Consumer complaint received 2018-01-02
Company: STERLING BANCORP
State: NV
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage

Complaint:
I have attempted via mail and phone to work with formerly XXXX XXXX XXXX to convert my adjustable rate to fixed rate mortgage - I have been working on an " easy refi '' with them for over 4 months and suddenly no one would call me back. I finally reached a manager who told me to send my info to Loss Mitigation - so I sent tons of paperwork to them over a period of another 6 months and now they have sold to Sterling national Bank and no one there ever answers a phone - I have called and left over 100 messages and been on hold for over 4 hours and then it disconnects. I am current on my loan but trying to either work through their process or work with someone else. No other bank will work with me until this issue is resolved but there does not seem to be an actual " Sterling National Bank '' as they are always serviced by XXXX and no one answers there ever. 

I sent many letters via certified mail and they actually responded to one sent to the president calling me a " liar '' and saying I had not called multiple times - so I sent them my phone records showing the calls - no response. See copy of letter I sent below. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, New York XXXX Cc : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Dear Gentleman and XXXX XXXX, I am writing regarding our XXXX XXXX - Loan number XXXX This letter details our current situation. We refinanced 7 years ago with XXXX as my husband took an XXXX XXXX position with the United States XXXX XXXX XXXX after many years of XXXX XXXX with the XXXX XXXX XXXX. We were aware that this was an interest only loan 7/1 ARM. We anticipated and were told we had the ability to modify this at any time and we hoped to do so once we knew that my husbands days of XXXX were at an end. 

Six months ago In XX/XX/XXXX, in anticipation of the 7 year period coming to an end and two to three years from my husbands anticipated retirement from the XXXX XXXX and reentry into the workforce, we began the process of an easy refi with XXXX underwriter XXXX XXXX. Two months went by with no word, and after finally getting a hold of XXXX 15 phone calls and emails later. I was told all was in process and that they were missing the {$250.00} check from my packet along with my credit card authorization ( both were included with my paperwork but somehow lost in your office ). That day I federal expressed both items once more to XXXX XXXX. I received paperwork back in XX/XX/XXXX with a letter from XXXX XXXX and talked to him again in XXXX and was told all was in process. 

I began calling again in early XXXX and finally was told by another agent XXXX that we were turned down for this modification due to our debt to income ratio. 

In XXXX I was pre- approved by another bank but choose the option presented to me by XXXX XXXX as it was a competitive interest rate he said it would be a streamlined process, and we could modify for 20 years left on our term. 

In the mean time interest rates have risen 2 percent and my husband in still on XXXX XXXX and we have nowhere left to go. You will not modify our loan in any way. We can not afford the {$3800.00} plus price tag or our mortgage which will adjust in XX/XX/XXXX. 

We could have refinanced with another lender who we qualified with in XX/XX/XXXX but now due to rates being higher and due to his multiple deployments our debts being higher and income lower they tell us we can no longer qualify. 

We have never been late on a single payment of any sort in 10 years. We are good people and my husband is serving his country as he has for 23 years. 

If we had been allowed to refinance for 20 years in a new 5/1 arm or better a 30-year fixed loan with a payment of {$3100.00} as quoted we would be fine but you will not. 


We want to keep our home make a mortgage payment we can afford and pay off our house. 

We have two hardships the fact that my husband is still in the military and the fact that I am self employed for two of my jobs ( I work three jobs my the way ) and you will no longer able to claim my self employment income via stated income and the fact that I write off as much of my expenses on my taxes that is legally allowed much like our current president! 

Can you assist in any way we do not want to stop paying on time as was suggested by your loss mitigation department show said they could not assist unless we were delinquent! We can in now way afford the additional {$700.00} per month until my husband retires in 2-3 years and can take on a better paying career outside of the military. 

Can you work with us for a short term solution or a long term 30 year fixed we can afford Please help a family of patriots who are good people and pay there bills on time we just have a lot of them thanks to this long standing war on terror. 

XXXX and XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation