Date Received: 2021-04-23
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: Due to covid-19 I requested mortgage assistance back in XX/XX/XXXX, which Citizens One submitted me a loan modification application to apply for help, which I submitted a Mortgage Assistance Application and was confirm received as of XX/XX/XXXX. Was identified that it would take 30-45 days. In the mean time I was place on a Forbearance to avoid being late on my credit. I was following up with my mortgage company to make a least 1 mortgage payment and to inquire on the update on the modification packet. So I waited for months and each month I was identified that its under review, I was also identified to in XX/XX/XXXX that a deferment was an option, however, I identified that a deferment would not help because the reduction in my income. I shared multiple times that I need to be review for a modification and that again not for a deferment. However, Citizens One ends up offering me a deferment and said I was denied for a streamline modification because my account needed to be 90 days past due and that they did not review my file for a traditional modification, the packet they received in XX/XX/XXXX was never reviewed and if I need help with a loan modification I have to re-apply. Even though my original packet was never reviewed. The company appears to be using a " Bait and Switch '' tactic, because I asked for a loan modification review, submitted an application and they switched it for a deferment, this appears to be a tactic to stall and delay my account for me to go further past due in order for them to foreclose on my home and take it from me, I have been patient due to covid. Now the only way they are willing to help is by demanding another loan modification application, which is unnecessary since they never review me from the start with the original application.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 76063
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-05-04
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-22
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: XXXXtay AWAY from Citizens One Bank for mortgages and Refinance! This has got to be one of the worst experiences Ive had with a company. Ive been waiting for 7.5 months on my refinance and its still not closed. Every month of delay is costing me hundreds of dollars since Ive going from 4 % to 2.25 % interest rate. My first correspondence with the loan officer at Citizens One Bank was on XX/XX/XXXX. A friend did his refinance at the same time as me with this same company and finished it in 2 months. I have a normal straightforward home loan. Not only the delays, but the communication has been extremely poor and despite repeated emails and phone calls, it takes 2+ weeks for someone to get back to me. o Example 1 : I sent XXXX ( loan officer ) back a signed paper on XXXX. Without any response from her, I ask for an update on XX/XX/XXXX. Still no response I ask for an update again on XX/XX/XXXX. Finally on XX/XX/XXXX ( more than 2 weeks later ) she says the case is in underwriting. Example 2 : I sent her paperwork in a zip file containing sensitive personal information so I put a password on it. I told XXXX, my load processor, to call me for the password. I sent her on XX/XX/XXXX. Without any response from her, I sent a follow up email on XX/XX/XXXX. Only on XXXX ( 2 weeks later ) did she reach out to me. I requested an escalation with the manager, and he temporarily put on another person, but then later on he put the same person XXXX back on my case and did the same style of not progressing my case at all and not responding to any communication. Example 3 : Even after escalating and discussing my concerns with the manager, neither the loan officers nor the manager responds to my emails or calls. On XX/XX/XXXX I send back all of the requested paperwork and I dont get a confirmation that it was received. It took several phone calls and 4 emails to get a response on XXXX ( 3 weeks later ). They told me that they have been extremely short handed and are taking on several times the workload they normally have. Only after repeated calls and emails does someone get back to me and tell me that I need additional information. On XX/XX/XXXX after weeks of no response they need to pull my credit again and need an updated pay stub ( since it has been so long on their part ). I immediately sent them the information. I specifically called out that they only requested a single W2, while I had worked at 3 companies in XXXX. I told that I can send them the other W2, but they said it is not needed. I had called customer support, and I could not even talk to someone. I needed to make an appointment 1 week in the future. And in that call, they just referred me back to my own loan officer and escalation manager. In XXXX they are doing employment checks. They were stuck on one staffing company I worked at last year, which was 2 jobs ago. There is 1 HR person in the whole company. Despite giving pay stubs, W2, bank statements, and the HR person telling the dates I worked there, they still needed her to fill out a form telling if I made any commission or bonus. I told that I made neither, I asked if she never responds, then will my loan be indefinitely delayed? And they replied likely. I asked repeatedly for an override, but they refused. Luckily, after one week, the HR lady sent the form. After receiving my XXXX complaint in XXXX, XXXX from office of the chairman in Citizens One Bank reached out to me. After more than 1 week she has done nothing. On XX/XX/XXXX my loan officer tells me that underwriting has an issue with my income. I asked what they have an issue with, and that I specifically called this out back on XX/XX/XXXX. The loan officer said she would find out what is lacking. I demanded an escalation to her manager and I have not yet heard from the manager. After 7.5 months, there has been extreme negligence, incompetence in the underwriting department, lack of personnel, and refusal to get back to me for weeks on several occasions despite repeated emails and phone calls to loan officers and the escalation managers. There has been weeks where my file was sitting and not even opened ( since they required a password from me ), ineffective escalation managers who can not resolve issues or even respond to me. This is one of the worst companies I have ever done business with.
