Carrington Mortgage Services

When I first spoke with the loan originator, it sounded so easy, so pain-free, so quick, so streamlined. Carrington already had the original mortgage. What could possibly go wrong? I had told them I didn’t want to come out of pocket for anything. Somehow, a new appraisal was required for the tune of $550. After a year, I have no idea why this couldn’t be waived, yet I acquiesced.

Moving forward. In this super easy streamlined refinance, I wasn’t required to provide bank statements, just the normal pay stubs and two years of taxes and W-2’s. I sent them away and soon, the under-writer chimes in requiring a copy of my divorce decree. Already this is interesting since there is no discernable way to tell I was I ever married. The taxes are all under my name as single and the children are listed with me. Offended doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings. I have no idea why my being married or not matters.

Of course, I ask the originator why and am told the under-writer wants to know the dates of the marriage and to see if I’m receiving child support or alimony. I tell the originator I feel the under-writer needs to be educated because 1) if I were currently married I couldn’t file taxes single 2) alimony has to be reported on taxes 3) it doesn’t matter if I’m married; he isn’t on the loan. Time passes and I think of even more reasons this is ridiculous. I find myself now under magically communicating with the loan processor. I have no idea how I’ve ended up here and have to ask her why I have her now.

Now that I have a new person, I go through my aforementioned frustration of the divorce decree along with my additional reasons of why this shouldn’t be required, namely 1) it wouldn’t matter if I received child support 2) it wouldn’t matter if I received alimony, I requested the loan be processed based on the income I provided, which would be my salary.

Now, the story changes and I am told the under-writer has requested this information to see if I am responsible for paying child support or alimony. Granted, this does make more sense. However, I would have disclosed this on my list of expenses. The loan processor tells me I’m lucky the under-writer accepted the decree in the manner I had furnished it because I had blacked out the names of the attorneys, as well as my ex-husband. I can assure you, one needs to know my ex’s name, nor the attorneys present.

On another note, I was not required to provide this very personal document the first time the company processed the loan. The rules for the under-writers should be the same. As far as I can tell, this is an under-writer on some power trip who is gathering unnecessary documentation because he has the “power” to do so, at a great cost to me.

The under-writer continues to puppet the process and now demands contact information for my previous employer since I changed jobs last June. Again, information the company had when they first processed the loan. Apparently, the tax returns and W-2’s were insufficient for him to make a logical conclusion. I was able to provide my hire letter and exit interview, showing my dates of employment.

Finally, the closing date is set. I am relieved. I have had enough anger, embarrassment, and shed enough tears by now. The day has finally come, and I will be free, or so I thought. The CD is in, the witness is present, the attorney is present. All the papers get signed and everyone is happy. I’m getting money back and that’s always nice. The closing was on Wednesday, 14 October 2020. On 15 October 2020, my account is debited for the original mortgage. Here we go again. How bizarre, I think. This should have been completed at closing, when the house was paid off. I figure Carrington will catch it right away and refund the money. No.

The following Tuesday, a check arrives. It isn’t for the full amount of what I’m to get back, but I think to myself, well this must be because I make bi-weekly payments. The other check is sure to follow. Wrong again. On 21 October 2020, a week after closing, I receive an email from Carrington. It’s a revised CD. No explanation, except it’s revised and to retain for my records. I notice that my payment amount has increased and the money I was to be getting back has changed. It’s now for the check I received the day before.

This can’t be right, a CD can’t change once the house has closed, can it? I start to research, then I call a friend I have in real estate to confirm my research, and then finally the attorney. No, the CD can’t change. The attorney says if Carrington made a mistake, it’s up to them to fix it. I have signed documents; they’re notarized. How can I be held to something I didn’t agree to?

I contact the loan processor, who was equally surprised. She agrees the CD can’t change and doesn’t know what to do. After some research, she finds I should have only received the amount of the check. The CD was wrong, but the attorney is right, it can’t change, but she doesn’t know what to do. She’ll call back. She doesn’t. I follow up the next day with an email and ask about the erroneous payment. I end up getting a back from the originator. A mistake was made. It’s Carrington’s fault. The long and short is I have no recourse, except through litigation. I’m thinking, surely the company could refund the cost of the appraisal, something to make this right.

The originator says he can expedite getting the escrow from the original loan back to me. I must explain how this is not in my favor. Calculator in hand, I walk him through the numbers and explain that he needs to transfer those funds into the new loan, so my escrow doesn’t wind up short. I won’t go into the antagonizing detail of those conversations. The erroneous payment? I should instruct the bank to cancel the ACH payments. Again, not a smart move since my mortgage won’t get paid at all. Carrington needs to handle that on their end with the independent loan numbers. I hear it’s being handled. The next day, he realizes the payment was erroneous and sometime, I’ll get that money back.

As of now, almost two weeks after closing, an escrow analysis is still occurring and I’ll hear back soon, and I am assured that the payment will be lower and at that point I’ll have another revised CD. Being that I am not in the mortgage industry, I look to them for guidance and advice. Certainly, there are things I am not aware of. However, I don’t feel like I should shoulder the responsibility of providing information about escrow payments and transfers, payments, and CDs. The rules for underwriters should be the same.

A month later, I receive refund check for the escrow, despite the fact that I specifically it be transferred to the new loan. I also learn that the erroneous payment has somehow found its way into the escrow, no notice to me, and I won't be getting that money back. I'm still trying to figure out how $2,100 + $860 = $2,200, but with Carrington math, I don't think I'm getting very far. Now, they tell me I have to cash the check so I can transfer the money back to escrow. Another surprise is waiting for me. In order for me to do this online to ensure it goes to escrow, they charge me a convenience fee. Anywhere else would be better than Carrington. They lost my confidence, my trust, and my money.

Out of confusion, I called 2 other lenders just to double check whether it is the true that I can not refi with my work visa status, the answer is no problem. Finally, I called Carrington general number back and got routed to a gentlemen in the Phoenix office to ask the same question, and he said should not be an issue either, and kindly offered to check for me and let me know tomorrow.

This simply saddens me... You can make your own judgements of this person's behavior. Also, please check Carrington Mortgage Services on Glassdoor, turns out that former employees felt racism from within Carrington as well. I urge Carrington management to correct this prejudice and set a good morale to treat its employees and customers.