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Bank of America review: late fee rip-off! 47

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This complaint is against Countrywide Home Loans. Countrywide posts there payments late to intentionally charge customers a large late fee. This has been done to me numerous times. I would warn anyone against taking a loan with Countryside Home Loans. There practices are deceptive and rip off the customer. Anyone taking a home loan - Stay far away from Countrywide Home loans. They will not post their payments timely even when provided with bank information.

The company address is:

Countrywide Home Loans
Po Box 660694
Dallas, Texas 75266

This consumer complaint will save other customers from having the same problems.

47 comments
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Candace Bernard
Feb 28, 2007 6:54 pm EST

I too have my home loan with Countrywide and they we charging me $207 more for my homeowners insurance which I have through Allstate but I have my taxes and my insurance all rolled into my mortgage payment cause that works best for me. So when I got my statement from Allstate for the new year, is when I noticed they were overcharging me so I called my Allstate guy to take care of it for me.His reaction indicated total surprise that they were actually doing such a thing. I'll be sure to let you know the outcome as soon as Allstate gets back with me.

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Charlene Smith
Mar 07, 2007 6:57 pm EST

I have also had a terrible experience dealing with Countrywide Home Loans. (1) My mortgage payment increased from $890.00 per mo. to 1080.00 without proper notice within 18 months of my initial loan, I received a bogus excuse that, " I didn't have enough funds in my escrow account and (2) My mortgage insurance had increased because THEY decided to changed insurance companies, " (3) My annual interest on my 1099 tax statement also seems questionable. Needless to say, I am in the process of consulting an attorney because I feel as though I've been ripped off. Stay away from them, they're CROOKS!

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Susanne Smithson
May 18, 2007 11:39 am EDT

Agree. Countrywide is crooked. It is hard to believe that a corporation with such size and political power is nothing but a street crook, but that is the only way to describe their conduct. The borrower is extorted and robbed, just as surely as if he were accosted on the street by a bunch of street thugs.

Countrywide cannot be trusted in anything. It appears they run several databases for different purposes. The result is that the customer service representatives who contact you have only limited information and really believe the limited information they have only their computer screens. Countrywide takes payments, negotiates them, then fails to credit payments, and later lie, denying receipt of payment. When you present evidence of receipt, they say the payment "was returned." When queried as to where the check was returned, they cannot tell you. When queried as to why the check was returned, they say because it was insufficient funds. When you present evidence that the payment was in certified funds, they then admit the check was received, that they still have it in "suspense," even though earlier in the call they tell you it was returned to some unknown entity 3 weeks prior.

If you have equity in your home, beware. They fail to credit payments, or credit them late to generate unjustified late fees. They sometimes hold checks, sometimes return them long after the fact. They sometimes hold checks and apply them long after the fact. They provide no accounting of payments received, only of those payments they choose to apply. They apply some, not others, trying to create a picture of borrower irresponsibility or erratic payment. They manipulate escrow. They vary fixed rate payments as much as $40-175 per month without valid explanation. They send statements late, adding bogus fees or rejecting the borrower's payment because it is "the wrong amount." If the borrower calls and finds someone that agrees there is an error or agrees to accept a certain amount, they will never confirm anything in writing and then reject the payment borrower sends in compliance with the agreement. The telephone contacts numbers provided in the body of "default letters" requiring immediate response are incorrect. If you have mailed a timely payment, they hold it in suspense for lengthy periods of time, depriving you from the use of the funds, but failing to credit it, using various excuses, i.e. "wrong amount," (even when you are paying the contracted fixed payment), "not certified funds" (even when it is a certified check)", or "bad check" (even when was certified funds). They file wrongful foreclosures.

In this case, even when the borrower paid more than $20,000 to "cure" a non-existent default, Countrywide still failed to credit the payment, alleging the borrower sent the payment to the wrong place. In fact the borrower followed the lenders written instructions precisely. It took Countrywide nearly 3 weeks to credit the payment. After borrower, to save his equity and home, paid the demand, Countrywide still shows him as a month in default. He has paid every payment in certified funds with signed delivery receipt since January 2006; additionally, he paid duplicate payments and unwarranted fees, costs, attorney's fees. He made more than his contractual obligation in 2006 and in the first quarter of 2007 paid more than his 2007 contractual obligation. Yet Countrywide says he has "never made a payment since they assumed the servicing of the loan in June 2005."

