ComplaintsforHomeside Financial

• Initial Complaint

  01/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  post hurricane ian, i applied for a mortgage forebearance through my mortgage company "Lower llc" parent company "homeside financial". I was told that during the forebearance period (3months) that i would not need to make a mortgage payment and after the forebearance period ended i would begin making regular mortgage payments again and the 3 months of payments that were not made would go to the "backend" of the loan without penalties or interest. I agreed. fast forward 3 months later, the deal has changed without any written letter/e-mail/phone call. now the deal stipulates that if i want the payments to go on the backend of the loan than i will incur a +1% interest rate hike on my loan. This was NOT the original agreemnt. I will now have to scramble to put togethor a lump payment togethor to avoid this penalty. This was advertised as a way to help people while attempting to put there homes back togethor and get life back to "normal". This is not helpful at all, i perceive it as a scam to quietly get borrowers to unknowingly increase there rates and possibly have there homes foreclosed on, aka a trap. This is dishonest at a minimum. And an outright violation of thier original agreement. it is perceived they are "chicken hawks" flying over head while ppl are attempting to recover from a natural disater. Had this been outlined in the original agreement. I would not have accepted. This is deceitful and these are unethical business practices. Please follow up with me as i attempt to bring light to a dishonest company and act as a warning to others. Thank you

  Business response

  02/07/2023

  First and foremost, we wanted to thank Mr. ***** for allowing us to respond to his concerns. It is of our utmost importance to ensure our clients are fully satisfied with their experience at Lower LLC. Lower LLC takes all its customer feedback seriously and our Company strives to achieve an exceptional level of satisfaction with all its Borrowers.
  Accordingly, the Care and Loss Mitigation Department reviewed the contents of Mr. ******s concern with respect to his forbearance request and modification agreement.
  
  The forbearance agreement that Mr. ***** had applied for after Hurricane Ian is required to follow VA forbearance guidelines. In this case, the VA does not allow for deferral as an option. Mr. ***** was placed with a trial modification plan, which allows for him to make 3 trial payments to confirm his qualification to modify to make up for the 3 payments from the forbearance.
  
  We will be glad to provide Mr. ***** with any major updates in regard to his forbearance.

• Initial Complaint

  09/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We have been trying to buy a home for quiet some time but they keep running my credit without my knowledge or consent. I found out one by mail and the other by Experian and credit karma at 9pm at night they are running my credit.

  Business response

  10/18/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/09/21) */ Dear ******, First and foremost, thank you for sharing your concerns pertaining to your recent mortgage application with Homeside Financial. We take customer experience feedback seriously and our company strives to achieve an exceptional level of satisfaction with all of our customers. Please note, customer complaints are discussed with Homeside's Corporate Compliance and Customer Care departments with executive leadership. On Monday, September 19th we received your complaint stating that your credit had been pulled on Monday, September 12th without your knowledge or consent. After discussing this matter with your loan team, your loan officer confirmed that approval was given to complete a hard credit pull. In good faith, Customer Care Department has submitted a request to have this credit pull from September 12th suppressed from your credit report. Please note it may take the bureaus up to 30 days to process the request. Thank you for taking the time in articulating your concerns and unmet expectations and we wish you the very best in your home financing endeavors.

• Initial Complaint

  08/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company acquired our mortgage in April 2022 and reported false and inaccurate account information to the credit bureaus. I have been in contact with the lender by phone/email countless times over the past 5 months and was advised they were working to get it corrected yet nothing has been done. We need resolution. This is decimation of character and is affecting our livelihood.

  Business response

  10/19/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/09/07) */ Homeside Financial, LLC would like to thank Mr. ****** ****** ("Borrower") for taking the time to escalate his servicing concerns to our Company. After a careful review of the comments that were shared by the Borrower, the Customer Care Department ("CARE") took immediate action to research the contents of Mr. ******'s complaint and provide a resolution as soon as possible. We received Mr. ******'s complaint on 8/30/22 and escalated his concerns to our Customer Service Team. Our Default Manager advised that this loan was transferred to Lower, LLC on April 1, 2022. In accordance with RESPA, no credit bureau reporting occurred during the sixty-days following the transfer. Mr. ****** was reported as delinquent for the months of June and July 2022 in error. Lower, LLLC has submitted a credit bureau correction thru E-Oscar for the months of June and July. The correction reflects the borrower was current during these months. We apologize for any inconvenience and stress this matter may have caused Mr. ******. If Mr. ****** has any further questions/concerns, he can contact us at 833-920-2273 or email us at ****@lower.com. Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2022/09/12) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Derogatory/inaccurate reporting started in April of 2022 therefore this has not been resolved completely. We appreciate June & July being corrected but why has April, May & August been corrected to show current as well?? These months are still showing past due and derogatory on the credit reports. We want this resolved 100%. We were never derogatory, ever. We would like the corrections to be made and request proof of such in writing. Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2022/09/20) */ This loan was transferred to Lower, LLC on April 1, 2022. In accordance with RESPA, no credit bureau reporting occurred during the sixty-days following the transfer. The borrower was reported as delinquent for the months of June and July 2002 in error. Lower submitted a credit bureau correction for the months of June and July. The correction reflects the borrower was current during these months.

