Consumer complaint received 2015-10-23
Product: Mortgage — Conventional fixed mortgage
Issue: Loan servicing, payments, escrow account — 
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (MS)

The following facts are submitted to dispute CitiMortgage 's report to the Credit Bureaus of being 30 days late XXXX thur XXXX XXXX. I had applied for the HAMP ( Home Affordable Modification Program ) and had been approved. The payments in question were made as defined in the Loan Modification document and as directed by our HAMP Loan Modification representative. 
XXXX/XXXX/XXXX I received our HAMP Loan Modification documents setting our total payment at {$2100.00} that included an ESCROW analysis stating : Due to the timing of your tax and insurance payments, we have determined that there is a shortage of funds in your escrow account in the amount of {$690.00}. You may pay this amount over a 5-year period. This monthly payment has already been included in the monthly escrow payment stated above. 
XXXX/XXXX/XXXX - I received notice our payment had been raised from {$2100.00} to {$2200.00} because of an Escrow adjustment, before we made our first HAMP payment. 

At that time, I called and spoke with XXXX XXXX XXXX ( our HAMP Modification Representative ) and XXXX XXXX advised me to ignore the Letter and to pay what was set forth in our HAMP loan Modification agreement, and I did. 
XXXX XXXX explained it would take some time for all Departments to be on the same page, everything had to be posted. 
I made payments as directed by XXXX XXXX from XXXX XXXX thru XXXX XXXX. I spoke with numerous Customer Service Representatives and asked them to check our Loan Modification Documents, nothing helped. Then, I realized Citi Mortgage was holding the check for {$2100.00} every month until the next monthly payment was made, then posting a payment of {$2200.00} which made it appear as I was always one month late as they reported to the Credit Bureaus. I then made a payment in XXXX, XXXX to make up the difference between the {$2100.00} and the {$2200.00} payments to bring the account current per their calculations, which disregarded the dispute of the Escrow increase and the terms of the HAMP agreement. 

I was never late in making the payments as set forth in the HAMP Modification and followed the directions of the HAMP program 's representative and as specified in the HAMP agreement. This statement was and is still on every monthly statement : XXXX/XXXX/XXXX We received your complete modification document. Continue to make your future payments as detailed in the agreement. 

I am asking that these 30 day late reports be removed as Citi Mortgage failed to investigate my dispute of the Escrow Increase and the fact that the HAMP Program process included an Escrow analysis and the approved modification specified to make payments as specified in the approved modification. I made the payments as specified and on time, until I realized CitiMortgage was destroying my Credit Rating. Proof of the Escrow increase error is further supported when CitiMortgage received a County Tax Refund of {$1700.00} on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX and I received an Escrow Refund a little later. ( {$1.00} is the exact amount collected by Platinum Mortgage on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX at closing for 1 year in advance Taxes. ) Also, CitiMortgage was using the full taxable amount of $! XXXX for County Taxes in their analysis, instead of the XXXX Exemption amount of {$1000.00}, ( of which they were provided a copy in XXXX, XXXX ) which alone amounted to a {$930.00} error. Not to mention, CitiMortgage did not pay my XXXX taxes until XXXX/XXXX/XXXX after my property had been sold for Taxes. 

All of the foregoing is supported by CitiMortgage records which I can provide along with the canceled refund check and the letter from the XXXX XXXX Tax Assessor sent to them.