Company Response:
State: GA
Zip: 30519
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-22
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-22
Issue: Improper use of your report
Subissue: Credit inquiries on your report that you don't recognize
Consumer Complaint: I did not authorize anyone employed by these companies to make any inquiry and view my credit report. This is a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act Section 1681b ( c ) and a serious breach of my privacy rights. Please validate this information with these companies and provide me with copies of any documentation associated with these accounts bearing my signature, authorizing an inquiry. In the absence of any such documentation bearing my signature, I formally request that these fraudulent inquiries be immediately deleted from the credit file that you maintain under my Social Security number. XXXX XXXX XXXX/XXXX XXXX XX/XX/2020 XX/XX/2020 XXXX/XXXX XXXX XX/XX/2020 CITIZNSONE XX/XX/2020
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 10033
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-27
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-21
Issue: Getting the loan
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: I tried to purchase an XXXX XXXX XXXX today through XXXX the only way to purchase now is through a loan with citizens one. That alone is unfair to consumers, however in my case it was stared on the XXXX website that the loan application would not go through unless there was stock available. My loan application was approved and the website advised I had 10 minutes reserved to checkout. I went straight to the checkout and when I selected the confirm order the website advised the item was out of stock. I have received a confirmation from citizens one that the loan was opened. The loan never should have been opened given the disclosures. I have contacted citizens one and spoke to 3 individuals in the care center including one supervisor and none of them could provide me the address to dispute credit reporting information directly with their bank. They could only escalate my case and offer a callback in 3-4 business days.
Company Response:
State: OH
Zip: 439XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-21
Issue: Managing an account
Subissue: Problem making or receiving payments
Consumer Complaint: Under threat and intimidation from a so-called XXXX technician, my wife and I purchased {$6600.00} XXXX XXXX and XXXX cards and a wire transfer of {$5000.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX. Received 3 notifications ( 2 are included ) that no errors occurred. That was it. Unable to call directly for follow-up with personal accounts have to go through a long process for them to call you back. Still waiting. My business account was also involved but there was an 800 number to reach and talked to a fraud representative. They help business clients right away but not personal clients. Citizens Bank bias behavior. Have information who the scammer was and on one appears to want to follow up to help stop these type of incidents from XXXX including the local police and Citizens bank Citizens XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX MA XXXX
Company Response:
State: DE
Zip: 19901
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-22
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-21
Issue: Closing an account
Subissue: Fees charged for closing account
Consumer Complaint: Hello- I am receiving debt collections call from an account that Citizen 's Bank closed. I had NEVER previously used the account. But monthly fees accrued and then the account was closed and sent to a debt collection agency for {$73.00}. This negative balance or amount owed I'm assuming was for monthly fees on the account. Because I have NEVER used the account. I would appreciate if Citizens Bank would not report credit negative comments and send my information to a debt collector who I now feel like is harassing me.
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-20
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Subissue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Consumer Complaint: Starting in XX/XX/XXXX my wife and I reached out to Franklin American Mortgage Company to get a loan modification. From that point until XX/XX/XXXX they continually pushed off a decision from the underwriter by asking for information that we had to provide. The items they wanted were items like Proof of Flood Insurance, Proof of Escrow Account, Proof of Home Owners Insurance. All of which are items that a ) they already have because they pay them, and b ) We had to contact them to get the proof the underwriter needs. They in XX/XX/XXXX we were served by there law firm on a Friday night that they had started a foreclosure proceeding. We were never notified that the loan modification was denied. We received a letter 4 days later of such. Subsequently, in XX/XX/XXXX the loan was sold by Franklin American Mortgage to Citizens Bank, NA. In XXXX of XXXX I had a court conference with Citizens Bank. A loan modification was started. In XXXX of XXXX Citizen Bank Home Loan and I were approved for a loan modification, which was approved for a trial period. The trial period was XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX. During that period all payments were made ON-TIME, and in accordance to the loan modification. I found out about the issue in XX/XX/XXXX. I noticed that from XX/XX/XXXX thru XX/XX/XXXX Citizen One Home Loans reported my payments as 120 days past due, when in fact they were not. When I spoke to Citizen Bank Home Loans, they agreed that this was an error. They removed how it was reported to NOT REPORTED. Recently I found that they changed it back to 120 DAYS LATE. I have confirmation from both my bank and Citizen Bank Home Loan from at the time I made the payments that they were credited to my account properly.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 11572
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-22
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-21
