ComplaintsforGateway First Bank

• Initial Complaint

  04/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Last year, I reached out to Gateway Mortgage, a division of Gateway First Bank, to update them on our homestead exemption status due to VA disability and a change in our homeowners' insurance. This was to prevent them from mistakenly paying USAA and Progressive for our policy. However, in January 2024, Gateway Mortgage sent out nearly $10,000 in overpayment for property taxes and insurance. We're completely exempt from property taxes, so they shouldn't have sent anything for taxes. I've both written and verbally informed them of our exemptions and insurance change.In April 2024, Gateway Mortgage raised my mortgage payment by almost $500 per month due to an escrow shortage they caused. They advised me to contact the county for a tax refund, which I did. They refunded approximately $2,500, but a significant portion is still missing. Now my monthly mortgage payment is much higher than it should be. Instead of the correct $2,085.73, it was $2,816.99 in April and $2,524.93 in May.For a company claiming to be a mortgage specialist, their negligence and inability to perform basic calculations are deeply concerning. I urge someone to thoroughly review the messages I've exchanged with them and rectify the situation. If an escrow analysis is necessary due to their overpayment, they should also be following up on the refund status with the relevant entities. Waiting another year for them to rectify their mistakes is unacceptable.I intend to seek legal counsel, but I wanted to bring this matter to the attention of the Better Business Bureau. The repeated negligence suggests possible discrimination based on our disability status. This level of disregard for our financial well-being cannot continue unchecked.

  Business response

  05/14/2024

  The following response was sent directly to *********************** on May 14, 2024:  

  Good Afternoon ******,
  
  As your mortgage servicer, the services we provide are regulated on federal, state and investor levels.  The administration and maintenance of mortgage escrow accounts is one of the most highly audited aspects of the servicing process. Gateways escrow policies are compliant with the *********** Procedures Act (RESPA) and its implementing Regulation X. Please refer to 12 CFR ******* for more information.
  
  Gateway received and paid invoices from each of the following taxing jurisdictions below:
  
  $2,801.53 Harris County MUD on December 15, 2023
  $4,376.70 Spring ISD on November 28, 2023
  $2,985.85 Harris County-Tax Collector December 2, 2023
  
  We understand that there was a pending application being reviewed for Veterans and Homestead exemptions, however, it appears that these exemptions had not been fully processed at the time these bills were sent.Under federal law, Gateway must pay tax and insurance obligations in a timely manner. At the end of 2023, the escrow account balance was insufficient to cover the amount of taxes paid out. Gateway essentially fronted the remainder of the funds to ensure that taxes were paid in full to avoid potential late fees or penalties. Adjustments to the billing amounts we received were processed when the collectors applied the funds to your account on the assessors side. Spring ISD is the only entity that returned funds directly back to Gateway, resulting in $2,773.56 being applied back to the escrow account. After reviewing the notes on your account, it is evident that you received the other two refunds directly. Although you are not obligated to submit these funds, the existing deficiency will remain until paid. Once the shortage has been made whole, a new analysis may be requested, and the overall payment will go down due to the escrow adjustment. Please see page 2 of the attached escrow analysis for details.  Any further dispute concerning the billing of 2023 taxes should be taken directly to the respective jurisdiction.There are no missing or unaccounted funds to be collected, to reiterate, the following refunds have been issued:
  
  Harris County MUD adjusted bill $1,623.35; REFUND $1,178.18
  Spring ISD adjusted bill $1,603.14; REFUND CREDITED TO ESCROW $2,773.56
  Harris County-Tax Collectoradjusted bill $1,346.41; REFUND $1,639.44
  
  
  As far as the insurance on your home, Gateway would only pay policies which were provided by you or for which a renewal was received.According to our records, **************** received a call from you on June 26,2023 requesting payment for the $3,229.39 USAA insurance policy effective March 3, 2023 thru March 3, 2024. However, in February, Gateway received a renewal for **************************** (Lloyds/Progressive) in the amount of $1,489 extending the initial ASI policy paid by the seller at origination. ***** keep in mind that cancellation and notification of any existing policy is your responsibility.  
  
  Thank you for your patience while we researched your account. Please see the attached supporting documents for your review. Should you have any questions or concerns, simply reply to this email, or for immediate assistance, our **************** department at can be reached at ************** Monday-Friday 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM CT.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Consumer Advocacy and Response
  *********************
  Gateway First Bank
  244 South Gateway Place, Jenks, OK 74037-3448

• Initial Complaint

  04/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Due to uncontrollably life changing events in my life, I was faced with issues making monthly payments for mortgage starting September 2023. I applied for assistance with the Texas Homeowner Assistance program (case #******), which was approved and processed as of 02-15-2024 for ALL the past due amount, including fees. I spoke with a Gateway customer service representative to confirm payment and verify if any additional charges were due, which I was told no and the next monthly payment would be due on 04-01-2024. So on today I was attempting to pay the mortgage and learned that I was charged $30 for property inspection fees, when Gateway was made aware that the process with Texas Homeowner Assistance process was taking older than expected back in November 2023. Also I was charged late fee of $59.** for the month of ******************* 2023. The Gateway Representative told me today that late charges are not included in the information that is sent to program that assist and the property fee was added 02-05-2024 a couple days AFTER request was made to determine full amount needed to bring account current. He also asked did I have proof that I spoke with representative during the lengthy processing time, such as call log or recording and if not I could pay something on the fee and late charges each month until they have satisfied, which is ridiculous to me. I am not able to relocate and my mortgage outweighs my take home pay, so I will have to sacrifice other things such as meals and/or medical treatment to ensure my mortgage is paid. I suffer from Sjgren Syndrome with Interistial Lung Disease and Raynaud's Disease, so it makes it difficult to live.

