Response:Good Afternoon- this email came into me a week ago as we try to review anything that is happening in the offices- [redacted] from our office sent the email to me in an effort to give her side of the story. Please read the email following: This is the file that [redacted] spoke to you about where...
we were told by Trenton Water that a prior bill was a lienable item and so we collected and paid at closing. When I called to schedule the final reading, I was told at that point it was lienable because of the recent changes that Trenton Water made that all properties serviced by Trenton Water are now subject to liens not just City of Trenton Properties. The day before closing the realtor for the seller called and asked me to check again because they were told it was not lienable. I called Trenton Water again and a 2nd person told me yes it was lienable. At the closing seller had [redacted] call me about it and I advised [redacted] that 2 different people at Trenton Water said we had to pay it and he said he advised Mr. [redacted] that we had to pay it. He called a couple weeks after closing and said he was told by Trenton Water that the bill was not lienable. I asked who he spoke with and he said he couldn't remember. I told him at that point that the check had already been cashed by Trenton Water but I would call and ask for a supervisor to call me and see what was going on. I called numerous times and finally spoke with Diana and she said she would check with her supervisor about the bill. She finally got back to me about 10 days ago and said her supervisor said that bill would not have fallen under the new regulations for lienable bills but nothing they will do since the bill was paid. [redacted] spoke with Mr. [redacted] on Thursday or Friday and explained our position but he wanted to speak with me. I spoke with him again today and now he is claiming I told him that we would refund the funds to him if we found out the bill was not lienable but I did not tell him that. I told him that he should go back to the prior title company that did not collect the money from when he bought the property because they should have paid the bill at closing. It was Mercer Title and they called and got the final bill amount. All they collected at closing was a meter charge for $50. Trenton Water confirmed that Mercer Title called and requested the final bill. As I've tried to explain to him that as the title company I had to make sure that the bill was paid at closing because I was told by 2 people at Trenton Water it was lienable and it could have compromised the new owner. Our position is that he was the owner of the property and responsible for the bill and Trenton Water said the same thing to me when I spoke with them this past Friday. Of course he feels he has been cheated out of $956.89 but I did what I was supposed to do based on the information I was provided. email by [redacted] to [redacted]- The seller signed the closing statement and at the table did agree and sign for the outstanding bill to be paid. Foundation Title is not in the habit of avoiding final utility bills that are due. Foundation Title always calls the utility companies for final outstanding invoices. [redacted] acted in good faith. I believe that we must take the position that this is now out of our hands and the outstanding balance has been satisfied. I know that the utility company would have eventually caught up with the seller for the balance. I look for the response from Revdex.com- I believe Revdex.com would have wanted the title company and the seller to pay outstanding invoices. Sincerely, [redacted] General Manager, Foundation Title, LLC [redacted]
Response:Good Afternoon- this email came into me a week ago as we try to review anything that is happening in the offices- [redacted] from our office sent the email to me in an effort to give her side of the story. Please read the email following: This is the file that [redacted] spoke to you about where...
we were told by Trenton Water that a prior bill was a lienable item and so we collected and paid at closing. When I called to schedule the final reading, I was told at that point it was lienable because of the recent changes that Trenton Water made that all properties serviced by Trenton Water are now subject to liens not just City of Trenton Properties. The day before closing the realtor for the seller called and asked me to check again because they were told it was not lienable. I called Trenton Water again and a 2nd person told me yes it was lienable. At the closing seller had [redacted] call me about it and I advised [redacted] that 2 different people at Trenton Water said we had to pay it and he said he advised Mr. [redacted] that we had to pay it. He called a couple weeks after closing and said he was told by Trenton Water that the bill was not lienable. I asked who he spoke with and he said he couldn't remember. I told him at that point that the check had already been cashed by Trenton Water but I would call and ask for a supervisor to call me and see what was going on. I called numerous times and finally spoke with Diana and she said she would check with her supervisor about the bill. She finally got back to me about 10 days ago and said her supervisor said that bill would not have fallen under the new regulations for lienable bills but nothing they will do since the bill was paid. [redacted] spoke with Mr. [redacted] on Thursday or Friday and explained our position but he wanted to speak with me. I spoke with him again today and now he is claiming I told him that we would refund the funds to him if we found out the bill was not lienable but I did not tell him that. I told him that he should go back to the prior title company that did not collect the money from when he bought the property because they should have paid the bill at closing. It was Mercer Title and they called and got the final bill amount. All they collected at closing was a meter charge for $50. Trenton Water confirmed that Mercer Title called and requested the final bill. As I've tried to explain to him that as the title company I had to make sure that the bill was paid at closing because I was told by 2 people at Trenton Water it was lienable and it could have compromised the new owner. Our position is that he was the owner of the property and responsible for the bill and Trenton Water said the same thing to me when I spoke with them this past Friday. Of course he feels he has been cheated out of $956.89 but I did what I was supposed to do based on the information I was provided. email by [redacted] to [redacted]- The seller signed the closing statement and at the table did agree and sign for the outstanding bill to be paid. Foundation Title is not in the habit of avoiding final utility bills that are due. Foundation Title always calls the utility companies for final outstanding invoices. [redacted] acted in good faith. I believe that we must take the position that this is now out of our hands and the outstanding balance has been satisfied. I know that the utility company would have eventually caught up with the seller for the balance. I look for the response from Revdex.com- I believe Revdex.com would have wanted the title company and the seller to pay outstanding invoices. Sincerely, [redacted] General Manager, Foundation Title, LLC [redacted]