaking with XXXX, we learned some things that should have been handled better and would have mitigated many of the issues experienced along the way. We would like to rectify this moving forward. The following are just some of those issues : The sale of our mortgage from XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) to Carrington in XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX could have been handled better. We intended to make our payment at the local branch of XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. We were advised that our mortgage had been sold. We asked, to whom, the teller advised that they did not know but we should be notified shortly. We did n't receive any correspondence until we received our first mortgage statement on XX/XX/XXXX. We mailed out the payment stub and check # XXXX ( {$3600.00} ) on XX/XX/XXXX.  It was our monthly payment of {$3400.00} and an assigned {$130.00} late fee. We assumed this was just part of the transition. However, on or about XX/XX/XXXX we received the first of numerous Notices of Default and Intention to Foreclose, please see attached. We would both receive at least 3 at a time including additional ones sent via certified mail to the post office. We also received numerous voicemails at home, threatening the same. We called Carrington Customer Service upon receipt, they advised us that this notice along with the voicemails are sent automatically and possibly in error due to transition. The representative that we spoke to advised us that we were overdue. We explained that we had tried to make payment at XXXX but it was not accepted due to sale. She advised, do n't worry just continue making monthly payment plus additional amount to apply to overdue balance. We chose to send $ XXXX additional until we were up to date. She then directed us to send these payments directly to Carrington Mortgage at : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX CA. By sending to this location, we were advised that payment would be handled by an actual person so funds would be applied properly to our account. We felt somewhat better despite foreclosure notices. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, we received our second statement. This statement ( attached ) shows that we have an overdue payment of {$3600.00}. As directed by Carrington Customer Service, we subsequently mailed our payment to the aforementioned address ( our  regular payment {$3400.00} plus an additional {$500.00}, with note on payment stub as directed to apply to overdue balance ) in check # XXXX for {$3900.00}. However, on XX/XX/XXXX, we received the attached letter and our XX/XX/XXXX payment check marked PIF. Included with our returned check, was a letter that formally stated that our payment check was returned because the loan was paid in full. We knew something was obviously wrong. We called Customer Service on XX/XX/XXXX and were placed on hold at XXXX ( EST ). When a representative answered the call, we were advised that our account could not be located by either our phone or our loan numbers. We remained on hold until XXXX ( EST ) with no assistance received. We subsequently called again on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX ( EST ) we spoke with, XXXX . We briefed him on our situation. At XXXX we were again placed on hold. At XXXX he returned and he advised us that he needed to check the status of our account with his supervisor. At XXXX he returned and apologized, he informed us that he was waiving the late fee and we made payment over the phone in place of the returned check ( check # XXXX ). The confirmation number given was # XXXX. Moving forward we were directed to continue sending our regular payment ( plus the additional {$500.00} ) and as previously instructed to send to the XXXX XXXX address so funds, could be applied properly. XXXX also directed us to send the attached cease and desist letter to stop the foreclosure notices and threatening voicemails. Our intention was never to stop all communications. Please note, the letter specifically states, harassing correspondence and voicemails regarding the default and foreclosure on our mortgage and added at the close of the letter, should you have any questions or need additional information please do not hesitate to contact us. In addition we provided both our home phone number, cell phone number and an accurate email address. XXXX was very nice and extremely helpful. However, the phone calls stopped but the letters did not stop. Our bank records consistently showed that our monthly checks were received and cleared on time. However we were still receiving numerous notices. In good faith we continued to send payments as well as additional funds through XX/XX/XXXX. At this point, the account was up to date and the letters finally stopped. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, we explored refinancing our loan with the company who originally held the mortgage on this home. However when our credit scores were run, we were advised us that our credit has been dramatically effected for some reason. Subsequently we were unable to refinance at that time. In early XX/XX/XXXX, we called Carrington Mortgage Customer Service and spoke to XXXX. We briefed her on situation. She advised that we send a fax to Customer Research and request that they look into the issue. A couple of weeks later, a letter was received regarding this inquiry. It stated that since the request was signed electronically, they would not respond to the request. 

Also, in XX/XX/XXXX, we again received a letter from Carrington Mortgage stating they had not received our payment. However, our bank records showed that the payment ( check # XXXX ) had cleared on XX/XX/XXXX. To avoid further discrepancies, on XX/XX/XXXX, we went to our bank, XXXX XXXX, and requested assistance. We inquired about setting up an ACH transfer, to be assured payments continued to be made on-time. However, we were told that Carrington Mortgage is unfortunately not in the XXXX XXXX system approved for ACH transfers. We then opted to have the bank representative, XXXX, set-up a XXXX XXXX automatic bill pay on our account. It was set so that the payment check would be sent out no later than the 10th of every month directly from XXXX XXXX. 

Starting in XX/XX/XXXX, our payments were made utilizing bill pay directly from XXXX XXXX so we have a record of all payments made. It worked well until XX/XX/XXXX, when the mortgage increased to {$3500.00}. We received notice in late XX/XX/XXXX that payment was not made. However, our bank records showed that the check cleared on XX/XX/XXXX ( {$3400.00} ). We subsequently returned to the bank in person on XX/XX/XXXX to  assure that the payment amount was adjusted to {$3500.00}. The XX/XX/XXXX payment cleared on XX/XX/XXXX. Since previous payments were made through the automatic bill pay without incident for 10 months, we assumed payments would be back on track. In XX/XX/XXXX, an overdue payment amount of {$140.00}, appeared on our Carrington Mortgage Statement. We believed this was due to the XX/XX/XXXX increase in payment, so check # XXXX was sent ( for {$140.00} ) to resolve this balance. However, unfortunately due to an error made in the XXXX XXXX system, our XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX payment amounts reverted back to {$3400.00}. We were unfortunately unaware of this error. The foreclosure notices started again. 

This brings us to the present and the conference call mentioned earlier. Approximately 21 months after our XX/XX/XXXX conversation with XXXX, the accounting practices utilized by Carrington Mortgage were fully explained to us by XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX.  During this phone conference, it was stated that despite the direction given by XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX, payments that are considered to be partial are actually placed in an unapplied funds bucket by Carrington Mortgage until the following month. As it was explained, a portion of those funds are then applied to previous month to complete that month but subsequently making the preceding month short. Unfortunately in our case, based on poor customer service given in XX/XX/XXXX, this process became a vicious cycle in our account twice ( XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX ) and ( XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX ). In the first instance, we had been told there would be allowances made due to the roll-over/transition from XXXX and in the second we were relying on our bank to follow our written directive to increase the payment amount ( an increase of what amounts to approximately only {$50.00} ). 

During our discussion with XXXX, it was asked why a customer service phone call or letter was not received actually explaining this process. It could have been very easily rectified. She advised that there was not a phone number on record for the account. Even though the cease and desist letter she referenced ( from XX/XX/XXXX ) specifically provided our contact information and asks for contact regarding any other questions or concerns. As previously noted, the request was only intended to cease and desist the harassing correspondence and voicemails regarding the default and foreclosure on our mortgage. XXXX advised that in order to reinstate communications we would need to fax another letter. That letter is attached herein. We have also provided XXXX with our home phone number and cell phone number again. 

During our conference call, XXXX was adamant that Carrington Mortgage had done nothing wrong and the errors were ours solely. We disagree and the impact to our credit and our good financial standing must be rectified.