• Initial Complaint

  08/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Started heloc application in May 2022 and I feel the loan officer was deceptive in providing accurate information to the process of the loan. We were strung along for months regarding the status of our loan and were assured over and over that our loan would close. Spoke to a loan officer just yesterday that we were ready to close. Today we received a generic email that they were changing qualifications and we no longer qualified for the loan. I would like someone at lower to review the phone calls with their loan officers and provide an explanation for the months of false updates and communication.

  Business response

  10/07/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/30) */ August 30, 2022 **** **** **** Loan Number: XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX ********* ** ******* IN XXXXX Dear Mrs. ****, We sincerely appreciate Mrs. ***** **** ("Applicant") taking the time to express his concerns regarding his experience with Lower, LLC ("Company") and the processing of her loan application. It's never our intention to add undue stress when our consumers seek financing options to accomplish their goals and we regret any unmet expectations. We understand Mrs. ****'s frustrations and unmet expectations. Unfortunately, lending guidelines have become more restrictive due to adverse market changes. Please see the below list of other lenders that may be able to accomplish her financial goals: Telhio (Ohio Loans) Tower Federal Credit Union (if in Maryland) Huntington PNC Bank Figure Citizens Spring EQ We will be happy provide her with any documents she has provided to Lower to make her lender search easier. Again, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you, Neel Patel Customer Care Manager Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/09/05) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I have received conflicting information as to why are allocation was denied. The they discontinued the program, however we received information in the mail saying that our credit worthiness was no longer up to par to be considered. I would like to know which of these is true, as our credit score was above the threshold. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/09/07) */ Mrs. **** **** Loan Number: XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX ********* ** ******* IN XXXXX Dear **** ****, At the time of your application, your credit score did qualify. However, due to unforeseen market changes, the credit threshold increased, making the product no longer available for your current qualifications. We will be happy to provide you with any documents you have provided to Lower to make your lender search easier. Again, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you, Neel ***** Customer Care Manager

• Initial Complaint

  08/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Started looking into the company to refinance my home in May. Was told my credit score wasn't high enough to get the loan. They then told me if I could get my score up to 680 they would approve me for the loan. I got my score up to a 710 according to them. Kept getting told my closing would be delayed due to one thing or another. Waited 3 months for them to tell me they couldn't approve me after getting the run around after being promised they would approve me if I got the credit score up

  Business response

  10/07/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/08) */ Hello, We thank Mr. **** for taking the time to provide feedback in regards to his experience. We want to apologize for any unmet expectations. While his credit score is no longer an issue, our Operational staff were made aware of a VA guideline in regards to net tangible benefit which prevented us from moving forward with Mr. ****'s loan. We have shared his experience with the branch manager. Our team has also transferred his VA case number to his new lender. If he would like to provide more information, please contact us at your earliest convenience at 833-920-2273 or [email protected]. Thank you - Lower.com Customer Care Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/08/11) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) You do not tell someone that you are gonna make something happen for them especially when they need it for 3 months then back out one day. You guys knew the guidelines from the get go. You knewthem from the time I first applied and was told I needed a higher credit score. Why was I told that if I got a higher credit score that it would be approved then? You keep dancing around the fact that your company lied to me for 3 months Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2022/09/12) */ We want to apologize again for the delay and Mr. ****'s experience. We also are frustrated by the complex federal laws, after further investigation Mr. ****'s loan did not meet the seasoning requirments of 210 days from his first payment with his previous lender.