This borrower did not choose Countrywide; he had excellent credit. His loan was sold and the assuming lender sold the servicing rights to Countrywide. The services do not make much profit on the simple servicing. It is in their interest to manipulate accounts to generate fees and increase the service's profit. They cannot lose. They either strip equity by application of unwarranted fees, fraudulent foreclosure fees, or take the home and the equity therein. The borrower cannot win. He either pays the unwarranted fees or loses his home. Countrywide ruins his credit so that he cannot refinance elsewhere. The hedge fund and investors don't care. The only recourse a borrower has is to redeem his home through foreclosure and sue Countrywide.

Do not believe Countrywide will treat your valid complaints in good faith. Send every payment in certified funds by a third party who verifies receipt by requiring signature on delivery. Seek legal counsel and attack your problems aggressively. Otherwise they will eventually take your home. If they don't do it the first time, they will continue with additional wrongful foreclosure actions until they succeed. Most of all, if you can get rid of them do so. Refinance and make sure the contract has conditions in it that prevents sale of the loan or servicing to Countrywide. Report to the attorney general, district attorney, state and federal consumer protection agencies. Unless the defrauded borrowers speak out, this outrage will continue.

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Brandon Pollard
May 25, 2007 8:27 am EDT

The year 2002 and 2003 I received checks in the amount of $1015.00. I called both years and spoke with three different people and they all informed me that they overpaid my escrow for taxes and the money was mine to keep. In 2004 I received a letter informing me my escrow balance was in the negative $2030.00. I was told my house payment would go up $350.00 dollars for 18 months to make the difference. I was not able to pay that amount for 18 months so I decided to file chapter 13 bankruptcy to be able to keep my house and pay there mistake out at a longer period of time. You might ask, why not sell your home and move? My answer would be that I financed with a great interest rate and I have a son. I searched around a realize that my house payment, when it is normal, is way less than any liveable apartment and I didnt have the money to put down on a new home. So in the best interest of me and my son I decided to take the action I took. Now a few years later in 2007 I received another letter stating that my escrow was in the negative $8000.00 for the past three years of taxes. How is this possible? I have been paying $1836.00 a year in taxes. So I called my city and spoke to the tax assessors office and they informed me my taxes did in fact go up but just to the amount of $2200.00 and that is understandable. Where does Country Wide Home Loans get there figures and why have they paid the difference and allowed my escrow to stay in the negative for this long. I would have been ok with my payment going up twenty to thirty dollars a month to make up the difference. Also my insurance on the home went down from $1015.00 to $863.00 a year, I have not seen any of that. Where is it going? They are telling me starting in July my payments will double for 18 months to cover the $8000.00 negative. Where do they get $8000.00 are they charging me a outrageous amount in fees for there tardiness in telling me of the situation? Can they do this? I cant afford my payment to increase $700.00 a month for 18 months. There has to be something I can do. This company is the root of me filing chapter 13. I pride myself in great credit and now im having to rebuild it. Anyone have suggestions?

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ccruz
Sep 05, 2007 3:10 pm EDT

Does anyone know how we can start an investigation on Countrywide? Who can you report them to? It's like they're a Monopoly!

Plz advise smb!

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Lori Walker
Sep 06, 2007 7:16 pm EDT

We are to having problems with countrywide home loans. A few years ago we had to file bankruptcy in order to keep our home well, we paid out of it early and got discharge papers. A few months later they decide to take lawyer fees out of june and july payment. Our lawyer contacted them and told them that the trustee had sent them the remainder of the money and they better give us credit for both months. 3 weeks later and they still haven't done nothing. my point is we can call them all day but you get the run around. So this is what i done i wrote the attorney general of NC told him the situation i haven't heard back so now I'm going to contact our congressman then I'm reporting to the better business bureau. I feel like nobody is listening and everything on tv right now is that countrywide is going bankrupt and were does that leave us that haven't straighten out our problems with them if anyone else has any ideas please let me know this is unreal with all these people complaining on them why is nothing being done to me everything they are dong is illegal. O think my husband and i are going to contact a lawyer and see what we can do. I'm not giving up and please anyone else keep posting and write your attorney general and call local tv stations. If anyone on here knows what we should do different let me know.

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Lisa Munson
Sep 07, 2007 6:56 pm EDT

Countywide along with SRI (whom actually processed the loan) is riping my husband and me off big time with late fees right now they refuse to take payments from me while he was sick because I was not on the loan but they sure made me sign a paper saying that I know there is a loan on the house also before long the will change the interest rate and there is a balloon payment that has to be made in one payment of $115,512.97 at the end. The total of payments will cost us $696,402.40 just for financing $154,288.50 the finance charges are $542,113.90. Our home is not worth $696,402.40!

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Linda D. Edwards
Sep 08, 2007 9:24 am EDT

Countrywide is full of ###! And, let that be the reason why they are having so much trouble. I hope they go down, bad! Also, let them try to sell a house nowadays, bad luck to you! You can come and take mine and try to give it away, nobody wants it, because you can't sell it anyway!

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Ralph Molina
Sep 22, 2007 10:21 pm EDT

They have a monopoly and the goverment do nothing against this company who are forcing people to lose their houses with their famous subprime mortgages, they know people won't be able to refinance or adjust their adjustable rate, so that the equity in our houses is stolen by countrywide.com

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Barbara DeStasio
Sep 30, 2007 9:44 am EDT

I have the same problem with Countrywide. I pay online and there frequently seems to be a "problem" with properly logging on to make a payment. Either the website is down, or not recognizing the info. or the computer. Does anyone know what recourse can be taken to avoid having payments posted late? Thank you.

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Patti Geib
Oct 14, 2007 1:11 pm EDT

I agree with all the previous postings. Countrywide Home Loans is corrupt. Let's all institute a class action lawsuit against them. The government will not help, or will any consumer assistance. We the people must band together and stop this fraud in it's tracks. I know a great attorney, no I do not work for him. I am having a problem with Countrywide and have since my account was sold to them.

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Jackie
Nov 08, 2007 1:29 pm EST

I have to agree with all of the comments I have read. My husband and I refinanced with Country Wide 2 years ago. We ran into financial problems with medical bills for our children and had to deal with the "WorkOut Division". What they failed to disclose to us, is that even though we were willing to work everything out with these people, we would never be able to refinance with any other company because our credit report would always show that we were diluent with our payments. I had kept up with our payments of $1400.00 a month for about 7 months and every other payment of $940.00. They sort of put us between a rock and a hard place being that no one will ever help us get out from underneath this company. Anyone thinking of financing or refinancing with this company should do alot of research on them and not take the word of a so called friend like we did... I'm sorry I ever left my bank.

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Buffy Kibe
Dec 12, 2007 2:46 pm EST

I am glad, after reading all these complaints, that we never got our loan with Countrywide. The appraisal company they used ( and I paid $400.00 for) took 5 minutes to do an "appraisal" and it came in at $60,000.00 less than it appraised for two years earlier ( which took tow people over an hour to do- way more professional). Not possible! They never even officially informed me I was turned down. What a horrible company and I feel for all of you who are stuck with them!

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skid mark
Dec 13, 2007 5:32 am EST

This company is very unprofessional. My loan was sold to them 4 years ago. Every two weeks they solicit me by mail to refi my loan with them. So far they have lost one of my checks.

To stay ahead of their we didn't receive your check scam for late fees, I pay ahead by several months and watch them like a hawk.

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Angela Boyd
Dec 27, 2007 11:48 am EST

Country Wide Mortgage might as well be the devil himself. They have the most awful customer service imaginable. We have had problems with them for over a year now. I highly suggest to anyone looking for a mortgage company to stay clear of them. As soon as all this is straight with our loan, the second we can refinance with another company you better believe we will. They are a disgrace to hardworking people who just want to put a roof over their families head.

