Consumer complaint received 2025-01-10 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process — Escrow, taxes, or insurance
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: NC

Complaint narrative:
This complaint is related to CFPB Complaint Number XXXX, but contains additional information which constitutes a separate complaint against Bank of America regarding my mortgage, loan number XXXX. My taxes and insurance for the property are not escrowed, so I pay insurance premiums directly to my insurance company. I have never missed a mortgage payment and have kept the property fully insured. 
In XX/XX/XXXX, the XXXX policy was up for renewal and the policy premium had doubled. When the mortgage was first originated many years ago there was a fire policy and a flood policy and I was aware, per the terms of my mortgage, I was required to maintain insurance coverage, which I have done. 
At some point in time, I initiated a separate XXXX policy. Bank of America never provided me with notice that a XXXX policy was required, so when the premium doubled in XX/XX/XXXX, I decided not to renew the policy and to self-insure. The policy expired on XX/XX/XXXX. 
It was not until almost XXXX months later on XX/XX/XXXX, that I received a letter from Bank of America advising XXXX insurance was required and if I did not get a windstorm policy, one would be purchased for me at my expense. I immediately purchased a XXXX policy and Bank of America sent me a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX thanking me for renewing my XXXX policy and confirming my policy met their requirements. I believed the matter was resolved at that time. 
It was not until another XXXX months later in XX/XX/XXXX, ( now a year since the original Windstorm Policy expired ) that I received a letter, dated XX/XX/XXXX, from Bank of America advising that due to a lapse in coverage from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX they would have to purchase a policy at a cost of {$100.00}, unless I could prove I was insured for that time period. It should be noted that as the time period had passed and no loss occurred, it was unnecessary for them to purchase a policy and charge me for it. Additionally, it was not possible for me to purchase a policy for a time period in the past for which there was no loss. 
I called Bank of America on XX/XX/XXXX to dispute this charge and was unable to reach a resolution, so I filed the above referenced CFPB complaint on XX/XX/XXXX. Within a couple of days, I received a phone call from Bank of America employee XXXX XXXX who was assigned to investigate the complaint. She stated that after she completed her investigation, she would call me and let me know the results. She called me on XX/XX/XXXX and advised the matter was resolved and I would not owe the bank anything for the lapse in coverage. She also advised she would be preparing a letter reflecting same and I would be receiving the letter within a week or XXXX. To date, I have not received the letter. 
In the meantime, I have received many more letters from Bank of America requesting me to prove I was insured during the gap in coverage and threatening to purchase XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  and charge me for it. 
Each XXXX states that if I have any questions I should call XXXX. When I called the number several times, I was put in a voicemail system that did not allow me to speak to a human being which discourages people from following up on the letters. After spending a couple of hours trying to speak with someone, I was finally able to reach the department that issued the letters. I spoke to a person ( I believe her name was XXXX XXXX. She told me they had no record of my conversation with XXXX XXXX and that nothing had changed and I would have to pay for the XXXX if it was purchased by the bank. She also told me that the bank does not actually purchase the XXXX and that the charge was just a fee. 
I was finally able to speak with her supervisor XXXX several days later. He told me the bank does actually purchase an XXXX policy in these situations contrary to what the previous person told me. I then provided him the details of my conversation with XXXX XXXX. He advised he would be working on this matter, but in the meantime the letters would continue. To date this matter still has not been resolved. 
To summarize, my complaint against Bank of America is as follows. 
XXXX XXXX Bank of America never notified me a XXXX Policy was required. Every year I had to prove I had XXXXXXXX XXXX  XXXX policies, but never XXXX. I was not until almost XXXX months after the policy expired that the bank informed me it was required, at which time I immediately reinstituted the policy. 
XXXX ) It was not until a year after the policy expired that the bank notified me that they would have to purchase an XXXX policy for the gap in coverage and charge me for it. This allowed the potential cost of an XXXX policy to accumulate for many months. 
XXXX ) The bank gave conflicting information about whether they actually purchase the XXXX or whether it is just a fee. Employees are not properly trained. 
XXXX ) XXXX XXXX advised me on XX/XX/XXXX that the matter had been resolved and I would not be charged for the XXXX. I never received her letter stating same and the matter is still not resolved. 
XXXX ) In the letters Bank of America sends they provided a phone number if you have questions, but their voicemail system does not allow you to speak to a human being. I spent hours trying to figure out how to talk to a person. 
XXXX ) The part of the bank that issues the letters apparently has no access to the part of the bank that handles the CFPB complaints, so they are unable to help a customer unless the customer gives them the name and telephone number of the Bank of America employee the customer spoke with which results in significant delays in resolving these type of matters.

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