Multi mistakes from Title company starting to distrust

[Anonymous]

I have had a weird week with the title company my lender is working with on my refi.

Earlier in the week my loan cordinator called me to ask about the water bill. Title told her it was past due. She needed to check because she would have to pay it at closing if it was. This is a 3 month bill. It is not I paid it over 6 weeks ago. I logged in to my account and it showed a zero balance. My loan cordinator had me eamil it to her. 

She then said she needed to go over the numbers title was showing for closing since they were higher. 

Later that night she sent me a new est of closing costs. She is on the west coast so it came in the middle of the night. 

The transfer tax had changed from a little over 400 to 6k. This is a refi. I am also removing my ex partner aka we were never married.

So I called the county and explained everything about the file to get the actual transfer taxes due on closing of the refi. 

In my county you only pay state taxes on the difference of new money on a house (meaning above what you owe so closing costs and cash out). You don't pay county taxes on a refi. She explained that amount. 

Then we discussed removing my unmarried ex for that I have to pay county and state transfer taxes on 50% of the existing balance. This is because he is not a relative. 

I have to pay both state and county taxes. For state it is a $ per thousand and county a percentage. 

the total wasn't $400 and wasn't anywhere near $6100 on my closing est. It was a little over 2k. She even said I don't know where they could have gotten 6k even if it was a new purchase the total would have been like $4800. 

I followed up in email to the county office who deals with the transfer taxes explaining all of the details and all of the numbers. She emailed me back the numbers (with the math) and CC another team member.

I sent this on to my loan cordinator. She went back to title who was insisting I was wrong but finally called the county.

Now here is the thing they came off of the 6100 but down to just under 3. Which would be the amount if I paid the county tax on the new money which I am exempt from since it is a refi). The loan cord called and explained it to me. I explained that they were still wrong and resent the detailed email from the county with all the numbers in it. It is a difference of like $600.

Here is the thing I am seriously beginning to not trust title. Is this likely just someone who isn't very good at the details or is it possible they are skimming on closings?

This is the last thing that is needed to send the file in for final closing.

Just seems odd that they have had multi mistakes in a few days that would have me paying more than needed. With the water bill it was like $150, then the 6K transfer tax, and now $600 transfer tax. 

[StartingOver10]

Who chose the title company?  Are they local (your state) or somewhere else?

I agree with you. A mistake or two at the title company is not unusual, but those two particular mistakes are huge and not the typical mistake I see normally when reviewing figures for closing. I will say that the person working on your file sounds like a noob. It could be a simple matter that s/he isn't trained well. However,  if it were my refi, I would change title companies. Why reward sloppyness?  JMO

PS

One more thing:  in my area it is typical for you to get a discount on title work if you refi within 3 years of the purchase. I think this is widespread (across the US). So if you purchased within 3 years and you are refinancing now - check to see what your discount would be.

[IOBA]

I had multiple problems with the title company (I was the seller and this was the buyer's title company).  My agent told me there should be no problems...but there were MANY problems and all were financial.  I didn't have a choice but to use them due to some misinformation from my agent.  In the end, I had to eat several hundred dollars in lies.

My lesson learned - ALWAYS use my title company, never the other guy's.

The advice to change to title company sounds good.  What did you decide to do?

[Anonymous]

I am closing on thursday. I have been under some deadline to get this finished so I can't start over. What I did do is go strait to the county and state to calculate the taxes. Basically, I have verified every line on the title company and pushed my lender on it. So I am just not taking them on face value and and confirming all the line items. I also plan to verify what is paid to the state and county to confirm it matches. 

Mainly somehow it seems to really through them for a loop in dealing with removing a nonrealitive from title. AKA my ex and I where never married but bought this house together in 2003. I have had it alone since 2007 but he has still been on tittle and the mortgage. I know that buying a propoerty with a nonspouse isn't that uncommon but you would think my title company has never seen it before. It has made for a lot of mistakes and WAY more complex than is needed. In the end I am heving to pay an extra $2500 in county and state taxes since they require transfer tax 50% of the remaining balance since he isn't a relative or ex relative. 

I keep reminding myself a divorce would have obeen more expensive :-) 

I mainly just need this done this week and glad I am in the home stretch (have clear to close, signed closing discloser, signing docs on thurs, funds on monday)