• Initial Complaint

  05/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I phoned in to make a payment February 25, 2022. The money for my mortgage left my account February 28,2022. It was placed in someone else's account. I have called numerous times and was told they found the mistake and was sending my money back. I was told the money was sent back to my account April 6, 2022. On April 29 I called because the money was not back in my account. The lady said the money was released April 29 and to give it 10 business days. It's been 10 business days and I have not received my money back. I just need my money back. My credit has take. A hit and my mortgage looks behind when it was their mistake.

  Business response

  06/11/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/26) */ We thank Mrs. Brandi Fox for taking the time to submit feedback to escalate her concerns correlating to her loan servicing experience with Homeside Financial, LLC. Homeside Financial strives to provide the best service for all individuals, and all customer feedback is taken seriously. After reviewing the contents of Mrs. Fox's submission, we can understand her frustration. Mrs. Fox states that she called Homeside Financial to make a mortgage payment over the phone on February ********* where the payment was misapplied to another account. Mrs. Fox also states that she has been in contact with our Servicing partner, and requested a refund of the misapplied payment in question. Upon receipt of her complaint, our Customer Care Department ("CARE") took immediate action to review Mrs. Fox's account and escalate this to our Loan Servicing partner. The CARE Department is currently working with our Servicing partner to ensure resolution is met. We wish to resolve these issues as quickly as possible for Mrs. Fox. We will provide updates to Mr. Fox as they occur and we will ensure all questions and concerns are addressed. If Mrs. Fox has any further questions or concerns, she can reach us at 888-826-2710 or email us at [email protected].

• Initial Complaint

  05/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was paired with Loan Officer ************* by my realtor ************ for my first home purchase. I have been patient with the lack of clarity & communication about the process by Ms. Lewis. On 5/2 I had spoken to the loan processor ************ who had just emailed me that the initial closing disclosure was coming but it was delayed due to Worldwide Settlements, Inc not receiving HOA docs. Ms. Lewis called shortly after and told me that she wasnt going to wait for title, she was just going to send me Homesides CD so that we can move forward with closing on 5/6 but that I would receive the accurate numbers on or before 5/6. She sent the CD with inaccurate numbers & had me sign it. The next morning I received an email from another Homeside employee, "***************" (a representative unknown to me) with her homeside signature block congratulating me & confirming the closing. I was told to wire the down payment and closing costs with Worldwide Settlements wire instructions attached. I refused. ************ emailed me on 5/4 the "accurate fees" CD "draft" showing the $17,511.36 closing costs that I ended up wiring on 5/5 to a Wells Fargo account under World Wide Settlements, Inc name. I now know that account was fraudulent and all of my money is now gone. No one from Homesides corporate team has reached out to me and explained how a "fraudster" got Barbaras information and knew to contact me about my closing. I want Homesides corporate to verify the identities of *************, ************, and *************** and their office locations & roles with Homeside. Verify that my loan ID #2151522726285 is an actual loan in progress. If Barbaras email was hacked why does the signature on the CD Theresa sent me have the same signature of the Fraudulent email that was sent to me to wire my down payment & closing costs. And if there was a breach of information why haven't customers been notified of the email being compromised?

  Business response

  06/23/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/20) */ Firstly, we thank Ms. ****** Solomon for escalating her concerns and her atypical experience to our attention. After a review of the complaint regarding her most recent transaction, we can understand Ms. Solomon's frustration. We can confirm we have also spoken with Ms. Solomon at length via phone and email communications following the submittal of her formal complaint. We are currently in process of working with Ms. Solomon on a resolution to resolve this matter. In order to do thorough investigation to review claims we will respond directly with her. Furthermore, contacted Ms. Solomon again with additional information on ************, and we have not received a call or email back. If Ms. Solomon has any questions, she may contact us directly at (833) 920-2273 or *************** Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/05/28) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Per Homeside/Lower CEO - he would refund the lost downpayment & closing costs AND the appraisal fee & homebuyer course, yet you send over a "Settlement Agreement" for just the downpayment & closing costs amount. I am completely unsatisfied with how you all do business. I have been traumatized completely by this experience - nightmares & waking up in the middle of the night worried about where I am going to live, to check my bank account & credit to make sure nothing further has been done based on my personal information that your employees obtained. And to read the other BBB complaints for Homeside that detail how this isnt "atypical". Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/06/03) */ We appreciate Ms. ****** Solomon's reply. We have responded directly to Ms. Solomon and we feel we have resolved the matter. Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  04/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  HOMESIDE forwarded my last mortgage payment made to them in Late January to the new mortgage company which was to pay the February mortgage. On the check they did not indicate the funds were for February Mortgage, or that it was transferring the funds for the mortgage from me. The new loan company has applied the funds to other monies that were owed in the back office from the transfer of my loan from one company to the other. I have contacted both of the Mortgage companies for a refund and they refuse. I have paid 1031.81 to a fixed mortgage and the funds got vacuumed into the corporations who mishandled the payment, sent it at the end of February almost a month late (I paid them January 31st, they paid it February 24th) with no explanation, I am receiving no credit for the payment. I have spent hours on the phone with dozens of reps from both mortgage companies, they both refuse to credit me the money, I was simply ripped off. By federal law, a fixed mortgage has an amortization schedule that cant be deviated from unless there is a refinancing and they are breaking the law since I never refinanced. The Homeside company had been pressuring me to refinance for many months after I closed on the home, I believe they retaliated by transferring my loan to a substandard loan servicer, who has been hounding me with over 37 phone calls demanding moneys above and beyond the regular mortgage payments because of this issue. I have never missed a payment, always pay earlier than due date and now have made 13 payments in 12 months with nothing to show for the 1031.81 they brushed under the rug.

