Citi Mortgage Phony charges O'Fallon Missouri

My beef concerns my mortgage company, Citi.  My original mortgage was with Cendant but in 2008 that mortgage was sold to Citi.  There are federal programs which offer various types of mortgage relief, including mortgage modifications.  These programs are free to qualified homeowners.  Though not in danger of foreclosure, but curious to see if I qualified for any of these programs based on my income, I called the federal program (1 888 995 HOPE) and the person on the other end referred me to my mortgage holder, Citi.  My contact at Citi took all my relevant information to see whether I would qualify for a modification.  I specifically asked if there was any cost to me to go through with the process and was assured there was not.  As it turned out I was not qualified.  Fine, but my next mortgage statement included a charge of $84 for an “Appraisal/BPO.”  I was never informed ahead of time that there would be such a charge, never agreed to such a charge, nor was I informed that an appraisal was even to be made.  To levy a charge without my knowledge or consent seems unconscionable, particularly after being told that the process is entirely without cost.  I filed a complaint and received a letter to refer to my mortgage agreement, which I did.  The only parts of that agreement that allow for specific unilateral assessment of fees without the consent of the Borrower are if: Borrower fails to perform the covenants in the agreement, there exists a legal issue that might affect Lender’s interest in the property, the property has been abandoned, or Borrower is in default.  None of those conditions even remotely applied to me.  I have told them that I have no intention of paying this, and they have threatened to add penalties if the $84 is not paid. 

I have filed a complaint with the Minnesota Attorney General's office and I strongly suggest that any of you who have had what you consider questionable dealings with Citi to do likewise with the Attorney General's office in whatever state you reside.  Resources are limited, and the Attorney General is likely to more actively pursue complaints when the number of complainants is large.