Carrington Home Solutions LP

March 23, 2015
[redacted]
RE: Address: [redacted] Complaint ID No.:...

[redacted]Dear Ms. [redacted]:The Customer Advocate Department of Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC ("CMS") is inreceipt of a complaint filed with the Revdex.com ("Revdex.com") received in our office viaemail on March 4, 2015. CMS is committed to responsible lending and servicing and we wouldlike to address any concerns you may have. The following is our response to the issue(s) raisedin the inquiry.
At the outset, please note that pursuant to contractual agreement between CMS and CarringtonHome Solutions ("CHS"), CHS is a vendor engaged to perform certain actions surrounding thefacilitation of property repair and property preservation on CMS 's behalf. Because your recentcorrespondence has been filed with CMS, CMS is responding on behalf of CHS and CMSjointly.
As we understand your complaint, you state that on February 12, 2015, the water service to yourmother's home located at [redacted] ("[redacted]) wasdisrupted. After consulting with a local plumber, you state that your mother was informed thatthe heat utility for the property located at 1[redacted] ("[redacted]"), which is the property directly beneath your mother's home, had been disconnectedwhich caused the water pipes located beneath your mother's home and above [redacted] tofreeze and burst.
You state that you were advised by a local plumber that in order to repair your mother's pipes,the heat utility in the property located beneath your mother's property would need to be turnedback on. Your complaint goes on to state that on February 14, 2015 you attempted to notifyCHS of the issue. You state that on February 17, 2015, a CHS representative returned your calland informed you that it would not be CHS's or CMS's responsibility to repair the damage toyour mother's broken water pipes; however, you were assured that a vendor would be sent to theproperty to repair the broken pipes.
You state that on February 17, 2015, CHS's plumbing vendor repaired your mother's brokenwater pipes and notified you that in order to avoid the pipes from bursting again, it would benecessary for the heat utility to be turned on in [redacted] On or about February 20, 2015,your mother's water pipes again froze and burst as the heat utility was not turned on in [redacted]. You state that your mother paid $1,100.00 to repair the damaged water pipes. Youare requesting that CMS reimburse your mother for the cost of the plumbing repairs and toapologize for the delay in having the heat utility turned on.
As a preliminary matter, CMS would like to reiterate that CMS is not the owner of the propertylocated at [redacted]. Because CMS is not the owner of record, it is not CMS'sresponsibility to maintain the property, or to ensure that any utility remains in service as it thesolely responsibility of the property owner to maintain the property at all times.
It is important to note that federal law prohibits CMS from disclosing any non-publicinformation concerning the owner of the property without receipt of written permission from theowner of the property to do so. With that restriction in mind, CMS will respond to all issuesraised within your complaint to the fullest extent possible.
A review of our records found that in early January 2015, CMS completed a winterization of [redacted] as the property was determined to be vacant and abandoned. When [redacted]was winterized, all the water pipes were drained and a pressure test was completed to ensure thatthe plumbing system held air pressure which provides evidence that the water pipes do not haveleaks. Once the pressure test was completed, a liquid solution was introduced into the waterpipes that prevented the pipes from freezing and the main water supply to [redacted] wasshut off.
While CMS is unable to determine the exact date that the water pipes that provided water serviceto your mother home froze and burst, CMS is able to confirm that you successfully contactedCHS on February 17, 2014. We would like to point out that while you may have attempted tocontact CHS on Saturday, February 14, 2015, CHS is closed on the weekends and was alsoclosed on Monday, February 16,2015 in observance of President's Day.
As you are aware, a representative with CHS initially spoke with you on February 17, 2015 at8:30am Pacific Standard Time ("PST"). During this phone conversation, you stated that yourmother, Ms. [redacted] who resided in unit 14 of the property referenced above as [redacted], experienced broken water pipes and was without water service. You explained thatMs. [redacted] contacted a local plumber who indicated that Ms. [redacted]'s water pipes that are locatedbeneath the floor of [redacted] and above the ceiling of [redacted] froze and burst.
The CHS representative informed you that because CMS is not the owner of record, it would notbe CMS's responsibility to maintain the property; however, you were advised that CHS wouldsend a vendor to the property as soon as possible to assess the situation and to determine if thepipes that burst belonged to [redacted]. The CHS representative agreed to contact you assoon as the results from the inspection were returned to CHS.
The same day at 10:40am PST, CHS received a call from a person who identified himself as[redacted] with the Lumberton, New Jersey Housing Office ("NJHO"). Mr. [redacted] alsonotified CHS of the issue surrounding the damaged water pipes that caused Ms. [redacted] to bewithout water service. Mr. [redacted] was informed that CHS was aware of the situation and thatCHS was actively communicating with you in an attempt to assist Ms. [redacted] in resolving theISSUe.
At 11:25am PST on February 17, 2015, you again contacted CHS and expressed your concernthat the vendor had not yet arrived to [redacted] to assess the damage to the water pipes.Although the CHS representative was unable to provide you with an exact time that the vendorwould be at the property, you were notified that the vendor was en route to the property at thattime. Shortly thereafter, CHS received approval from CMS to perform the necessary repairsrequired to preserve [redacted] in order to protect CMS' s security interest.
When the vendor was provided with instruction to begin any necessary repairs to preserve [redacted], the vendor advised that it would be in the best interest for all parties to check with theHomeowner's Association ("HOA'') prior to making any repairs as it is common that many HOArequire approval to complete the repairs. It is also common knowledge that most condominiumsare insured through a HOA Master Policy, and condominium owners are not generally requiredto carry their own insurance policies for their respective units.
Later that day at 2:45pm PST, you again contacted CHS and the CHS representative notified youthat a vendor had inspected [redacted]. The CHS representative informed you that CHS wasnotified by the vendor that the damaged water pipes belonged to Ms. [redacted] who occupied [redacted] and were located in the ceiling of [redacted]. It was also determined that thewater pipes that were previously winterized by CMS in January 2015 were not damaged in anyway. In fact, the damaged water pipes belonging to [redacted] caused extensive waterdamage to [redacted].
During this phone conversation, you were notified that CHS would voluntarily begin thenecessary actions required to repair Ms. [redacted]'s damaged water pipes in an effort to preserveCMS's interest in [redacted]. The CHS representative explained that the vendor wasscheduled to meet with a licensed plumber the following day to begin the repairs.
On February 18, 2015, you contacted CHS and requested a status of the repairs. The CHSrepresentative reiterated that the vendor and a licensed plumber were scheduled to arrive at [redacted] that same day to complete the repairs to [redacted]. Because you requested tospeak to a manager, you were referred to a [redacted], a CHS manager.
In speaking with Ms. [redacted], you confirmed that there were no prior issues associated with frozenor damaged water pipes within the two previous years, even though public records found that theheat utility to [redacted] was not in service during the prior two years. Ms. [redacted] advisedyou that, in an effort to assist Ms. [redacted], CHS had agreed to restore the heat utility service in[redacted]. Ms. [redacted] further advised, however, that it could take anywhere from two daysto two weeks to restore the heat utility depending on what information the utility providerrequired from CMS as a non-owner for the property.
That day at 12:28pm PST, CHS's vendor and a licensed plumber discovered a number of areaswithin Ms. [redacted]'s water pipes that sustained damage. At 2:45pm PST, the vendor notifiedCHS that he made contact with you and Ms. [redacted] who allowed him access to [redacted] forinspection of Ms. [redacted]'s residence.
At the same time CHS was on site, CHS received a call from a woman who identified herself as"Sherita", who claimed that she was your niece and the granddaughter of Ms. [redacted]. The callerdid not provide CHS with her last name. The caller claimed that CHS 's stance regarding theresponsibility to repair Ms. [redacted]'s damaged water pipes was untruthful and threatened tocontact an attorney and to sue CHS and CMS. After these statements were made, the CHSrepresentative informed the caller that a vendor was at [redacted] at that very moment.
The caller was then transferred to Ms. [redacted]. During this conversation, the caller began toverbally abuse Ms. [redacted], demanded to know Ms. [redacted]'s location, and also claimed Ms. [redacted]did not answer calls. Ms. [redacted] informed the caller that, as a manager, Ms. [redacted] is occasionallyunavailable to answer calls as she had attended several meetings over the prior two days. Afterdemanding that Ms. [redacted] personally contact you, the caller abruptly terminated the call. CHSthen proceeded with the necessary actions required to have the heat utility turned on within [redacted].
Although CHS was not contacted by you on February 19, 2015, CHS was notified on February23, 2015 that the repaired water pipes for [redacted] had frozen and burst a second timesometime over the previous weekend. Apparently, although the vendor and the licensed plumberhad protected the water pipes by wrapping the pipes with insulation material, the pipes burstagain as a result of the abnormally frigid temperatures and due to the fact that the heat utilityservice was not yet restored.
CMS is able to confirm that on February 25, 2015, a CHS vendor and a licensed plumber weresent to [redacted] and completed all necessary repairs that day. The [redacted] waterpipes were thawed, the damaged pipes were repaired, the repaired water pipes were againwrapped with insulation material, moldy insulation was removed, and the vendor confirmed thatthe heat utility service was restored to [redacted] prior to the conclusion of the repair call.
In response to your request for a reimbursement of the $1,100.00 that you claim was paid by Ms.[redacted] for the plumbing repairs, CMS must respectfully decline your request. CMS is uncertainhow Ms. [redacted] may have incurred such cost when CHS's vendor and licensed plumber repairedthe damaged pipes on two separate occasions. Regardless, the fact that CHS and CMS havetaken the necessary actions to ensure the damaged water pipes were repaired, the water servicewas restored to [redacted], and that the heat utility service for [redacted] was alsorestored, does not in any way imply that CHS or CMS is responsible for the damage caused byburst pipes in a property that CMS does not own.
Based on the foregoing, we believe the record is clear that CMS and CHS have properly andpromptly responded to your efforts to assist Ms. [redacted] is having the water service restored to1 04 [redacted]. It is also clear that while CMS was not responsible or required to complete therepairs to [redacted], and is also not responsible to restore the heat utility service for [redacted] although these actions were undertaken voluntarily by CMS and by CHS withoutadmission of fault or liability, and solely to demonstrate our dedication to the well-being of thecommumnes we serve. Should you wish to further discuss any aspect of the efforts CMS andCHS have made in responding to the issues you have raised, we encourage you to contact [redacted] within CMS' s Property Preservation Department at (949) 517-6783 for further assistance.
We trust that this communication addresses all of the concerns noted in the complaint. If youhave any further questions, please contact the undersigned at (866) 874-5017, Monday throughFriday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Eastern Time.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Advocate
 
CC: The Revdex.com

Review: On 2/12/15 my mother water stopped working. Through the use of a plumber named [redacted]), we found out that the problem was the unit underneath her condo. It has been in foreclosure for years, and since the heat was turned off, my mother's pipes froze and burst. In order to fix the pipes, the heat would have to be turned back on. I called Carrington from 2/14/15 to 2/16/15. I did not receive contact from them until 2/17/15. I spoke with [redacted] (866-847-[redacted]) who insisted that it was my mother's responsibility to fix the pipes. But assured me that someone would come out and fix it anyway, but the heat would not be turned on. On 2/18/15 I called [redacted] to ask when someone would be out to fix the pipes in their unit. He was very unpleasant and insisted that he could not get into the unit without permission from the HOA (Danmar 856-727-0365). The HOA insisted they had nothing to do with it and that Carrington did not need their permission for anything. After contacting the health department, the manager of Carrington ([redacted]) was contacted by them and informed that they needed to keep the heat on in order to keep my mother's pipes from freezing. Hours later a crew of plumbers showed up and fixed the pipes, but told me that they would only freeze and burst again if the heat was not turned on. I called and informed [redacted] and she told me the heat would be on no later than that Friday (2/20/15). The plumbing crew's manager informed me that my mother was the victim in this situation and not to pay a cent. On 2/20/15 no one ever came to turn on the heat, and like the plumbers said the pipes burst again and my mother had no water. I called [redacted] and told her. She said she'd call me back but I never heard from her again. I called a construction official (Bradley [redacted]) who called Carrington and insisted the heat needed to be turned on. I finally emailed Carrington on 2/21/15 informing them of situation and concern about mold in summer.Desired Settlement: Carrington throughout this ordeal has insisted that this the repair of the pipes is my mother's responsibility. My mother went without water for ten days because they refused to turn the heat on after numerous professionals insisted that this needed to be done in order to rectify the situation. My mother was forced to pay a plumber $1100 dollars to repair damage that was done due to Carrington's negligence and continued negligence throughout the entire ordeal. I was ignored, disrespected, and dismissed on many different occasions by the employees at Carrington. And finally, on 2/24/15 they came and turned the heat on in the unit. And on 2/25/15 sent someone out for the second time to fix the burst pipes. I would like Carrington to reimburse my mother the $1100 she had to pay the plumber, and pay for the repairs made to the pipes that were damaged due to their negligence. And also apologize for not turning the heat on sooner when professionals kept insisting that they should.

Business

Response:

March 23, 2015[redacted] RE: Address: [redacted] Complaint ID No.: [redacted]Dear Ms. [redacted]:The Customer Advocate Department of Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC ("CMS") is inreceipt of a complaint filed with the Revdex.com ("Revdex.com") received in our office viaemail on March 4, 2015. CMS is committed to responsible lending and servicing and we wouldlike to address any concerns you may have. The following is our response to the issue(s) raisedin the inquiry.At the outset, please note that pursuant to contractual agreement between CMS and CarringtonHome Solutions ("CHS"), CHS is a vendor engaged to perform certain actions surrounding thefacilitation of property repair and property preservation on CMS 's behalf. Because your recentcorrespondence has been filed with CMS, CMS is responding on behalf of CHS and CMSjointly.As we understand your complaint, you state that on February 12, 2015, the water service to yourmother's home located at [redacted] ("[redacted]) wasdisrupted. After consulting with a local plumber, you state that your mother was informed thatthe heat utility for the property located at 1[redacted] ("[redacted]"), which is the property directly beneath your mother's home, had been disconnectedwhich caused the water pipes located beneath your mother's home and above [redacted] tofreeze and burst.You state that you were advised by a local plumber that in order to repair your mother's pipes,the heat utility in the property located beneath your mother's property would need to be turnedback on. Your complaint goes on to state that on February 14, 2015 you attempted to notifyCHS of the issue. You state that on February 17, 2015, a CHS representative returned your calland informed you that it would not be CHS's or CMS's responsibility to repair the damage toyour mother's broken water pipes; however, you were assured that a vendor would be sent to theproperty to repair the broken pipes.You state that on February 17, 2015, CHS's plumbing vendor repaired your mother's brokenwater pipes and notified you that in order to avoid the pipes from bursting again, it would benecessary for the heat utility to be turned on in [redacted] On or about February 20, 2015,your mother's water pipes again froze and burst as the heat utility was not turned on in [redacted]. You state that your mother paid $1,100.00 to repair the damaged water pipes. Youare requesting that CMS reimburse your mother for the cost of the plumbing repairs and toapologize for the delay in having the heat utility turned on.As a preliminary matter, CMS would like to reiterate that CMS is not the owner of the propertylocated at [redacted]. Because CMS is not the owner of record, it is not CMS'sresponsibility to maintain the property, or to ensure that any utility remains in service as it thesolely responsibility of the property owner to maintain the property at all times.It is important to note that federal law prohibits CMS from disclosing any non-publicinformation concerning the owner of the property without receipt of written permission from theowner of the property to do so. With that restriction in mind, CMS will respond to all issuesraised within your complaint to the fullest extent possible.A review of our records found that in early January 2015, CMS completed a winterization of [redacted] as the property was determined to be vacant and abandoned. When [redacted]was winterized, all the water pipes were drained and a pressure test was completed to ensure thatthe plumbing system held air pressure which provides evidence that the water pipes do not haveleaks. Once the pressure test was completed, a liquid solution was introduced into the waterpipes that prevented the pipes from freezing and the main water supply to [redacted] wasshut off.While CMS is unable to determine the exact date that the water pipes that provided water serviceto your mother home froze and burst, CMS is able to confirm that you successfully contactedCHS on February 17, 2014. We would like to point out that while you may have attempted tocontact CHS on Saturday, February 14, 2015, CHS is closed on the weekends and was alsoclosed on Monday, February 16,2015 in observance of President's Day.As you are aware, a representative with CHS initially spoke with you on February 17, 2015 at8:30am Pacific Standard Time ("PST"). During this phone conversation, you stated that yourmother, Ms. [redacted] who resided in unit 14 of the property referenced above as [redacted], experienced broken water pipes and was without water service. You explained thatMs. [redacted] contacted a local plumber who indicated that Ms. [redacted]'s water pipes that are locatedbeneath the floor of [redacted] and above the ceiling of [redacted] froze and burst.The CHS representative informed you that because CMS is not the owner of record, it would notbe CMS's responsibility to maintain the property; however, you were advised that CHS wouldsend a vendor to the property as soon as possible to assess the situation and to determine if thepipes that burst belonged to [redacted]. The CHS representative agreed to contact you assoon as the results from the inspection were returned to CHS.The same day at 10:40am PST, CHS received a call from a person who identified himself as[redacted] with the Lumberton, New Jersey Housing Office ("NJHO"). Mr. [redacted] alsonotified CHS of the issue surrounding the damaged water pipes that caused Ms. [redacted] to bewithout water service. Mr. [redacted] was informed that CHS was aware of the situation and thatCHS was actively communicating with you in an attempt to assist Ms. [redacted] in resolving theISSUe.At 11:25am PST on February 17, 2015, you again contacted CHS and expressed your concernthat the vendor had not yet arrived to [redacted] to assess the damage to the water pipes.Although the CHS representative was unable to provide you with an exact time that the vendorwould be at the property, you were notified that the vendor was en route to the property at thattime. Shortly thereafter, CHS received approval from CMS to perform the necessary repairsrequired to preserve [redacted] in order to protect CMS' s security interest.When the vendor was provided with instruction to begin any necessary repairs to preserve [redacted], the vendor advised that it would be in the best interest for all parties to check with theHomeowner's Association ("HOA'') prior to making any repairs as it is common that many HOArequire approval to complete the repairs. It is also common knowledge that most condominiumsare insured through a HOA Master Policy, and condominium owners are not generally requiredto carry their own insurance policies for their respective units.Later that day at 2:45pm PST, you again contacted CHS and the CHS representative notified youthat a vendor had inspected [redacted]. The CHS representative informed you that CHS wasnotified by the vendor that the damaged water pipes belonged to Ms. [redacted] who occupied [redacted] and were located in the ceiling of [redacted]. It was also determined that thewater pipes that were previously winterized by CMS in January 2015 were not damaged in anyway. In fact, the damaged water pipes belonging to [redacted] caused extensive waterdamage to [redacted].During this phone conversation, you were notified that CHS would voluntarily begin thenecessary actions required to repair Ms. [redacted]'s damaged water pipes in an effort to preserveCMS's interest in [redacted]. The CHS representative explained that the vendor wasscheduled to meet with a licensed plumber the following day to begin the repairs.On February 18, 2015, you contacted CHS and requested a status of the repairs. The CHSrepresentative reiterated that the vendor and a licensed plumber were scheduled to arrive at [redacted] that same day to complete the repairs to [redacted]. Because you requested tospeak to a manager, you were referred to a [redacted], a CHS manager.In speaking with Ms. [redacted], you confirmed that there were no prior issues associated with frozenor damaged water pipes within the two previous years, even though public records found that theheat utility to [redacted] was not in service during the prior two years. Ms. [redacted] advisedyou that, in an effort to assist Ms. [redacted], CHS had agreed to restore the heat utility service in[redacted]. Ms. [redacted] further advised, however, that it could take anywhere from two daysto two weeks to restore the heat utility depending on what information the utility providerrequired from CMS as a non-owner for the property.That day at 12:28pm PST, CHS's vendor and a licensed plumber discovered a number of areaswithin Ms. [redacted]'s water pipes that sustained damage. At 2:45pm PST, the vendor notifiedCHS that he made contact with you and Ms. [redacted] who allowed him access to [redacted] forinspection of Ms. [redacted]'s residence.At the same time CHS was on site, CHS received a call from a woman who identified herself as"Sherita", who claimed that she was your niece and the granddaughter of Ms. [redacted]. The callerdid not provide CHS with her last name. The caller claimed that CHS 's stance regarding theresponsibility to repair Ms. [redacted]'s damaged water pipes was untruthful and threatened tocontact an attorney and to sue CHS and CMS. After these statements were made, the CHSrepresentative informed the caller that a vendor was at [redacted] at that very moment.The caller was then transferred to Ms. [redacted]. During this conversation, the caller began toverbally abuse Ms. [redacted], demanded to know Ms. [redacted]'s location, and also claimed Ms. [redacted]did not answer calls. Ms. [redacted] informed the caller that, as a manager, Ms. [redacted] is occasionallyunavailable to answer calls as she had attended several meetings over the prior two days. Afterdemanding that Ms. [redacted] personally contact you, the caller abruptly terminated the call. CHSthen proceeded with the necessary actions required to have the heat utility turned on within [redacted].Although CHS was not contacted by you on February 19, 2015, CHS was notified on February23, 2015 that the repaired water pipes for [redacted] had frozen and burst a second timesometime over the previous weekend. Apparently, although the vendor and the licensed plumberhad protected the water pipes by wrapping the pipes with insulation material, the pipes burstagain as a result of the abnormally frigid temperatures and due to the fact that the heat utilityservice was not yet restored.CMS is able to confirm that on February 25, 2015, a CHS vendor and a licensed plumber weresent to [redacted] and completed all necessary repairs that day. The [redacted] waterpipes were thawed, the damaged pipes were repaired, the repaired water pipes were againwrapped with insulation material, moldy insulation was removed, and the vendor confirmed thatthe heat utility service was restored to [redacted] prior to the conclusion of the repair call.In response to your request for a reimbursement of the $1,100.00 that you claim was paid by Ms.[redacted] for the plumbing repairs, CMS must respectfully decline your request. CMS is uncertainhow Ms. [redacted] may have incurred such cost when CHS's vendor and licensed plumber repairedthe damaged pipes on two separate occasions. Regardless, the fact that CHS and CMS havetaken the necessary actions to ensure the damaged water pipes were repaired, the water servicewas restored to [redacted], and that the heat utility service for [redacted] was alsorestored, does not in any way imply that CHS or CMS is responsible for the damage caused byburst pipes in a property that CMS does not own.Based on the foregoing, we believe the record is clear that CMS and CHS have properly andpromptly responded to your efforts to assist Ms. [redacted] is having the water service restored to1 04 [redacted]. It is also clear that while CMS was not responsible or required to complete therepairs to [redacted], and is also not responsible to restore the heat utility service for [redacted] although these actions were undertaken voluntarily by CMS and by CHS withoutadmission of fault or liability, and solely to demonstrate our dedication to the well-being of thecommumnes we serve. Should you wish to further discuss any aspect of the efforts CMS andCHS have made in responding to the issues you have raised, we encourage you to contact [redacted] within CMS' s Property Preservation Department at (949) 517-6783 for further assistance.We trust that this communication addresses all of the concerns noted in the complaint. If youhave any further questions, please contact the undersigned at (866) 874-5017, Monday throughFriday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Eastern Time.Sincerely,[redacted]Customer Advocate CC: The Revdex.com