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Dave Manke
Dec 31, 2007 11:50 am EST

It is Dec 31 and my taxes have yet to be sent to the city. So my wife gives the fantastic reps of CountryCrock a call. She was told that they will pay the taxes at the DELINQUENT date in January 2008. WHAT?! This is not acceptable. That escrow is MY MONEY to be used for my taxes. I do not wish to be DELINQUENT. Well after three people higher up on the food chain and an nearly ENTIRE day wasted because they are greedy, my wife was told that CW might try to process the transfer but can not guarantee anything. A swift move like this may cost me over $500 in LOST tax refund because the house taxes MAY NOT get paid within the calendar year. CW could care less. They want to hold OUR money AS LONG AS POSSIBLE to gain interest in their accounts regardless of how it impacts you the customer. I will end up doing a cash advance on a credit card, eat the one month finance charge to make sure my taxes are paid in a TIMELY fashion. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE - PERIOD!
Hey CountryWide, if you check my records I have alway paid my mortgage in a timely fashion. I may have second thoughts on that. What if ALL your victims chose to wait until the DELINQUENT date to pay you? Nice!
I will be refinancing to a local bank ASAP, regardless of the impact on interest.

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Kirk Haverkamp
Jan 22, 2008 7:45 pm EST

I'm also having late fee problems with Countrywide - they assessed me a late fee, even though my cancelled check clearly shows a date stamp showing the payment was received on time. I wrote to them and included a copy of the check, but their response completely ignored this, saying only that their records showed the payment was late.

I'd urge everyone having such problems to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission AND with your congressman and U.S. senators, esp. if they serve on the House Committee for Financial Services or the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Be courteous and brief - your letter is going to be skimmed over by an overworked staff member, so you've only got a few lines to get their attention and make your point.

Write to the media as well - especially the financial columnists of the large daily paper(s), business columnist or public advocate - it's amazing how many companies change their tune after the press starts calling. Follow the same rules for letters to media as for members of Congress, above.

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vivian kehl
Feb 08, 2008 11:46 am EST

Has anyone had their insurance escrowed when you sent proof seven different times that you have your own insurance? Then get hit with late fees because you refuse to pay it and then get put into foreclosure?

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Donna Bowman
Feb 26, 2008 11:09 am EST

Everybody has got it right with CountryWide. They are the anti-christ! They were so suppose to pay our home insurance from escrow that we paid monthly and did not do it. We had gone months without home insurance and did not know it. We were hit hard by the ice storm jan. 2007 and turned in great losses done to our home to our insurance company who informed us that countrywide had not paid them in months and we had insurance. It tooks us almost a year to collect one penny from country wide to cover the cost. Our home was badly damaged and we had to pay out of pocket just to keep living in it. We fell behind in our payments as we had to replace the roof that was leaking everywhere in our house out of our own pocket. They would not even consider a work out plan for us as we were behind in our payments. We spent hundreds of hours in time on the telephone and letter and never got anything settled with them. They can have it! I dont want it anymore! I can make a home wherever my head lays! I am appalled that our government had not put a stop to there blatant criminal activity! Bank of American is buying them out and thank god for it. I hope noone has to go through the pain we have had to endure this last year.

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laura4
Feb 29, 2008 8:49 am EST

Just following up from my last posting and hoping this is helpful to others! It wasn't easy...like pulling teeth, but here is their PHYSICAL customer service address (very important if you want to send something certified and TRACEABLE):

Countrywide Home Loans
Customer Service
450 American St
Simi Valley, CA 93065

Their customer service fax number is: [protected]

There is also a POB for Customer Service which is:

Customer Service Complaint Address
sv-314b
POB 5170

Simi Valley, CA [protected]

Also, their customer service phone number (which, per gethuman.com you can get a person hitting zero at every prompt -- worked for me): [protected]

Good luck!

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laura4
Feb 29, 2008 12:24 pm EST

Correction! Countrywide Hom Loan Customer Service fax number is: [protected].

The 800 number I posted earlier [protected]) was a phone number for CHL...but not a fax. Yet they are the ones who gave it to me...as their fax number. Can you believe it--sheesh.

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laura4
Feb 29, 2008 12:25 pm EST

Correction! Countrywide Home Loan Customer Service fax number is: [protected].

The 800 number I posted earlier [protected]) was a phone number for CHL...but not a fax. Yet they are the ones who gave it to me...as their fax number. Can you believe it--sheesh.

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MELISSA AMRSTRON
Mar 09, 2008 7:43 pm EDT

RECIEVED A LETTER ON SATURDAY STATING THAT CW HAD PAID MY REAL ESTATE PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE ADDRESSED PROPERTY,BY THE WAY FOR WHICH I RENT...HAHA. THEY SAID IN THIS LETTER THAT THIS HAD OCCURRED WHEN MY PARCEL NUMBER WAS ERRONEOUSLY ENCODED ON THEIR SYSTEM UNDER THE ABOVE MENTIONED REFRENCE NUMBER, WHICH LED TO THE INCORRECT PAYMENT FROM THEIR HOMEOWNERS ESCROW ACCOUNT. THEY SENT A COPY OF THE CHECK AND DISBURSEMENT LISTING AS PROOF OF THIS PAYMENT THEY MADE. THEY SAID THAT THEY ARE REQUESTING A CERTIFIED CHECK IN THE AMOUNT OF 3540.54 TO BE SENT TO THEM. I TRIED CALLING THEM BUT THEY GIVE ME THE RUN AROUND,SAYING THAT THIS IS MY BILL, WHICH LIKE I SAID I AM A RENTER AND BY THE WAY I DONT OWN A PIECE OF REAL ESTATE PROPERTY MUCH LESS THIS HOUSE. SOMEONE NEEDS TO GET THESE PEOPLE STRAIGHT. THE HOMEOWNER EVEN SAYS THAT HE HAS NEVER DEALT WITH CW, HE IS FINANCED WITH SUN TRUST AND RECOMMENDED THAT I NOTIFY THE CREDIT BUREAU IMMEDIATLEY TO PUT A CREDIT ALER ON MY FILE JUST IN CASE THEY TRY TO PLACE A JUDGEMENT AGAINST ME. PLEASE PEOPLE BE CARE THIS COMPANY IS CRAZY.

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marianne keim
Mar 25, 2008 6:09 pm EDT

I have been attempting to negotiate a SHORT PAY OFF SALE for a friend of mine Brenda Esprit on a house in Brandon, Fl. for 6.5 months now. A vicious battle with Countrywide...after getting a new Loss mitigater and second BPO for this property, we finally come to a verbal agreement of $127, 000. for a 244, 000. mortgage incl arrears amount...To make long story short I had my ducks in a row...house is only worth 130 now, house was in deplorable condition to start with so appraisal was probably fudged, house is in worst shape now, borrower has a TRUE hardship but did try for 5months to modify with Countrywide. So finally we come to an agreement on price but I cannot get it in writing for 3 weeks and low and behold 1 week before the court house steps, he comes back to me and says the PMI company wants Brenda to sign a $45, 000. promissory note...I feel they backed us into a corner at the last minute so we would sign...The owner of the AGI co., the one that carries the PMI Insurance actually told me...Oh this is Florida, a much better state to collect unsecured promissory notes in value and time so we are going to go after her.
Marianne Keim [protected] Brenda's Loan # [protected] countrywide.

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Tammy
Mar 30, 2008 12:43 pm EDT

I agree with everyone who has made a bad comment against Country Wide. My father goes through them and has for about three years. Every thing that everyone has said against them has happend to him. They have tried to take his house away from him so many times that its crazy! They said that my dad has been late on his payments and he has never been late. I know because im the one that takes his money and pays his Payment for him. He is a truck driver and isnt home to make his payments on time so he has me do it for him and i have never been late on his payments. I always have it too them early. So anyone thats with Country Wide needs to just sale there house and move on.

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Riki Rudolph
Mar 30, 2008 4:41 pm EDT

I truly agree with all of you and i feel for you all as well just a few hours ago my sister Tammy posted a blog I dont agree for anyone to sell their houses and move on we have to fight these Tirants to the fullest ability to bring them down.. I have just recently helped my father get a loan mondification they had sent us paper stating that both loans, which there was only supposed to one loan to begin with, Were accepted for the loan modification...And the reason why we had to get the modification was, they were goring to forclose on his home over 11 cents that was not paid on one of the loans...I got all of our recitptes together and had to bare the proof that we had every single house payment in on time...then my father had to pay out 1, 400.00 to bring the house back out of forcloser..And that was the first time they tried to forclose sorry, , , he just had to pay out 2.100.00 this last time for the modification...and that was at the ending of this last year...now Today we just got a payment returned to us stating that it was not the right amount that should be paid...Also for the last few weeks we have been fighting them because they are now saying that we are 12 months behinde again, , , AGIAN! there was never a first time we were behinde...so once again we are fighting them cause they are trying to take our home! I am tired of there ### as well I am in the process of finding a lawyer to fight off these wolves! Im tired of the mental anguish that these people are putting us thought my father is a hard working man and does not deserve this crap to happen...He is out working his heart out for me and my sister. I have a chronic kidney disease, and my new nephew is on oxygen...And this is the kind of stress we as a family dont need... IM DONE! NO MORE MRS> NICE RIKI IM FIGHTTING BACK AND COUNTRYWIDE WILL BE HEARING FORM OUR LAWYER! OH AND TO TOP OFF EVERYTHING AFTER MY DAD PAYS THIS HOUSE OFF THAT WAS MADE IN 1937 HE'D PAID 333, 345.00 FOR THIS SHACK OF A HOUSE... WICH ITS NOT WORTH IT!

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BLC4law
US
Apr 20, 2008 3:25 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I am about to file a lawsuit against Countrywide for refinancing scam. If you have information that you can share, please feel free to contact me by email at BLC4law@aol.com This company engages in absolutely deceitful, fraudulent conduct in my experience. They charged us a refinancing fee of $435 then sent us a loan application they wanted me to sign saying that I had a $30, 000 savings account (along with a lot of other mistakes). When I pointed out all the mistakes, they refused to communicate with me at all and still have not to this day. Except! Except for the fact that they sent me a Notice of Default indicating their intent to foreclose on my property -- after lulling me into thinking that we were all on good terms because the refinancing process was underway! Utter thieves. Please share any information with me. I'm sure everyone knows that the FBI is investigation some facets of this business and I'm sure with just cause. -- Best regards Brandon, Brandon L. Clark, www.brandonlclark.com EMAIL BLC4law@aol.com

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Violet Lake
Apr 21, 2008 5:44 am EDT

We are having similar problems with Countrywide. Our initial payments were $1800 per month on a 3 year ARM. We got about 1 1/2 years into it and the payments skyrocketed to $2600 per month. That's almost a $1000 extra per month! We cannot afford it any longer. We have been making payments on time with that rate for another 7 months but we can't do it anymore. We are going to lose the house and have no idea where to go. We have a $30, 000 penalty if we sell it. I live here with my daughter, son-in-law who is dying of cancer in the next few weeks, my granddaughter, her husband, and their 4 children. I'm going to a retirement home but what about them? Countrywide is in the business to make people homeless.

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ANOTHERVICTIM
Apr 21, 2008 10:02 am EDT

Countrywide has charged additional fees on both of my mortgages, my home and an investment property, after I was informed by the rep. of Countrywide, after I refinanced, that both of my mortgages would decrease after the first year. I was even given actual numbers. Instead, Countrywide has claimed I have an escrow shortage. I have also had a decrease in my insurance and Countrywide has charged me more on my mortgage. My documents show otherwise. I am hoping an attorney can find their misappropriation of funds.
By Law, any mortgage company has the fiduciary duties to apply the received monies to the areas requiring payment. If they do not apply the correct amount, this would then be a "Breach of Contract, on Countrywides behalf. Again, by law, the company would have then broken the law. Breach of Contract would stand up in any court, as long as there are documents to back one up.
The only solution I have for any and everyone filing a complaint, as I, would be to obtain an attorney. Be sure to obtain every document involved with your loan. It is vital to any case to record names and i.d. numbers of those you speak with as well as the times and dates of your calls and/or letters. Obtain original documents of Insurance Dec.Page, Property Taxes and interest charged on your loan/s. Give all of this information to a reputable attorney, not one that is a "good deal", for you may lose. When you find out if you have a case against Countrywide, post the results of your legal findings wherever you have filed complaints. I am in the process of consulting with an attorney and will be more than happy to post any information I may have to assist others. I am located in Mississippi.

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Dennis Goldman
May 05, 2008 10:26 am EDT

They were so suppose to pay our home insurance from escrow that we paid monthly and did not do it. We had gone months without home insurance and did not know it. The policy has lapsed so long that it is necessary to write a new policy. This is a real hassle. I would never use Countrywide again!

