Friday, November 18, 2016

South State Bank...Epic Fail

Recently I wrote a blog about banks going bad. Well, South State Bank in South Carolina is an epic FAIL.

They told me I could sign a paper and get out of the escrow account. Bring it, I can budget in escrow and I know how to manage MY money. Wednesday I got a call from an assistant to the loan person I dealt with. She has only been his assistant for six months and all she knows is she cannot help me. Please email her boss.

I emailed her boss and told him to make me a happy camper they need to cut the check for my property taxes NOW as they have the money to pay them. Send me the papers to close the escrow account. The cut me a check for the remaining amount they have and I'll pay the house payment and the interest.

Today while I am in northern Ohio, Vickie Battles calls me. She informs me she is the head of the escrow department. I'm thinking good we might be getting somewhere. Then she proceeds to tell me, my loan was written so the escrow account cannot be separated from it. WTF....Yeah that's what I said. However they can take $137 and change from my principle to cover the shortage and my payment will then be $969 and change/mo.

I flipped out on her. Told her she needed to clean house and get rid of the people who cannot do their job. They should have had my taxes in front of them before EVER redoing an escrow assessment. Well, we don't have them yet. UM, yes you do. Two of your inept employees have told me they have the taxes. PAY THEM NOW!!!

We have a certain time when we cut those checks. What part of PAY THE FUCKING TAXES NOW! Did you not understand????

Then she gives me her phone number so if there is another issue with my escrow account I can call her directly. IF there is another problem with my escrow account I will be seeking an attorney and I will sue the bank.

In the meantime I am looking into who is in charge of banking in South Carolina. I want this bank audited and if I can't get someone on a state level to do it, I'll be hitting up my Congress person and my Senator. The proverbial shit is about to hit the fan. It's going to get ugly.

Anyone looking for a nice house in South Carolina??? I have one which will be on the market as of October 31, 2017.

TTFN


Tuesday, November 15, 2016

When Banking Goes Wrong

A year ago on October 30, 2015, I got a home mortgage through South State Bank here in South Carolina. They will eventually go the way of Wells Fargo and will not darken our skies or our pockets.

I have them holding an escrow account for my insurance and taxes. In April, 2015 when the not so good hands at Allstate tried to soak me $800 extra a year for an accident I did not cause I went looking for insurance. I found some. I got a discount by switching both car and auto insurance. I paid for the new house insurance because I knew there was not enough in escrow to cover the change. The new company assured me they would NOT bill the bank. (They DID NOT bill the bank, they sent a notice of change).

The idiots running the escrow account paid for the new insurance anyway. Leaving my escrow account $600 in arrears. Wait, what? The person could not see the account would be short? They did not call to ask me about it? Nope. Just cut a check. So, my new insurance company sent my money back. I immediately called my agent. She pulled my account, no bill was sent. Notice of change in policy was sent. She called her contact at the bank. After talking to the bank it was deemed an error on the part of the bank and I needed to put the money back in my escrow account. But the account is still $600 short.

I go to the bank and deposit the money in escrow and want to know how to prevent this again? I want someone fired for this. Knowing it won't happen, I want them docked pay. Again not going to happen.

I have been watching the escrow account like a hawk. This is also the bank which does not acknowledge additional payment to the principle. It's a line item they have to account for it. It MUST show on my bill. Even my car payment which only gets about $0.38 extra a month has to show on the statement extra was paid to the principle. It has taken me six months to get them to put this as a line item.

Here comes October. They have to look at my taxes and insurance and figure out if there is enough money in the enough in escrow to pay the bills. All banks have a way to find out the current taxes even if they have not yet been billed. Once again the IDIOTS running escrow did not do this. They used a projected tax to figure out my new payment. In their infinite wisdom (insert dripping sarcasm), they determined I had a refund of $169 + change. So, they cut me a check and raised my payment $40 + change. Really???? So, I call again, because I also have the tax bill. They have figured it with an estimate and are off $127 + change. Oh, we'll do it again. Good how do I get out of an escrow account? We can send you papers to do that, please send them.

New papers on escrow account arrive Nov 10th. I now owe them $139 + change to keep my payment at $954.04 which is what it went up to the first time. Or my new payment will be $981 + change. Wait, if they had done the job correctly to begin with I would only have received a refund of $30 + change and a $38.36 increase in the payment.

I was in the bank this morning. There is nothing they can do at a branch bank because the escrow accounts are held in the Republic of Texas. Really, my local bank where I got the damn loan cannot help me with the damn loan. No one there is authorized to give me papers to dissolve an escrow account. They have to call the guy who got me the loan a year ago. He and I have already spoken on this issue once.  So, I'm waiting for Kevin to call.

I am closing the escrow account. I will open a savings account and put the money there and include money to cover my auto insurance, too. I know how to manage money. It's not money I had to spend anyway. I mean I'm putting away 7% of my pension to cover state income taxes every month. I know what I'm doing.

Millenials who are book smart and common sense stupid...must be the problem. No one with common sense would make this many errors on one account. I have a minor in accounting. I run a business. One would assume I do know a thing or two about how money works. The entire escrow department at South State Bank is a rip off.  Avoid them if possible. They will find a way to make your money come up missing.

Yes, I will be reporting them to the better banking bureau....as soon as I find out how. They messed with the wrong person.
TTFN

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Finding it Difficult

Trying to get back on the diet plan. I'm finding it difficult. I know it is in my best interest for my health.

I think the issue is the amount of food in my fridge that spoiled while I was gone. It makes me crazy to throw away food. I saved some out which I thought was okay, not past expiration dates, not opened. Wrong.

The result was a mild case of food poisoning. So, I cleaned out all that could be tainted in anyway. Thursday, I will take myself to the grocery store and purchase the correct food items. Smaller quantities and plan how I am going to use things.

Now if we can be done with hurricanes, I'll be all set. I am trying to find my house and get back into the swing of my schedule here. Have a couple of doctor appts coming up. Have to get an oil changed on the car.

Need to get back to my exercises for my shoulder. Just need to sort out the mess I made in the house while scrambling to evacuate for Matthew.

It will take me the rest of this week. Then I have to prioritize the things which need to be done to make this house more livable. Which means finishing getting my office put together. Hanging wall art and painting my bathroom. The list is longer, but I won't bore you.

Blood sugars are once again coming down. This is a good thing. Time to get the crockpot out and start cooking. Also freezing the leftovers for another meal.

I got this...it just takes time.

TTFN

October Already

 I'm not sure where the time has flown. June was an exiting month. July was a mess. I had a change of medication which caused me to gain...