...and now a tale of bank stupidity, and I'm no longer nice...

[protege]

I've been wanting to post this for a bit.

Last year, my mortgage was sold from Bank A (who was awesome) to Bank B. Bank A had it set up so I could transfer funds and pay the mortgage online. After I'd entered in the accounts, all I had to do was click a few buttons. Bank B...on the other hand, offered no such thing. Their "online banking" sucked balls. I could never get it to work, so I just mailed in the checks, or had my mom drop them off during her lunch hour. Still though, I wanted to use the online service, since I was getting charged for it.

I couldn't get their service to work, so I spent a good 45 minutes on the phone being bounced back and forth between the same two department. Neither department wanted to deal with the problem, and apparently hoped I'd go away. I had two supervisors hang up on me. On the final call, I lost it. I told the rep that what had happened, that if that was the way that they treated customers, I'd be finding another banking partner...and she hung up on me.

Pissed off, I moved all of my banking business away from Bank B, and onto Bank C. Bank C was only too happy to get the business, and went out of their way to keep me happy.

Problem was, that I still had to deal with Bank B and their incompetence. As we're moving the mortgage over, we found that the property taxes hadn't been paid Keep in mind that Bank B was supposed to do that. This came out when the loan officer was making sure I didn't have any liens on the house. Legally, she could not get the tax documents from Bank B, so I had to do the calling.

When I got on the phone, the rep started asking me for tax cards, and other things that I had no idea about. So I called Bank C's loan officer back, and relayed what I'd been told. Seems that Bank B's rep was basically having me do her own job. Really, she had the info, but couldn't be bothered to look at it

Again, I'm getting the runaround from these assholes. I'm at work, and can't really be off the desk for hours on snipe hunts. Sick of this, I hung up, called back and got another supervisor, who (surprisingly) didn't hang up on me, even after I'd asked "what the hell is going on over there? My local taxes are included in the payments you get every month--why aren't they being paid?" Turns out that they just didn't feel like doing it, and hoped that I'd simply suck it up and go away.

Eventually though, they did what they were supposed to, probably because I'd CC'ed a lawyer on the letter I'd sent. Taxes got paid, I didn't owe any penalties, and I got the rest of the escrow amount that they still held.

It just amazes the hell out of me that things like this go on, and how the people involved still managed to keep their jobs. If they'd have simply come out and said "hey, we fucked up and we'll take care of it" I'd have been OK with that. But, they tried to drag it out as long as they could. During all of this crap, I talked to both people at Bank C, as well as the woman who came to appraise my house. They were blown away with what I had to deal with--at their businesses, they'd be out of a job if they acted like that.

[Sparklyturtle]

Incompetence just amazes me. Once upon a time I was scheduled to begin taking a particular medication. The drug company's representative kept calling me at home and requesting that I pay a copay of $500 per dosage, which I couldn't afford. I eventually found out that she thought I wanted the medication because I was trying to conceive. Um, no. I was not trying to conceive, but I couldn't convince her of that, no matter how many times I told her. The reason why it's a factor is because the drug company's price for women trying to conceive is vastly more expensive than the price for women needing the drug to take care of other medical issues. Finally, after several months of fighting with the company I resigned myself to not getting a needed medication. Then my doctor asked me what was going on with the medication, and I told her what was happening. She hit the ceiling. She got the office manager into the room and I explained again what was happening, and the office manager was quite upset. Turned out the drug company rep shouldn't have been communicating with me at all since I was the patient; she was only supposed to be talking to the office manager. So, the office manager got on the phone, and from what I was told verbally broke a few heads, and I got my medication for the regular co-pay.

It also occurred to me that maybe that drug rep thought she could get more money out of me by approaching me directly, and could either pocket the difference or use it to pad her sales figures. Whatever. This was over 10 years ago; if it happened now I'd immediately get on the phone to my doctor (different doctor) and I know it would be sorted out quickly. I think we all have stories of incompetence on a grand scale.

[MoonCat]

In my old house the electric meter was inside the front hallway. We used to just leave the window curtains on the front door parted, the meter reader would look inside and read it from there (very big, very old fashioned meter).

Then they started claiming we wouldn't let them read the meter. Thing was, they would show up, bang on the door once, and walk away when we didn't magically appear at the door .007 seconds later. I explained we worked during the day, asked them to come out after 5 pm. Then the run-around began. First they said they didn't make special appointments, then they said they could have the meter reader come out between 5 and 9 pm. I asked for the mail in cards to read it myself, they said they didn't have them anymore.

Made appt. Reader never showed. I called the next day. "Oh, he was there but no one answered the door. He called the number on your account & it was disconnected." She read off the number; it was a number I'd never heard in my life.

I ended up speaking to someone else who not only scheduled an appt. but sent me some of the meter cards the other one claimed they didn't have.

At least now the meters are on the outside of the house.

[notalwaysright]

I had two supervisors hang up on me. On the final call, I lost it. I told the rep that what had happened, that if that was the way that they treated customers, I'd be finding another banking partner...and she hung up on me.

Omg, nothing makes a person angrier than hanging up on them! A while ago the phone at the cutting counter had an issue with the hold button. You had to press it pretty hard, and make sure the stupid light was the right color (flashing red, I think?) before putting down the handset. If you didn't do it right, the customer got hung up on.

If that happened I always told the cashiers that if the person called back to page me, so at least none of my CWs would have to deal with the fallout. I felt like the customers didn't really believe me when I told them it was an accident, but it was true. If had I ever hung up purposefully, I'm sure karma would immediately find me, possibly with an elderly lady who wants to match the color of her panties, and is currently wearing said panties. (actually happened )

[Shyla]

Consider reporting your bank to the proper federal government agency. (Not sure which one but you can search.) Banks that do that crap aren't usually being incompetent. It is a specific strategy to steal your money and maybe your house. They are counting on you being too dumb to figure out the scam, or your credit is too bad to change banks, or whatever. You were also supposed to give up when they asked for their own documents. Or you can't spend any time on the phone during business hours. They keep the money, you're behind on your taxes, you end up foreclosed, and they get the house cheap. I'm glad you were able to fight back. They count on you not being educated enough or persistent enough.

[protege]

I figured it was probably something shady. Problem is, that even if I was to complain, it would be just my word against theirs.

[An Haddock]

When I got on the phone, the rep started asking me for tax cards, and other things that I had no idea about. So I called Bank C's loan officer back, and relayed what I'd been told. Seems that Bank B's rep was basically having me do her own job. Really, she had the info, but couldn't be bothered to look at it

Turns out that they just didn't feel like doing it, and hoped that I'd simply suck it up and go away.

...and that's when I plastered her with a filing cabinet, your honor.



People complain about lawyers a lot these days, but when idiots like at your old bank are trying to screw you over, they become a necessity. I was trying to get back my security deposit from an apartment and they were keeping it due to the supposed poor condition of the place. (and knowing NJ renter's laws, I knew they were full of shit, with regards to the reasons they gave me) So a letter from a real estate lawyer friend of mine got about 75% of my deposit back. I probably could have gotten the whole thing (and possibly more) due to shenanigans, but I was satisfied with 75%.

It's always good to have a lawyer in your back pocket just in case.

[Aria]

Consider reporting your bank to the proper federal government agency. (Not sure which one but you can search.) Banks that do that crap aren't usually being incompetent. It is a specific strategy to steal your money and maybe your house. They are counting on you being too dumb to figure out the scam, or your credit is too bad to change banks, or whatever. You were also supposed to give up when they asked for their own documents. Or you can't spend any time on the phone during business hours. They keep the money, you're behind on your taxes, you end up foreclosed, and they get the house cheap. I'm glad you were able to fight back. They count on you not being educated enough or persistent enough.