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Cherie
May 17, 2008 4:58 pm EDT

I am one of the lucky individuals who had been in bankruptcy and was forced by Countrywide to either sell my home or refinance it. Considering that I was in bankruptcy and completely without income refinance was not an option. The home was put on the market and sold at the max market value, once settlement came there was not enough monies to settle and pay off countrywide due to them tacking on approx 20, 000 from what was borrowed just 2 or 3 years prior. Countrywide refused to work with me and would not speak with me because I was in bankruptcy and therefore had to "get out" in order for them to speak to me concerning anything about the loan. After many weeks of motions and back and forth with the courts and attorneys for countrywide the sale fell though. The home was put back on the market several months later and sold for less than the first contract on the home. I had to file a motion to get permission to sell the home which countrywide filed motion to refuse to sell the home after many weeks and extreme stress on me, my attorney obtained an Order forcing Countrywide to sell the home and take what they get, release the home with no liens, etc. Again when the payoff was obtained it was several thousands more than the payoff figure that was given just one week prior. Absolute extreme fees were tacked on and I had no proof of the validity of these charges. Additionally all the motions and continuous fighting with countrywide's attorney and mine I was charged an additional 2, 000 for all this which I was not made aware of until day of settlement, well once again there are not enough monies to settle. With the court ordered payoff and the cost of selling a home, taxes and atty fees we were 12, 000 short. In order to settle this home the Realtors who have been tremendously involved in the sale and efforts to sell the home were not getting paid. According to the Motion to Sell, all incidentals relating to the sale of the home were to be paid and then down the pecking order. The home did finally settle however Countrywide refused to work with us to drop excessive fees...in addition to the emotional stress Countrywide has caused me for at least a year I had to pay additional 2, 000 and the commission to real estate company was not paid...Everyone needs to be aware of what this mortgage company is doing...I intend to file a lawsuit for the damages incurred...if anyone reading this has retained an attorney or any information that will help in pursuing damages against this company please contact me. I agree that this company needs to be brought to their knees and put out of the mortgage business, the CEOs and/or investors with this company need to be penalized for what they have done to consumers and the government entity which runs the mortgage industry needs to make sure that none of these individuals are allowed in banking or any profession related thereto ever again.

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Alicia
Jul 02, 2008 6:30 pm EDT

I was coherced into a 2nd loan, with a very high interest rate. I have tried to re-fi, due to financial problems and although I continue to receive offers with a discount percentage, for being a current customer, CountryWide can never offer or help me to lower the interest rate on this loan. Never late or missed a payment. I understand there may be a lawsuit against CountryWide, it's about time!

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Heather Barrett
Jul 04, 2008 4:24 pm EDT

I am attempting a cash out refi. I had an appraisal done when I thought of selling (came back at $115, 000) and was told BEFORE agreeing to the $350 processing fee, that my appraisal would be used since it was only two weeks old. The next time I heard from a Countrywide rep., it was to tell me that a "Drive by" appraisal had been done and my value came back at $50, 000! The rep. who took my file told me that they weren't able to use my appraisal after all. I found out that a "Drive-by'
appraisal is a Google Earth pull up of your home. I am still waiting to hear from the rep. about ordering a true appraisal. A drive by appraisal? They should be embarrassed.

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chris in the 'couv
Vancouver, US
Aug 18, 2008 1:00 pm EDT

My complaint is the same as many of yours. Every month when I go to make my payment online the website is mysteriously not working correctly. It doesnt seem to get fixed until there can be a late fee tacked on. I called again today to complain and spent 1/2 hour on the phone only to be disconnected 2x. This has been going on for nearly one year. I will complain to everyone that I can about this worthless un-American company.

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Good credit
Sep 11, 2008 10:05 am EDT

What a bunch of whiners! Most stories are from those with bad credit and therefore high interest rate loans. Guess what, you have to pay those off, its not the banks fault you have bad credit and have to get a high interest rate loan. Now your blaming them for you having no money to pay it. Thats the rules, you lose your home if you can't pay. Try to Pay attention!
Some have ARM loans which is your mistake because yes the interest rate can go up, hence not being fixed...duh! But guess what, the change in the rate and increased monthly payments has nothing to do with the lending organization. The bank has to follow set rates so yes you can get screwed, but this is your own fault! Again, Pay attention! You signed up for it and didn't know what your doing, so its not just the banks fault. Take some credit for these mortage/foreclosure problems, its mostly your fault. Most don't know what they are signing and don't understand how loans work. You asked for the loan and now your complaining about paying for it? Good luck in your lawsuit, and if you don't realize, lawsuits will end up costing you money too.

