How to Find Out If HUD Owes You a Refund

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has millions of dollars for thousands of Texans who overpaid their mortgage insurance.

NBC 5 Responds helped tracked down at least one North Texan who was owed money.

'THAT WAS A LITTLE HAPPY MOMENT'

It only took a few seconds for Wendy Young to find more than $1,700 of her money.

“That was a little happy moment there,” Young said. “It ended up, all totaled, to the amount of a mortgage payment for me, a monthly mortgage payment.”

Young said she contacted HUD, filled out an application for a refund and recently received an email update saying the agency is processing her request.

UNPAID CASES BY THE NUMBERS

Young is just one of the Texas homeowners who didn’t know she was owed a refund for overpaying mortgage insurance when she took out an FHA loan on her home.

The federally backed loans come with a requirement to buy mortgage insurance and some homeowners may have paid premiums upfront.

According to HUD, as of early 2022, it counted 53,722 unpaid cases in Texas totaling well over $18 million.

Nationally, HUD said it had 788,650 unpaid cases worth just over $401 million.

Some unpaid cases go back decades.

Our colleagues at NBC 5 Responds in Chicago tracked down the Magana family, who were owed more than $4,000 for insurance premiums they overpaid on an FHA loan dating back to the late 1980s.

HOW TO FIND OUT IF YOU HAVE UNCLAIMED MONEY

HUD said it tries to contact homeowners and its goal is to make contact with all those owed money.

HUD also explained most homeowners who have, or had, an FHA-insured mortgage are not eligible for a refund unless they paid an up-front mortgage insurance premium at a loan closing after Sept. 1, 1983. HUD said there are other limited circumstances that may meet refund eligibility requirements.

Here’s how you can check.

• Start with HUD’s searchable web page.
• Type in your name, city and state.
• Check current and past addresses where you’ve owned homes.

If you still have your old paperwork, you can look for an FHA case number and search that way too. The case number would have three digits, a dash, then seven more digits.

If you get a hit, your next step is to call HUD at 1-800-697-6967. When we called, a recording asked us to select a language, then someone picked up within a few seconds.

The agency said it then mails an application for a refund.

HUD said if you believe you’re owed a refund, but didn’t see your name in the online database, the agency wants you to give them a call.

Homeowners can search HUD’s list and fill out the application for a refund for free. You don’t have to pay anyone to do it for you.

“Go ahead and look at the HUD website and just check. You never know,” said Young.

NBC 5 Responds is committed to researching your concerns and recovering your money. Our goal is to get you answers and, if possible, solutions and a resolution. Call us at 844-5RESPND (844-573-7763) or fill out our customer complaint form.