  Business response

  04/18/2024

  Thursday, April 18, 2024
  
  Dear *******,
  
  You are receiving this email from Gateway First Bank ('Gateway'), regarding a recent complaint submitted to the Better Business Bureau. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns and value your feedback. Gateway's goal is to provide a great mortgage experience for our customers, and we apologize for any inconvenience you *** have experienced.
  
  Please note the following information regarding your loan:
  
  Gateway received notification an application for reinstatement assistance through ***** HAF on September 8, 2023.
  An approval for an unemployment forbearance was extended by Gateway in October 2023 effective November 1, 2023 thru January 1, 2024.
  No late fees are charged during the unemployment plan.
  At the conclusion of the forbearance Gateway sent a notice informing you of the status of the account and resumed the standard servicing protocol for delinquent loans including a property inspection that was completed on February 2, 2024.  
  A late fee in the amount of is $29.86 is charged for payments made after the grace ****** cutoff date. This fee was assessed for the September 2023 and October 2023 payments.
  The $30 property inspection fee was charged on February 5, 2024.  A copy of the forbearance agreement and associated monthly statements are attached for your records.
  
  Property inspections are necessary and required by the investor on your mortgage to determine a propertys occupancy status and ensure servicer implementation of required property protections. Property inspections after default and throughout the foreclosure process allow lenders to quickly identify vacant properties so they *** quickly take necessary steps to preserve and protect those properties as security for the mortgage and ensures surrounding neighborhoods are protected from conditions that *** arise from inadequately maintained unoccupied homes. Our records indicate that a Gateway representative spoke with you on March 28, 2024 and explained that the property inspection was ordered due to no contact with you over the course of the unemployment forbearance. Outstanding fees such as these, can be paid at any time.
  
  On February 15, 2024, Gateway received reinstatement funds in the amount of $11,439.89 to bring the loan current through the March 1, 2024 installment. The funds from Texas HAF were applied in accordance with the Texas Homeowner Assistance policy.  As your mortgage servicer Gateway is responsible for ensuring that your account is handled appropriately and within federal, state and investor guidelines. Based on those requirements, no errors were found during Compliances research of your account. Should you have any further questions or concerns, you *** contact our Consumer Advocacy and Response group at **********************************************************, for immediate assistance, our *************************** can be reached at ************** Monday-Friday 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM CT.
  
  Sincerely,
  Consumer Advocacy and Response
  *********************
  Gateway First Bank
  ************************************************* 74037-3448
  

  Customer response

  04/19/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:   if notice was given in September 2023 of my application with homeowners mortgage assistance, why would you not include the months of September and October 2023. I was in contact with Gateway call center during the long length process regarding my request for assistance. There was no need for any property checks,which would result in more charges/fees. I should not be held liable if the call center representative failed to notate the account or if the notation was not saved properly. 

  Business response

  04/25/2024

  As explained during a recent call (March 28, 2024) between ************** and a Gateway **************** Representative, late charges and the property inspection fee are not on ***'s list of payable items, so these charges were left out of the reinstatement quote. If ************** has documentation from the Texas *** program approval indicating otherwise, we would suggest it be forwarded directly to ******************************************************* for further review.  Additionally, Gateway must follow servicing guidance according to specific investor requirements. As a mortgage servicer, it is necessary for Gateway to implement certain actions related to delinquent accounts regardless of outstanding or pending arrangements that a homeowner may have until the loan is brought current. In this case, the property inspection was ordered before the *** funds were received due to no contact. Further, no errors or omissions of fact were found during Compliance's research of this complaint.
  

  Should you have any further questions or concerns, you may contact our Consumer Advocacy and Response group at *******************************************************. Or, for immediate assistance, our **************** department can be reached at ************** Monday-Friday 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM CT.
  
