Category: Life with Pratts

A couple of weeks ago, after paying off the mortgage on my late father’s house, I asked Quicken Loans to prove me wrong when I predicted they would issue the escrow settlement check in Dad’s name, rather than to the family Trust, with me as Trustee. But of course the check as delivered today was made out to my father, and there is no bank account in existence where it can deposited.

With the mortgage holder deceased, in the previous call I had suggested they look at the deed, as my attorney had re-filed it in April, naming me as Trustee. I was told they couldn’t see the deed to the property without paying a $25 fee to Maricopa County, AZ. I told them that was their problem, not mine.

When I called today to express my disappointment at not being proven wrong, I held the phone to my printer as it printed the deed information, including my name, on a publicly-accessible link, without a login or a fee being required. I offered to fax the sheet to them as proof, but they said that wasn’t necessary, as they knew a mistake had been made and a new check will be sent to me tomorrow.

This latest hassle was on top of a previous screw-up on their part, where they failed to notify me that the Proof of Trust Existence document I’d faxed way back in December wasn’t sufficient, and that they required the full original Trust. So I faxed it to them.

Today I repeated my assertion that all they really needed was to see the deed information for the parcel. The only positive aspect to all of this is they acknowledged I am right, and they screwed up. The “team leader,” whoever that is, has been blamed.

Years of problems like this one — for routine procedures that are far from unprecedented — are why I am known for being difficult and demanding when confronting incompetence. It also proves that I was right by insisting the mortgage be settled prior to closing on the sale of the house, which is not yet listed.

Precisely because the mortgage holder is deceased, I have been working with a Quicken Loans manager, by the way, and not a front-line phone rep. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to get in a dig by emphasizing that, “Remember when I said last time that I was hoping you wouldn’t be adding to my aggravation?”

Follow-up: The “manager” at Quicken Loans lied to me. She’s only a “specialist.”

I have been told by the Kia dealership in Peoria, Arizona that a check for $10,700 was mailed last Wednesday, and to call them if I haven’t received it by this Wednesday. I’ll do more than that. I’ll call my lawyer in Sun City West.

When you’re buying a car they won’t let you out the door until the money has been settled. But if they’re buying your car they make you leave the sales office not only without your car, but without your money. Funny how that works.

As I continue to wait for the money — payable not to me, but to the family trust — my late father’s car is, of course, available for sale at the dealership. They’ll make a hefty profit, assuming it sells for the asking price of $15,000. Look at that low, low mileage!