Consumer complaint received 2021-10-06
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process — 
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY (CT)

In late XXXX... .early XX/XX/XXXX, I requested COVID-19 forbearance for my mortgage. It was granted. At that time, I was not clear about my obligations for the program but my salary was reduced and I was fearful about making timely payments. In XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter informing me that I could extend my forbearance for an additional 3 months. During this time, I did not understand the full consequences of the forbearance that I chose. 

In mid-XXXX XXXX, I came to understand that the forbearance I chose had constraints making me ineligible for the protections advertised. I then found out that the only option available to me was to pay back the full amount of my loan at the end of my COVID-19 relief period or to request a loan modification, which I did in late XXXX. 

After many unsuccessful attempts to follow up on the modification, I finally connected with XXXX XXXX. She advised me to access an online portal to submit the documents necessary for loan modification and track the progress from there. I was never able to submit, access, or track anything on the site. During this time, I tried unsuccessfully to contact her and was advised other people in the loan modification and loan preservation departments would contact me. That never happened in any meaningful fashion. I called repeatedly over the next few weeks to follow up on the progress of my loan modification to no avail. Each time it felt like I was applying for something different or that I had never submitted any requests at all. 

On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I became concerned that Wells Fargo was trying to put me in a place to lose my home to foreclosure based on the lack of communication, follow-up, their past history with mortgages, and the conflicting paper communications I was receiving from their office ( I received packets daily with applications, options for refinancing, mortgage modification, loan forbearance, and a host of other options ). I filed a written complaint on their website. The complaint basically advised them that I believed their actions were fraudulent and lacking good faith towards allowing me to cure any deficiencies from my forbearance period and allowing me to resume payments on my loan. I felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of documents coming to my home, via regular mail and XXXX XXXX, and desperately wanted to understand my situation. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, in response to my complaint, I received a call from XXXX XXXX. She told me she was calling from the Executive Office and was charged with thoroughly researching my complaint. On XX/XX/XXXX, she called me back and confirmed that I was not eligible for any type of loan modification because of my loan type. She further confirmed that I was eligible for a payment deferral of the 4 payments that I did not make under the federal COVID-19 relief guidelines. This is significant because I received a number of notifications that I was 6 payments behind and still do not know what my final numbers show. She confirmed that my loan would remain as is with the one change being the 4 past due payments being tacked onto the back of my loan. 

After receiving that letter, I added a bimonthly auto payment option to my account to allow me to attack the principal that crept up during the height of the COVID pandemic. 

There were no further issues until mid-XXXX XXXX when I received my escrow analysis for the coming 12-month period. I was informed that I had a projected shortfall. After reviewing the document, I realized the shortfall came from an added insurance payment that was added to my account. My insurance has never been escrowed. I have always paid it separately. At the time I closed on my mortgage, I only escrowed for my taxes. I have always paid my taxes with my year-end bonuses. I called WellsFargo to explain that there was an issue and ask for resolution. I was told the charge was for the insurance added as part of my modification. I told her I did not need insurance because I already had insurance. She then told me that WellsFargo added the insurance to my escrow as part of my modification. I told her that I did not receive a modification and did not want my insurance escrowed. The agent basically told me that their perspective is I should be happy that they made the insurance payment so that now I don't have to think about it. The problem is my loan agreement was altered without my approval and I reject their assistance. When I again confirmed that my modification request was denied, the woman told me she would research the issue and I would have further communication or a resolution in 5-7 business days. 

Today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) makes 15 business days and I have not received a letter or a phone call. I logged into my account to determine whether the charge had been removed from my account only to see that right after my initial call WellsFargo issued a check to my insurance company for a policy that is paid through XX/XX/XXXX. When I called to inquire about what was going on with my original complaint, XXXX, in customer service, told me I was informed about the change to my escrow as part of my modification. When I explained to her that I did not have a modification she told me she would file another research request. I asked for a supervisor since the last research request did not result in anything more than depletion of my escrow account. XXXX, a customer service manager, told me that I was informed about the change to my escrow account as part of the modification and she would research when I received the letter. After holding for 20 minutes while she researched when I received the letter, she came back on the line and told me that I verbally agreed to the escrow modification on XX/XX/XXXX as part of my modification. I told her that I would have never agreed to a modification that required me to add my insurance to the escrow because my homeowners insurance is bundled with my car and other insurances. Furthermore, the addition of the insurance to my escrow account increased my mortgage payment by almost $ XXXX, which I can not afford. She told me she would research it and get back to me. 
I told XXXX that I would file a complaint with the banking department by Friday if I did not hear back, but I am afraid at this point that my mortgage payment will increase on XX/XX/XXXX and I will not be able to pay it. I can not afford to increase my monthly budget and should not have to based on WellsFargos deliberately harmful and fraudulent actions. They act without impunity and leave the consumer to deal with the repercussions. This should not be allowed to go on.