This parting is sweet, no sorrow.

[madamesilverspurs]

Each month I pay my bills as soon as the Social Security check arrives. Next month I get to make the final payment to Citi Bank.

I never took out a loan with Citi, they were just the last in a series of buyers of the note that had originated with a small lending company. A dozen years ago I could just walk around the corner to the lender's office to make my payments. Then a letter arrived informing me that the payments were to be mailed to a new entity; overnight the office was vacated and a 'for rent' sign replaced the sign that had been in the window.

Paying the bills, by nature a tedious and sometimes painful task, took on a bitter and offensive flavor with the arrival of that letter from Citi; it came while I'd been doing some reading about the financial interests and business entanglements of the Bush family. I have always felt a little dirty after sending each check. And for some reason I just can't muster up any pride in that big fancy new stadium that bears Citi's name.

Each previous time the note was sold I'd receive a payment notice and an envelope, thus providing me with a paper record. Each time until Citi, that is. They merely sent a terse letter advising of the change, with an emphatic admonition that there would be no notices or envelopes, that I would bear sole responsibility for making sure they got the money on time. That was a bit unsettling, seeing as how I'm not gifted when it comes to amortization. But I kept my own records, and a couple of months ago I was able to make my way through Citi's phone tree to find out if my figures closely tracked to theirs; I'd calculated two remaining payments, they said three. Whatever.

Ordinarily I'd want to have something akin to a mortgage-burning party. But that's kinda hard to do when there's no paperwork; rather pikerish of Citi, if you ask me.

Oh well, if they're going to deprive me of a flashy celebratory moment I can at least write the damn check and then take a long cleansing shower to remove the last of the stench.

B'bye, Citi. I am soooo not going to miss you.

[The Wielding Truth]

1. They should not have been allowed to bump our loans around. I'm so happy for you!

I hope we can see the end to our parent plus loans.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Congrats on your sweet parting from Citi!

Scummy bastards, all of them.

You done good!

:toast:

[Roselma]

3. Warning...get that lien release and secure it.

We paid off our house five years ago. Didn't pay attention to the way the title to our house was sitting at the county clerk's office...until we wanted to replace our car in 2010. The credit agencies showed that we still owed a mortgage. We called the county clerk's office. Sure enough, Washington Mutual was shown as holding a lien. Well, WaMu went out of business/was acquired. It took six months to finally get a letter from Wells Fargo which we found out held the paperwork. We had to walk in to the clerk's office as it was an official and notarized release. It wasn't automatic. The explanation was that WaMu was too busy to do their end of the paperwork that needed to be sent to the county clerk. In the note line on the front of your check put Final Mortgage Payment and your account number. Then photocopy the check. When the check clears the bank, get a photo copy front and back. If you don't get that release letter (it was a letter) from Citi in 30 days, pursue it.

[Fla Dem]

5. My thought exactly...GET PAID IN FULL in writing!!! n/t

[LiberalAndProud]

4. Congratulations!

Even without the burning, a party is in order, madamesilverspurs.

:smoke: :party: :toast: :fistbump: :party: :party: :party: :fistbump: :toast: :party: :smoke:


Many moons to go before I can say good riddance to Wells Fargo. x(

[bvar22]

6. After the paperwork is finalized & documented,

please send you post as a letter to Citi,
and congratulations.

:patriot:

[onethatcares]

7. mega congrats and

we just re=fied with another bank and hopefully shitibanc is out of our line.

had to do the re fi, it dropped our payments 500.00 a month and we've been eating beans and working hard, now just 7 more years to go and we're free to.

:toast: