Consumer complaint received 2021-08-24
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Closing on a mortgage — 
Company: SAMC Honebee TRS, LLC (LA)

On XX/XX/2021, three days before I was set to close on a mortgage refinance with GMFS Mortgage ( GMFS , LLC ), a company I already have a mortgage with, I was informed that verbal confirmation of my employment was required after the mortgage company had already reached out to my place of employment and didn't receive the response they hoped for. The response they received was canned, " We will get back to you within 2-3 business days ''. My place of employment is a public university, a quick XXXX search would tell someone if I were employed there. The mortgage company assumed my place of employment was going to openly answer their questions, and when they didn't, I received an email from GMFS letting me know they reached out to my place of employment, they were not given a favorable response in terms of timeline, and they wanted me to put them in contact with someone else. To which I asked for proof that verbal verification of a person 's employment is required if all other necessary information regarding their employment status has been provided. 

I have provided GMFS all necessary information up to this point to verify my employment : Multiple signed documents about working from home, pay stubs, contract with my employer, etc. I found the request to be highly suspicious because I was told the reason they needed verbal confirmation, even though they had all of my information, was due to COVID-19. At no point in time in the last month was I ever told, verbal confirmation would be needed or that there was concern about the provided information that confirmed I am employed. I sent an email to XXXX XXXX, the person who contacted me about needing verbal verification, to inform him I found the practice to be odd and questioned if this practice was racially motivated. 

On XX/XX/2021, I received an email and call from XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX 's supervisor. XXXX XXXX in his email suggested the practice wasn't XXXX, but when I spoke with XXXX by phone, XXXX spoke over me, interrupted me multiple times as I attempted to express my feelings about what seems to be a racially motivated process and instead of hearing me all the way through, XXXX became enraged by my wish to speak and stated, " You know what I've just decided? We are not going to move forward with this closing. '' And he hung up. XXXX 's interaction with me was sexist and XXXX, he also expressed to me that they have the right to not tell a borrower that they plan to call their employer. Which also sounds odd to me, that a lender can just call around to my current or former employers without my knowledge or authorization from me to ask for information about me. I suggested their practice was racially motivated, I questioned if this policy was part of the mortgage industry, and rather than speak with me about the process and hear my concerns, XXXX took it a step further and denied the refinance two days before closing. My credit history is good. All payments with this company have been on time. I have answered and provided all documentation requested. Yet, when I questioned the policy about verbal verification of employment, I was then denied the loan. That to me, screams problematic behavior.