Consumer complaint received 2026-04-27 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — Other type of mortgage
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage — Fees or costs during the application process
Company: COLUMBIA BANKING SYSTEM, INC.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Formal Complaint to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau Regarding Loan Refinancing Process with XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX ( PPB ) now XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX I am writing to file a formal complaint against XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX ( PPB ) concerning my recent attempt to refinance a loan on a commercial building. The process began in XXXX XXXX and has been fraught with issues regarding transparency, fairness, access to paid-for documentation, and excessive fees for a possibly fake program. Timeline of Events XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX : Initiated loan refinancing process with PPB for a commercial property. 2. XX/XX/XXXX : PPB informed me that a property appraisal was required, costing {$11000.00}. I paid this fee. 3. After XXXX XXXX : I requested a copy of the appraisal report. PPBs representative stated I would only receive the report upon loan closure. 4. Later in XX/XX/XXXX : PPB required an environmental Phase XXXX study, costing between $ XXXX $ XXXX, that eventually cost me {$23000.00}. I paid for this study and requested the results. I was again told that I would only receive the results upon loan closure. 5. The loan was originally due in late XX/XX/XXXX. Since the loan application process was ongoing, the loan due date was extended to XXXX XXXX, XXXX. 6. Final Loan Documents : Upon receiving the final documents, in XX/XX/XXXX, there were several conditions that had not been previously discussed. These included PPBs discretion to decide if my tax accounting firm was acceptable, with the ability to require a change if not. 7. Final Loan Documents : Also, the last condition was that the bank could add any other conditions at any time. 8. These conditions were unacceptable to me, so I ended the loan application process. 9. I started working with a loan brokerage company, XXXX XXXX XXXX. We started working with XXXX XXXX XXXX. That process was eventually abandoned and a different complaint will be filed with both of those organizations. 10. During the loan process, PPB extended by loan due date to XXXX XXXX. XXXX for a fee of {$500.00}. 11. In XXXX, XXXX, I requested another extension to my loan due date and described my then current loan application process with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and the expectation that that process would be completed near the end of XXXX or early XXXX. XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was in the process of changing its name to XXXX XXXX XXXX. I was told that the extension was not possible at this period. I asked again later, but did not get a response. 12. After the loan extension maturity date. I was contacted by the representative and offered a Forbearance : structure as an alternative to loan extension. He explained that the cost of the program would be $ XXXX per month, would be available for 90 days, and that the current loan interest rate would be adjusted. I asked him to send the documents to me and to explain the change in interest ratebecause the phone call did not provide me with the information I needed to make a decision, and because some of the details he provided were contradictory. For example, the process would be month to month, except the first month would start in XXXX and go through the end of XXXX. About a week later, I got a phone call from another associate asking if I wanted to pursue the Forbearance process. I thought this was odd because I had already asked for the documents so I could evaluate the process. During the conversation, he said they would need to draft the documents. This sounded very odd to me. It gave me the impression that the Forbearance structure did not currently exist and was being created in order to extract more money from me for the same process I had with a simple loan extension. The prior loan extension cost {$500.00} and this version of a loan extension would cost {$10000.00}. Issues and Concerns Lack of Transparency : XXXX failed to disclose upfront that access to paid appraisal and environmental study reports would be withheld until the loan closed. Withholding of Documentation : Despite paying substantial fees for both the appraisal and the environmental study, I was denied access to these reports during the loan process. I was told I would be able to get the documents after the loan closed. Undisclosed Conditions : The final loan documents included conditions that were never discussed during the application process, such as PPBs authority over my choice of tax accounting firm. XXXX XXXX : The cumulative fees ( {$11000.00} for appraisal and {$23000.00} for environmental study ) represent a significant financial burden, especially given the lack of access to the corresponding documentation. Desired Resolution I respectfully request the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau to investigate PPBs practices regarding : Requiring payment for appraisals and environmental studies without granting access to the reports. Introducing previously undisclosed loan conditions at the final stage. Ensuring that consumers are provided with clear, upfront information about all fees, conditions, and access to documentation. Verification that the Forbearance structure that was offered already existed and was not created just to extract additional funds from me. Contact Information I am available to provide further details or documentation as needed. Please advise of any additional steps required for your investigation. Conclusion I believe PPBs and XXXX Banks actions have violated principles of transparency and fairness in the loan refinancing process, and that some of them, such as the Forbearance program may be illegal. 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