Best Way to Remove "Account In Dispute" for Mortgage Loan

[Wovenyarn]

When do the dispute comments go on to the credit report?  Is it when you file the initial dispute or after the 30 days has passed and the account was sustained but dispute remarks are added?

[tgrantly]

Both.  Sometimes even when an investigation is completed and updated, the comments remain.

[mwv813]

Did Equifax change their policy on this?

I'm now told I cannot speak to the Executive Consumer Service Department and instead am redirected to a voicemail where I am told they will call back within 72 hours.

anyone else have a better number?

[mwv813]

I did get a call back already and she was able to instantly remove the disputes for me.  

[aasmith73]

Are there any new ways to do this?

The phone numbers on this thread don;t work anymore

[mwv813]

which phone numbers?  I just called and they all do work, though the Experian one is not answered by a live person, I got a call tree.

Try these:

Equifax: 1-866-238-8067 or 404-885-8300

TU: 1-800-680-7289

EX: 714-830-7000

[Anonymous]

This information was VERY useful! All numbers definitely work and so does this process. It saved me $275.00 my broker referral was trying to charge me to have all my disputes removed and accounts updated. 

TU - I left a message on the TU number listed and I received a call back within 2hrs from a Chicago number telling me to call 800.916.8800 to have my request handled. First rep handled my request but he told me it would take up to 30 days. I asked for the Special Handling Department and by the time I got there, rep told me no disputes were listed. He sent me a copy of the report he was reviewing but I was inpatient to wait for the mail. So I pulled my credit the following day and all disputes removed.

EXP - Requested the same, rep told me to also notified the creditor to remove the narratives and that it could take up to 5 days. Later in the day, I decided to access Experian online dispute system with an a report number I received earlier in the month. The rep opened a new dispute to remove the dispute comments. I called back to Experian and asked for the National Consumer Assistance Center, explained to the rep that I didnt want to open any new disputes. He verified that I agree with each account and removed the disputes immediately. 

EQ - The easiest to deal with. Requested the Executive Consumer Service Department transferred immediately and the request was handled immediately. I was able to verify dispute removals by utilizing the online dispute site. Logging in and act as if I'm starting a dispute but just viewing each account to see if it shows a "dispute status". Nothing there!

Bad news - my scores did drop with TU/EXP but increased with EQ. Hoping the TU/Exp scores will restore over the next week or so being that my issue was having the balances updated. Hoping the balance will update at some point during the house search or I will bite the dust during UW to pay have the last 2 balances updated and the collections account deleted as creditor approved. Be patient during this process and don't be afraid to escalate or try the call again. 

Many thanks to everyone involved and it was well worth the 19pg read!

[Anonymous]

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[aasmith73]

I received a report reflecting that the results of my dispute was closed on 2/4/16 for themy NCAC accts:

On 2/6/16, I requested to remove the AID codes via telephone from the NCAC accounts, I was required to state that I was no longer disputing the account, I agreed to the charges and the request to remove the remarks was supposed to be processed.

When my lender pulled by report on 2/11/16, the remarks remained. I contacted Experian and was told that their policy states that if a dispute occurred in the last 6 months, the creditor has to remove the remarks. I argued that I initiated the dispute and if I say that I am no longer disputing it, the remarks should be removed immediately. It is a CONSUMER STATEMENT, NOT A CREDITOR STATEMENT. I contacted NCAC spoke to them about this and called EXPERIAN back.  THEY were directly told by Kathryn at NCAC on 2/12/16 that this is a consumer statement not placed by the creditor, the disputes are initiated by the consumer and NCAC WILL NOT respond to EXPERIAN request. Thus, I revised my consumer statement to add “DISPUTE HAS BEEN RESOLVED.” Unbeknownst to me, THESE comments in particular are HIDDEN from from lenders when credit reports are pulled.

On 2/22/16, both my mortgage broker and I participated in a conference call with an Experian representative to discuss your contention not to remove the dispute remarks from the accounts and the reason why the consumer statement that I added was not visible. We were told by Experian that the consumer statement “the system just doesn’t show it” with no specific reason as to why.  I also requested a copy of this policy or if I could find this information on the website, but I was told that they do not provide company policies to consumers. My mortgage broker is also a witness to the Experian representative stating that they will stand by your policy that the creditor must remove the dispute comments on the basis that “the creditor pays Experian, but the consumer does not.”

After this discussion, my mortgage broker advised me to expand my consumer statement.  On 2/29/16, I revised my consumer statement again to state:

“CONSUMER DOES NOT DISPUTE ACCT CREDITOR WILL NOT REMOVE DISPUTE COMMENTS EXPERIAN WILL NOT REMOVE DISPUTE COMMENT WITHOUT CREDITOR PERMISSION.”  

Each time I spoke to EXPERIAN I was told that they would not provide me with a confirmation number for my request but I would receive something in the mail. I never received anything! My only reference point was the report number from your response to the dispute that was closed on 2/4/16 stating that the account would remain on my report. Luckily, I do have a record each time I viewed my report on the website which directly corresponds to each time I discussed this issue with them.

Due to Experian’s DELIBERATE refusal to remove the “account in dispute” remarks from the accounts on my credit file, I am facing denial of my home loan. 

Please note that I have already filed a complaint with the Consumer Protection Bureau and the Texas Attorney General

EXPERIAN said they will respond in 60 days.

WHAT DO I DO??????

[Anonymous]

Shane, thank you so MUCH for posting the exceptions to a manual downgrade for a FHA processing.

My question is, for Conventional Loan processing, what if the accounts are paid in full (old car loans long since paid off), but there are comments "Customer disputes after Resolution?"

Will these comments dictate a downgrade to manual underwriting?

Thanks in advance!