Consumer complaint received 2025-01-05 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — FHA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process — Escrow, taxes, or insurance
Company: VYSTAR CREDIT UNION
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
I closed on a house in XX/XX/XXXX and have had the same payment for two years. I looked online after I made my XX/XX/XXXX payment, and saw that it had gone up {$30.00}. When I called the company on XX/XX/XXXX to ask why, the first person, XXXX, stated that she would get the escrow breakdown to me in email by end of business day that day. I didn't receive the information, so I called back again on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke to XXXX. She said that since there was an overflow of call volume, she couldn't help me with my particular issue, but she could take down my information and have someone give me a call back. Towards the end of the day on XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call back from XXXX. I asked why my payment had gone up, considering it was supposed to be a fixed 30-year mortgage, and I had never been late on my payments. She said that I was short {$530.00} on my escrow for the payment year XX/XX/XXXXXXXX  to XX/XX/XXXX. When I asked how that could be, she said that it was because my home owner 's insurance went up or my property taxed went up. She looked at everything and saw what I had already confirmed. My home owner 's insurance stayed exactly the same, and my property taxes went down due to homestead exemption. She insisted there was an error, but I called my XXXX company prior to receiving XXXXXXXX XXXX phone call, and my XXXX company confirmed the numbers and said there was no error since there were no changes or anything. My property taxes had gone down nearly {$600.00}, but Vystar was insisting that I owed them {$530.00}. So I asked XXXX again how I owed, when I shouldn't. She had no answers for me, but she said that I would receive the breakdown of escrow payments, as well as the escrow waiver form, in two business days. I should have received everything by XX/XX/XXXX, but I have not. XXXX did tell me that I was supposed to have a payment year end balance in my escrow of {$590.00}, a two month cushion. I still don't understand why I was short considering I pay into escrow every month, and have never been charged a late fee. I have repeatedly asked for answers and have received none. I took it upon myself, having still not received any information from Vystar as requested multiple times, to go into a Vystar location. The worker there helped me print out all my statements since loan origination XX/XX/XXXX. 

Having looked at the charges and payments, my numbers don't match Vystar 's. Vystar insisted that I have a shortage in my escrow. I'm showing a positive. I've checked the math multiple times. By payment year end, I should have {$230.00} in my escrow account for the year of XXXX. Vystar is saying that I have {$130.00}. 

On top of all of that, I looked at my statements and from loan origination in XXXX, my prepayment penalty option stated that there was none. No prepayment penalty. However, starting in XXXX, there is a prepayment penalty. I was not notified in any way, shape, or form of this change to my contract with Vystar. According to my paperwork at time of signing, they are to notify me of any changes in writing. I have received none. As far as I'm concerned, this is a breech of contract. I did not consent to the prepayment penalty, nor is an FHA loan allowed to levy this fee in the state of Florida. I don't like the way Vystar is doing business and I don't like the way no one has an answer for me when I call and ask targeted questions regarding my mortgage, specifically my escrow. Things need to be explained and fixed.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation