Consumer complaint received 2024-12-14 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process — Trying to communicate with the company to fix an issue while managing or servicing your loan
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: VT

Complaint narrative:
Upon speaking with the Vermont Attorney Generals Office, I was advised to contact you to submit this formal complaint to bring to your attention the inhumane and unfair practices of Wells Fargo Mortgage Service, which have caused significant distress and hardship following my husbands passing. 

My husband and I have held several mortgages with Wells Fargo in the past. Our most recent mortgage was taken out in XX/XX/year>. At that time, we were advised by the institution not to include my name on the mortgage note, as I was not working. Trusting their guidance, we proceeded. However, our attorney at the XX/XX/year> closing expressed concern about this arrangement, particularly regarding potential issues if anything were to happen to my husband. At his insistence, I signed the mortgage during the closing, and my name is also on the deed. We believed this resolved any concerns. 
For nine years, we paid the mortgage without issue. After my husbands passing, I continued to make payments via the online account. However, in XXXX, after paying the XXXX installment, I called Wells Fargo to ask a question and mentioned my husbands passing. I was transferred to the " Life Events '' department and informed that I no longer had access to the account. 
This marked the beginning of an ongoing nightmare : 1. Locked Out of Online Access : Despite my continued payments, my online access was revoked, and I was directed to call the Life Events department. They promised to send information on my options, but this was either not sent or sent to an outdated address, despite my efforts to correct my contact information. 

2. Insensitivity and Miscommunication : Representatives repeatedly called my late husbands phone, leaving messages for him. When I expressed frustration, I was treated with a lack of empathy, accused ( in a loud and harsh tone ) of using my deceased husband to access his account, and subjected to condescending remarks.

3. Unreasonable Fees for Mortgage Assumption : The initial several phone calls led me to believe that assuming the mortgage would simply require me to qualify and assume the same rate. It wasnt until much later that I was informed that I could assume the mortgage for a nominal fee. After being very evasive and hearing multiple stories, this turned out to be over {$11000.00}. I was also offered the option to refinance at a significantly higher interest rate, which I declined as it was financially unreasonable.

4. Inaccessibility of Payment Options : Without online access, I was told to pay in person at the nearest Wells Fargo branchover three hours awayor mail payments, which my attorney strongly advised against due to concerns about check fraud. On multiple occasions, I drove over six hours round trip to make payments in person, only to encounter errors in how the payments were applied. XXXX payment is already wrong, and funds have repeatedly been misapplied to different months and the principal. Without access to an online account, it is impossible to keep track of the payments and confirm they have applied they have been applied correctly. 

5. Rude and Unhelpful Customer Service : A bank rep asked me on the phone whether or not I could even pay the mortgage in a condescending tone and told me to just pay it off at once, which is not her place. During one visit, a representative assured me the payment was correctly applied but later admitted it was not, requiring a case to be opened. The lack of attention to detail and accountability has been deeply frustrating and time-consuming.

The treatment I have received as a grieving widow and senior citizen is unacceptable.

The death of a spouse is one of the most difficult life events, and Wells Fargo has compounded my distress through mismanagement, lack of transparency, and disrespect.

Additionally, I am concerned about possible fraudulent practices. Our copy of the mortgage documentation indicates that I signed the mortgage ( see the provided XXXX  - XXXX ), but Wells Fargo appears to have obscured this information. This raises serious questions about their integrity and compliance. 

Attached to this complaint, you will find documentation supporting my claims, including evidence of my signature on the mortgage, records of my payments, a copy of a check I made for a second down payment on the home, and correspondence with Wells Fargo representatives. 

Vermont is a right-of-survivorship state so long as the couple is married and residing together in the home at the time of death, which was the case with my husband and me at his time of death. 

I am simply asking for reasonable and consistent access to make payments on my mortgage without the undue burden of excessive fees or unnecessary travel. Wells Fargos conduct has caused me significant emotional stress, and I urge the CFPB to investigate these practices. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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