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: Complaint Number XXXX Follow-up Unfortunately, I have to turn again to assistance from CFPB since my attempts to get any status on my loan application were unsuccessful. Processing department XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, loan officer assigned to my loan XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, operation manager ( XXXX XXXX XXXX completely ignoring my email, voice messages. I received a call from the Chairmans Office XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, who got involved because I filed formal complaint with CFPB, but he also does not have ANY information from operation. They completely ignoring him, and provided false information. Because of their misconduct I already have financial loses, and if I would not be able to close and will maintain my existing rate for rest of my terms, I will accrue loses between {$110000.00} - {$140000.00} in interest. It does not look to me they are interested to give me this loan and rate for following reasons : 1. Rate much lower than current market rate ; 2. They do not see me as their potential client as bank pushing to get additional business - to open saving, money market or retirement accounts based on my age XXXX. I see this as clear violation of Elderly Law.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 11229
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-22
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-21
Issue: Written notification about debt
Subissue: Didn't receive enough information to verify debt
Consumer Complaint: I, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX entered into a consumer credit transaction with CITIZENS BANK on XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX consumer credit transaction in which a finance charge was involved. There was a recently settlement involving my XXXX XXXX XXXX. Because of this I wanted to look over my original contract. In my contract found several cases of violations of TILA, GLBA and FDCPA. 15 USC 1605 defines a finance charge as the sum of all charges in a consumer credit transaction. This does not include cash but CITIZENS BANK took cash. The finance charge is also supposed to include insurance however I did not receive insurance and was forced to purchase this separately even though my contract was conditional based on insurance. This is a violation under 15 USC 1605. This contract did not include my right of recession pursuant to 15 USC 1635. Under GLBA, CITIZENS BANK did n ot disclose to me my right to Opt out of disclosure of my nonpublic personal information pursuant to 15 USC 6802 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( B ). I was not shown a disclosure nor was I given directions on how to exercise my right of opting out of such disclosure. CITIZENS BANK also violated the FDCPA. CITIZENS BANK themselves stated they are debt collectors yet did not disclose this in the original contract which is a violation of 15 USC 1692e ( 11 ). CITIZENS BANK gave a notice stating two different names with two different addresses as the original creditor and creditor even though I, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX am the original creditor as I gave them the right to extend my credit. This is a misrepresentation, misleading and thus a violation of 15 USC 1692 ( a ) ( 6 ). In the contract, it states the security interest secures all you owe on this contract AND my finance charge was shown in a positive balance. If you were to look at a bank account and you see your account in the positive you would assume you DO NOT OWE ANYTHING. And of course if you see a bank account in the negative you would know you owe money for that account. So with a notice stating the security interest secures all you owe and a statement in a positive balance yet CITIZENS BANKS claims they are collecting a debt, they are violating 15 USC 1692e ( 2 ) ( A ) and giving a false representation of the amount allegedly owed. Under the FDCPA CITIZENS BANK is not to include any logos are symbols on their postage while attempting to collect a debt which is a violation of 15 USC 1692b ( 5 ). Finally, I XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX did not consent to my " alledged debt '' to be communicated with anyone. I obviously could not content because I did not receive my opt out dicsloure and this is a violation for the FDCPA 15 USC 1692c ( b ). This complaint was written by myself XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and no one on behalf of me wrote this. Please be aware I have taken the time to carefully research and learned to invoke my rights as a federally protected consumer and I state this under penalty of perjury. All the documents I have sent to CITIZENS BANK have been notarized. I will attach the copies of those documents without the notarization for the CFPB to view. If need be I will resubmit with new notarization, and I will keep this complaint and copies of my documents for records in case legal suit is needed.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 117XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-20
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Subissue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Consumer Complaint: Starting in XX/XX/XXXX my wife and I reached out to Franklin American Mortgage Company to get a loan modification. From that point until XX/XX/XXXX they continually pushed off a decision from the underwriter by asking for information that we had to provide. The items they wanted were items like Proof of Flood Insurance, Proof of Escrow Account, Proof of Home Owners Insurance. All of which are items that a ) they already have because they pay them, and b ) We had to contact them to get the proof the underwriter needs. They in XX/XX/XXXX we were served by there law firm on a Friday night that they had started a foreclosure proceeding. We were never notified that the loan modification was denied. We received a letter 4 days later of such. Subsequently, in XX/XX/XXXX the loan was sold by Franklin American Mortgage to Citizens Bank, NA. In XXXX of XXXX I had a court conference with Citizens Bank. A loan modification was started. In XXXX of XXXX Citizen Bank Home Loan and I were approved for a loan modification, which was approved for a trial period. The trial period was XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX. During that period all payments were made ON-TIME, and in accordance to the loan modification. I found out about the issue in XX/XX/XXXX. I noticed that from XX/XX/XXXX thru XX/XX/XXXX Citizen One Home Loans reported my payments as 120 days past due, when in fact they were not. When I spoke to Citizen Bank Home Loans, they agreed that this was an error. They removed how it was reported to NOT REPORTED. Recently I found that they changed it back to 120 DAYS LATE. I have confirmation from both my bank and Citizen Bank Home Loan from at the time I made the payments that they were credited to my account properly.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 11572
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-20
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A