There are only a few who have justified complaints about customer service and especially about appraisals. I do support those with problems dealing with customer service. Most businesses put the least amount of effort in customer service.

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Patrick
Sep 21, 2008 5:13 pm EDT

Oh shut your lying mouth. You are obviously a plant from this corrupt company. I almost got a mortgage through this company until the contract was deliberately confusing with numbers going all over the place. A fast talking broker tried talking so fast as to hopefully confuse us. We were dissatisfied with his behavior and the numbers not being right from one page to the next, so I did some research. The complaints are universal, into the thousands with the same complaints being registered over and over all over the country. How do you explain the FBI investigating them? They are labled a predator lender who lend money to people they know in advance cant pay it back. The number one complaint from people is that their payment is conveniently not registered until its one day late, even on bank transfers. This is to generate millions of dollars in rip off revenue. The hell with the fact that thousands of lives are being screwed with, let alone late fees and credit ratings. I had 2 different brokers I went to after I opted out from signing with Countrywide, and both said they wont do business with them. Both told me horror stories of deceit and fraud from the local CW branch. I decided for our own safety to redo the whole process with a legitimate lender. It was much tougher, but I was glad, because it showed me the lender was being very careful who they lent their money to. CW is basically organized crime. And we don't need an idiot like the previous blogger blaming tens of thousands of people when one corrupt company is to blame. Do not deal with them.

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Rob Young
Sep 29, 2008 6:17 pm EDT

Countrywide misspent our escrow account, making payments that were not even on the escrow schedule. This put our account behind, NINE months later they come at us with a $700 a month increase in payments that were already $1800 a month. When we call them and try to talk to them and point out that THEY mis-spent it, not us, they put us on hold ad infinatum till we give up and hang up. (6 hours at one point) This is criminal and the american homeowner is being raped but this company is continuing to get away with this as the nation focuses on the variable rate mortgage problems.

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Cari
Nov 04, 2008 10:05 am EST

Absolutely! And then when you call and challenge them they are rude and combative! I do not ever plan to purchase a home again but if I do find myself in that position, Countrywide will absolutely be the LAST place I turn to for financing. We also ran into the tax issue last year when we went to close on a property we sold. We closed within DAYS of taxes being due - COUNTRWIDE-SCREWME said they'd paid the taxes - county (who I would trust WAY before I would CW) said no they hadn't. Had we NOT gone to closing when we did and coughed the money out of our pocket - we would have been delinquent, etc.

It takes ALOT to get me mad, but let me tell you - having just got off the phone with an egotistical jerk at CW, I am almost in tears and he had the absolute BALLS to tell me that "oh no, our company is not in any financial trouble" . . . Maybe not but you sure are KILLING alot of good, honest people, with your unethical practices!

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REVENGE
ft wayne, US
Jan 10, 2009 11:05 pm EST

I recieved a notice that my payment would increase by $305. due to "escrow Shortage" they claim i have a "projected " shortage of $805 for the year due to my taxes increasing. Now I'm no rocket scientist but $305 x 12 is a hell of alot more than a "projected shortage" of $805 for the year ! This being bad enough...but my proerty taxes are slated to GO DOWN by $860.00 this year! THESE GUYS ARE THIEVES ! DO THIS TO ENOUGH MORTGAGE HOLDERS AND THEY GET BILLIONS TO HOLD AND COLLECT INTEREST ON FOR THE YEAR! BTW THEY ARE NOW OWNED BY BANK OF AMERICA...MY SOLUTION? APPLY FOR A BANK OF AMERICA VISA CARD...GO ON A SHOPPING SPREE AND THEN CALL EM UP AND SAY THE CARD WAS STOLEN! YOUR ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIRST $50.00 BY FEDERAL LAW...TWO CAN PLAY THIS GAME !

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Dennis Ciborowski
Morton Grove, US
Feb 02, 2009 9:53 am EST

I was notified by Country Tax Services that I owe them over $11, 000 because they erroneouly paid my property taxes. I have received threatening letters with a return envelope demanding that send them a check for the amount or they would add payment penalities and take collection action against me. I have never had any dealings with this company and have paid all of my property taxes. They seem to expect me to pay for their negligence. These guys sound like a bunch of bottom feeders. I can understand why the financial services industry is in such a mess.

Dennis Ciborowski

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