  Business response

  06/23/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/06) */ Mr. Baker first contacted Homeside Financials' Customer Care Department ("CARE") on *****************, and notified our offices that his February 2022 mortgage payment was not forwarded to the new owner/servicer of his mortgage loan. Upon receipt of his complaint, the CARE Department took immediate action to review Mr. Baker's account and payment history. That same day, the CARE Manager contacted Mr. Baker to confirm our offices received his February 2022 payment and would facilitate forwarding the payment to the new servicer - Specialized Loan Servicing. On *****************, the CARE Manager confirmed with Mr. Baker that his account would not incur late fees or negative credit reporting as the result of the payment transfer. Lastly, the CARE Manager sent a letter of explanation to Mr. Baker, summarizing the material aspects of the CARE Department's review and outlining the various actions taken by CARE to address his complaint. On *************, Mr. Baker contacted the CARE Department to continue his inquiry pursuant to the February 2022 mortgage payment. The CARE Manager informed Mr. Baker the payment successfully cleared our accounting offices on *****************, and that Specialized Loan Servicing stamped "SLS Rec'd" on the back of the physical check previously mailed. It was unclear to the CARE Manager as to why Specialized Loan Servicing did not apply the February payment to the account, as alleged by Mr. Baker. On **************, Mr. Baker contacted the CARE Department, claiming Specialized Loan Servicing had not yet applied his payment and requested our offices pay him $********. The CARE Manager explained to Mr. Baker that the check our offices forwarded was cashed on *****************, and we were unable to refund his payment. Nonetheless, the CARE Manager continued to assist Mr. Baker, and on *************** the CARE Manager mailed critical materials that evidenced Mr. Baker's February 2022 payment to Specialized Loan Servicing offices. As such, it still remained unclear why Specialized Loan Servicing did not apply the February payment to the account, as alleged by Mr. Baker. As Homeside Financial no longer maintains ownership of the account, our offices remained limited in assisting Mr. Baker. As such, the CARE Manager continues to advise Mr. Baker to contact Specialized Loan Servicing directly to ensure his February payment is correctly applied. The CARE Department will continue to provide any and all support to Mr. Baker as he continues his claim with his servicer. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/05/16) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The Mortgage company used my mortgage payment to pay moneys owed to the new mortgage company. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/06/03) */ We are sorry to read that Mr. Baker did not accept our response, as submitted on ************. Unfortunately, Mr. Baker did not provide any new details, and as such, our offices are unable to amend our previous reply. We have confirmed that we forwarded the mortgage payment and it cleared our bank on *****************, and Specialized Loan Servicing stamped the check. Additionally, the marks on the check made by Specialized Loan Servicing indicate that it was physically received on *****************, by Teller 31. We have attached an image of the cleared check that was forwarded and cashed by Specialized Loan Servicing. We urge Mr. Baker to contact Specialized Loan Servicing with these concerns and evidence directly to ensure his payment is correctly applied. We understand this has been very a frustrating process and we hope that all of these details can clear up any confusion about the location of this payment.