  Sincerely,
  Consumer Advocacy and Response
  *********************
  Gateway First Bank
  244 South Gateway Place, Jenks, OK 74037-3448
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On approximately 11/25/22 I attempted to make my monthly mortgage payment by phone using Gateway Mortgage's automated system. I waited more than a week for the transaction to process but, called on 12/06/2022 or 12/7/22 to inquire on if there was any issue with the transaction. The customer service agent stated she had no record of payment being made in 11/22. The only advice she gave was to call my bank.Then on 12/09/2022 I went to make the payment again and discovered they had added several new steps in order to complete a payment made via telephone on the automated system. Information on the addition of new steps needed was not announced on the automated system although I did speak to an agent shortly after making the payment and he stated several updates had been made to the automated payment system.Although I understand payment on my mortgage is ultimately my responsibly, I still feel Gateway Mortgage has a responsibility to it's customer to alert us of changes to their system that can make it more complicated to make a payment. I acted in good faith by making the payment the way I had always done in the past and even followed up on the payment with no initial information given to me that the process had changed. Thank you, ******* ***** # XXXXXXXXXX

  Business response

  02/23/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2023/02/08) */ Thank you for taking the time to contact Gateway Mortgage, a division of Gateway First Bank ("Gateway") regarding the loan of ******* *****. We appreciate the opportunity to respond. Please see the attached communication specifically addressing the Better Business Bureau complaint sent directly to Mr. ***** previously. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. You may contact the Compliance department directly at **********@gatewayfirst.com. Sincerely, Consumer Advocacy and Response Compliance Department Gateway First Bank

• Initial Complaint

  07/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This is our mortgage company and they have reported us late for April and June. I have reached out to them many times and requested to speak to manager with no response, i am always being told manager needs 2 days to get back to me. In April, payment was made on May 1 as i was in Europe and the time change, i have been asking for help with that being that we were never late, still have no resolution on that. Now in June they reported us late again, and i have screenshot that payment was made on June 30. It was not made in July, yet they are still saying i made payment in July 1. Their system and my emails i get from them clearly state payment was made June 30. I need the late payments removed from my account and my husband account. I spoke to many people and nobody knows, they all give different info. The person i just spoke to her name was Melissa employee id ***** We are struggling as my husband lost his job but still making payments and doing best that we can and for them to just report us as late so easily and have nobody to speak to is ridiculous., We worked very hard for our credit, for everything, so i am asking for late payments to be removed, as we are up to date and not late. I appreciate a resolution asap! Correct our credit reporting for April and June.

  Business response

  08/10/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/22) */ Thank you for taking the time to contact Gateway Mortgage, a division of Gateway First Bank ("Gateway") regarding the loan of ******* *******. We appreciate the opportunity to respond. Please see the attached communication specifically addressing the Better Business Bureau complaint sent directly to Ms. ******* concerning our research. Also attached is the response sent from a direct dispute recently received by our Credit Dispute department. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. You may contact the Compliance department directly at **********@gatewayfirst.com. Sincerely, Consumer Advocacy and Response Compliance Department Gateway First Bank 244 S. Gateway Place Jenks, OK 7403

• Initial Complaint

  07/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On June 2nd I reached out to gateway to obtain information on getting my private mortgage insurance removed, as my home has increased significantly in value and it should no longer be needed. I was told to send a request in writing which I did and received confirmation of receipt. I waited over a week and then followed up on the request, at which time they told me it was not received. I sent the request again including documentation of it being sent the first time. I was told it would be worked within 30 days of when it was originally sent. Today I received an email from them saying my mortgage was not yet seasoned for 2 years. I made the first payment in October of 2019 and have had automatic payments ever since so this makes no sense. I responded to their email and also called and was told I'd have to wait an additional 30 days for my question to be answered. I requested to speak with someone in leadership of the department and they would not put me in contact. I think they are purposely delaying these requests to prevent people from cancelling their pmi.

  Business response

  07/19/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/15) */ Thank you for taking the time to contact Gateway Mortgage, a division of Gateway First Bank ("Gateway") regarding the loan of ******** *******. We appreciate the opportunity to respond. Please see the attached communication sent directly to Mrs. *******. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. You may contact the Compliance department directly at **********@gatewayfirst.com. Sincerely, Consumer Advocacy and Response Compliance Department Gateway First Bank 244 S. Gateway Place Jenks, OK 74037 Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/07/19) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Information received and in process

• Initial Complaint

  04/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 3/25/22 I received an email from Gateway Mortgage Insurance Department stating I could have my house appraised and use that value to determine whether or not I could drop my mortgage insurance. Based on this information and a phone with their customer service department, I paid Gateway to have my house appraised. On 4/7/22 I received an email from Gateway stating could not use their appraised value. I would like Gateway to honor the information they provided me on 3/25/22 which promoted me to pay them to have my house appraised.

  Business response

  05/04/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/21) */ Gateway has provided a response to Mr. ******** directly. Please see the attached explanation. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/04/22) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) This is still inconsistent with the information I received on 3/25/22 which states exceptions to the 2 year rule.

• Initial Complaint

  12/07/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Obtained a home improvement loan for which Gateway was the lender. We pay $200 per month-the designated amount is $106. Every month we receive a letter from Gateway that our payment is insufficient. They are taking the additional $94 and putting it in an escrow account for the next payment. My husband has spoken with many people at the company with no results. The whole thing sounds like they are charging pre payment penalties, which should be illegal.

  Business response

  01/19/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2021/12/30) */ Thank you for providing this consumer complaint to Gateway. As the complainant is not the account holder of record, we have issued a mail response to the account holder directly as of 12/30/21.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