Citimortgage
Surprise Late, Attorney and Inspection Fees After Discharge
- 08-23-2005
- 14
We filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy over 5 years ago and were recently discharged. All of a sudden the CitiMortgage collections department is calling me, telling me I am behind by over $700.00 and have accrued about $1200.00 in late fees over 3 years, but they are just now calling me. I explained to the woman that we have paid our payment every month and have never received anything but a normal statement showing our regular amount due. She said that due to the bankruptcy they were not allowed to tell us. I explained to her that contact could have been made with the lawyer or trustee. I requested an itemized statement of my payments going back 3 years. She told me I could contest the late fees by faxing a request. I immediately sent the overdue amount minus the late fees and faxed a request explaining the situation.
After never receiving the requested itemized statement, and after calling CitiMortgage several times, I got online and figured out I could see my statements there (CitiMortgage never told us this). What I found were not late fees but attorney fees, bankruptcy fees and inspection fees. CitiMortgage says the inspection fees were to make sure the house was not abandoned.
I spoke with my bankruptcy attorney regarding the attorney and bankruptcy fees, and he stated that no fees can be added without petitioning the court. Any fees are automatically put into the bankruptcy and paid by us over the 5-year bankruptcy period. He said my file showed no such petition.
We again contacted CitiMortgage about this and explained it, and all we got were transfers to supervisors who sat there and said "uh, uh, uh." Finally, after several attempts, one supervisor actually called us back and gave us the number of the legal firm that she says applied the fees. That company is also dumbfounded by this and says they will investigate it and get back to us.
In the meantime we did get a response to our fax stating they refused to take the late fees off. (What late fees?)
We also sent a detailed letter via certified mail requesting that all fees be taken off, as we contest all of them. We have also paid the late fees so we are not charged more interest, but only after the letter was sent.
Please beware and check your statement monthly to make sure payments were applied correctly, and remember that bankruptcy fees are illegal to charge directly to you.
Company: Citimortgage
Country: USA
State: Maryland
City: Frederick
Address: 5280 Corporate Drive, MC 0251
Phone: 8002837198