• Initial Complaint

  04/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I received a call from homeside financial llc in early Feb 2022 stating that a mortgage payment expected before 01-Feb-22 has not been received. I provided photographic proof the check had been sent and cashed. 22-Jan-2022 the check was mailed and was cleared by my Bank on 26-Jan-2022. Following investigation by my bank and homeside it was confirmed no one and either homeside or my bank and cash the check. Due to this my bank wanted to perform a thorough investigation as to where the money had gone to. This requires an affidavit of forgery to be filled out and notarized by both myself and the mortgage company. This is a one page document that has been emailed upwards of 30 times to this company to no avail I have spoken with greater than 10 different employees are over the past three months again to no avail. Finally I was pushed through to what was deemed a manager and was told within 5 to 7 days I should hear something back regarding my affidavit of forgery form. We are currently on day 10 with no information I have now had to seek and retain a lawyer. This is totally and utterly unacceptable for a mortgage company. I need the affidavit of forgery form notarized and emailed or mailed back to me in a timely manner!

  Business response

  04/27/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/14) */ We would like to thank Mr. ************ for taking the time to escalate his concerns regarding the issue surrounding paperwork needed for his bank to research an intercepted check. First and foremost, we apologize for the back and forth and delay regarding obtaining the necessary paperwork and we completely understand the frustration this has caused. After a careful review of the comments shared by the borrower, the Customer Care department took immediate action to complete extended research and provided solidified answers to Mr. **** regarding his requested paperwork. We are facilitating our due diligence and contacted Mr. ****'s bank to obtain specific instructions on the information needed. We are glad to be in communication with Mr. **** directly, as we work to provide the information/documentation that he is needing for all parties involved to obtain resolution. If Mr. **** has any further questions or concerns in the meantime, he may give us a call at 888-******** or email us at ****@**************.

• Initial Complaint

  04/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My Town of ********* tax bill was due 9/30/21. I called, sent tax bill, faxed tax bill and called over 20 times to get them to pay this bill. Every month I pay my taxes included in my mortgage payment. Every month since 10/2021, I couldn't get anyone at Homeside to help me. We are disable seniors and the stress has taken a toll on us March 31, 2022, we paid $801.02 to town of ********* because they were taking us to collections. Now Homeside says they can't help us because our loan was transferred to ********* for servicing. How do we get our money back now? Can't take run around any longer.

  Business response

  05/03/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/13) */ We would like to thank Mrs. ************* for taking the time to escalate her concerns regarding the taxes that were to be paid out of her escrow account from her loan's servicer. After a careful review of the comments shared by the borrower, the Customer Care department took immediate action to escalate and request extended research in order to provide a resolution to Mrs. *****. Our offices verified that the previous servicing provider did not pay the taxes as scheduled, and that borrower paid the tax bill out of pocket due to an error on behalf of the previous servicer. We are issuing a refund to the borrower for the amount she had paid to the Town of ********* to bring her whole. We have attempted to contact Mrs. ***** to provide her more information, and update on the reimbursement. If Mrs. ***** has any other outstanding questions or concerns that she would still like addressed, she can email us at ******************* or call us at ************. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/04/15) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Homeside Financial caused this disabled senior months of stress calling, sending, texting and emailing copies of Town of ********* tax bill over and over since 10/21. Called and spoke to "supervisors" all researching the issue with no resolution. Threats from Town of ********* who by 3/31/22 were going to not only penalize me monthly with late fees but were sending it to collections. Fortunately, I had the funds to pay $801 on the last day. Told Homeside Financial I paid and they told me I needed to send them a copy of front and back of the check. Since I didn't have check but had receipt from *********, I asked to speak to supervisor. Supervisor told me too bad because as of 4/1/22, my mortgage serviced was now Lower and I would need to deal with them to see a refund. To show further incompetence of Homeside Financial, I received a Bill yesterday saying I owed a March mortgage payment. I checked my online banking statement and saw bill was paid 3/11/22. I was in disbelief. Was Homeside trying now to harass me for filing a complaint against them? I called and they said that they indeed received March and said the bill "crossed" in mail. It is mid April so that is an impossible explanation. If I had the funds to hire a lawyer, I would file suit against Homeside for damages to Y physical and mental pain. Lower called and told me my check to refund taxes is in the mail. When I actually receive it, I will let you know cause Lower is really a subsidiary of Homeside Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/04/22) */ We thank Mrs. ************* for her follow-up and additional information. We apologize for any stress and frustration this has caused. We can confirm that Mrs. *****'s refund check was delivered to her home address on Thursday, April 21, 2022. If Mrs. ***** has any outstanding questions, we welcome her to contact us by email at ******************* or phone at ************ Monday-Thursday 9 am-6 pm EST, Friday 9 am-5 pm EST.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