Got hit with a $3,500 escrow shortage letter yesterday out of nowhere...

I was sitting at my kitchen table in Phoenix opening mail and saw my mortgage company claimed I had a $3,500 escrow shortage because they miscalculated my property taxes last year, so now I have to pay that lump sum by next month or my payment goes up $300... has anyone else fought an escrow mistake and actually won?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_baker998d ago

Oh wow, I used to think those shortage letters were always legit but you guys have totally changed my mind on that. Definitely gonna check with the county first before panicking next time.

the_karen9d ago

Honestly, same thing happened to my neighbor in Mesa. She fought it for months, sent them her tax statements and proof of payment, and they eventually dropped the shortage. Took a ton of calls and emails though.

abby_robinson589d ago

The key for me was calling my county tax assessor first before even talking to the mortgage company. Got a certified statement showing exactly what I paid and when, then sent that directly to the escrow department with a short note saying "your numbers don't match." Took about three weeks of follow up calls every few days but they finally admitted their error and recalculated. Those automated letters are scary but half the time it's just a computer glitch or someone entering the wrong number. Just make sure you keep every single document and email, and don't let them push you into a payment plan until you've checked their math yourself.