After nearly 10 years, this has become family nightmare created by Amcore Bank that just won't end. They have my car, my cash (paid in full plus $6k) and now my credit - which continues to cost me an extra $250/month on my mortgage payment due to how they effected my credit. Hopefully I can find an attorney that can help me. At the very least I will personally file suit against them and hope to prevail. Others - beware before doing business with Amcore!
We purchased a vehicle for roughly $22k in 1999, with a $5k down payment and accelerated payments of $500/mo for 3 years. We experienced a serious tax liability and health issues around 2001-2, and our income wasn't enough to meet all obligations. We fell behind with some creditors - but all worked with us until we caught up, and we did. It took a couple years but we returned to our usual state of being credit worthy and financially stable. And then there's Amcore.
During our crisses, our Amcore loan was extended 3 months beyond the original term - and all 36 installments, plus late charges, were paid. We were given a letter explaining the loan was paid and were told to expect the title shortly. Weeks and months passed but still no title. I finally pressed them for it, at which time they eventually came back and stated that I owed them $1600 because I had let my insurance lapse. I did, and asked them for proof they placed insurance. They stated they did not have to show proof they had placed insurance (and it turns out in a replevin hearning, could never provide such proof) and I would reimburse their costs. They refused, instead decided to charge me $1600! I refused to pay until proof was provided and I demanded the title. They refused and trumped up late charges on the $1600 to $3100. I continued to refuse and they issued a replevin against me to cover new costs now - and raised the balance to over $5000. I have been told the judge made a bad decision to issue the replevin and I should have appealed. Nonetheless, I returned the vehicle with still low mileage and in good condition. They sold it at auction for $3000. They then reported to my credit bureau that the account was a charge-off and sent me a bill for $3000. I complained and argued with everyone I could find about this treatment. I needed to purchase a house and agreed to pay them another $3000 if they would correct the inaccurate credit (charge-off of $6k). They accepted. Yet they then refused to correct the credit. I was forced to accept a sub-prime mortgage due to them reporting to bureaus that I still owed them over $5k and that they had to write off the balance. Two years have passed and I seek to refinance now before my ARM goes up. They still report the bureaus as a $5600 charge-off. I have disputed this, complained even to the the president of Amcore Bank, and still they state they wrote off $5600 despite me having paid them everything they asked for - and they have/sold my car. Dee Dee at Amcore claims now that I was abusive to them over the phone and went into their banks yelling and screaming - although she only heard this. I never did this. She recently added that I threatened to drive my truck into their bank.
I am told by an attorney it will cost me thousands of dollars in retainers to review and determine how to sue Amcore. Other attorneys tell me they are simply too big to fight and Amcore will waste my money with legal fees.
When I call the Amcore Bank president's office - I am referred to their recovery department - where Dee Dee continues with her accusations about how I have been abusive to her boss, and that I have gone into 'some' Wisconsin branches somewhere yelling, and recently even added that I once threated to drive my car into a bank to get them to listen to me. She refuses to accurately report my credit and states that it is a write-off of $5600 and that they have a judgement against me. They do not. I asked for proof, and they stated that she thought they did. (They don't).
They have collected all the money due them on the loan, within 3 months of it being due. They refused to release my lien on the title. They trumped up charges to $6000 for claiming I didn't have insurance for a few months - yet never incurred any cost to place insurance. They have taken my vehicle and sold it at auction (after all payments were met). They collected another $3k from me and promised to report my credit as paid. They did not and will not correct it.
If you are an attorney, and can help - please contact me. I regret ever hearing the word Amcore Bank. If you are a consumer considering opening any type of account with Amcore - be prepared for what they intend do to you.
Perhaps I need to speak to a state legislature?
Tim2217
Stoughton, Wisconsin
U.S.A.