Do you think so? My dad worked at a bank up here in Canada and he said that foreclosure is always the very last thing they want to do. They vastly prefer a good stream of income via the mortgage. It they foreclose, they have the nuisance of dealing with a (likely damaged) property that they have to sell.

Of course, his bank was highly reputable, like most up here. I suppose some banks could make a practice of turning property like that.

[protege]

It's always good to have a lawyer in your back pocket just in case.

The lawyer I CCed is an old family friend. This is the guy who I used when a local "MG specialist" in Bridgeville (seriously, don't go to the garage near the skating rink--trust me) ripped me off and damaged my car. Anyway, when I told him about what the bank had done, he was pissed. He told me to call him if I did get into trouble over the taxes, and he'd take care of it--at no cost to me.

[sstabeler]

That kind of crap is why I personally think there should be a rule in foreclosures that any profit fro the foreclosure- that is, if there is money left over after any liens are paid off and the foreclosing entity gets the money they are seeking, then it gets returned to the original property owner. The reason for this is because if it is a genuine foreclosure, I can't see how the bank is out any money (I would allow collection of foreclosure costs before returning any money) since they would get the loan paid off. While scams like this- where a foreclosure is induced to get the property for cheap- would no longer make any money.

[dalesys]

... allow collection of foreclosure costs ... would no longer make any money.

As if they'd be honest about the actual costs, just like they are on overdraft fees. *RIGHT*, it costs $35 to resolve an overdraft. More like 35¢.

[It's me]

I figured it was probably something shady. Problem is, that even if I was to complain, it would be just my word against theirs.

Well... maybe not. The fact that unpaid taxes prevent you from transferring the mortgage is a pretty clear indication that they weren't doing their job correctly.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

By any chance, does this bank's name rhymes with Fells Cargo?

[bankworking]

I run title searches all the time, and it's amazing what issues come up.

Actually had a similar issue to yours: found out the property taxes were delinquent when the 1st mortgage lender was supposed to be the one paying them. To their credit, though, the lender owned up to the error once the customer called them to complain... though it turned out to be an ongoing issue from 2 years prior. Her mortgage got sold, and one tax payment got missed in the shuffle. Ever since, they'd been paying half a year behind. My manager stated we could proceed with the home equity loan despite the tax lien if we got a letter from the 1st mortgage company stating that it was in process of being fixed. The company refused to put such a thing in writing, but they were perfectly happy to give me a call and admit to their error over the phone. Fortunately, it only took them a week and a half to get everything straightened out for our mutual customer.

Worse thing to resolve is when some old mortgage that was paid off a LONG time ago didn't have the mortgage released properly and the original mortgage company no longer exists. You gotta first find out who bought the old company out. Then you have to find out who to talk to with the new bank who knows what they're talking about when it comes to lien releases (problem is, no one can FIND your old loan records because it was paid off before the new lender bought out the old). To help, I give the customer a copy of the title search showing the unreleased mortgage and a copy of the mortgage itself (that's recorded with the county, public records). Some companies get everything resolved as quickly as they can get a proper release of mortgage recorded. Other companies...

J P M C, otherwise known as the big mega bank that runs after people is the worst. You cannot talk to the people who know what they are doing, and the people you do talks to only know you need to provide them[list of 4 items that they could find themselves, plus 2 items that don't apply to this situation] and they'll "put in a dispute". Had one lady struggle with them for 4 months to get a mortgage released that had been paid off something like 14 years ago, but never released.

[Shyla]

I really do think there are banks with some very shady practices. I don't know for sure if they can make money by keeping your escrow money and foreclosing but it seems possible for the right scammer. I'm not convinced of the legitimacy of some banks that buy mortgages. And yes, it is your word against the bank's. Except that if there are multiple reports of the same thing the regulatory agencies might take notice. You don't know if your report is the first or last.