Consumer complaint received 2021-12-17
Company: PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC.
State: WA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: FHA mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage

Complaint:
I was assaulted in XXXX, which eventually resulted in permanent XXXX. Consequently, I lost a lot of income resulting in an inability to pay for all of my bills. The last day that I tried to work was in XXXX of XXXX. I was on employee paid XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, the XXXX program became WA State ran which required everyone to reapply to the State in order to be approved for benefits. I reapplied, but my benefits werent approved for nearly two months and I had no income and no way to pay my bills. I became behind in everything at this time and I attempted to contact all of my creditors to request assistance. My mortgage company informed me that they couldnt help me until I missed two payments, at which time I might qualify for one of their programs. After two months, PennyMac placed me on a forbearance plan and assigned me to a forbearance specialist who was supposed to ensure during this process that both of our needs were being met and so ultimately I could keep my home. I paid what I could and I communicated with them every month. I was on the forbearance program until XXXX or XXXX, XXXX at which point I was promised an opportunity to apply for a modified mortgage. I explained my situation in depth every month to PennyMac, but I never actually got to speak to the specialist who was assigned to me. It was a different person every time and I didnt realize how this would have a negative impact on me until in the end, my previous conversations and circumstances werent taken into consideration and my best interests werent considered and I was allowed to proceed with paying off nearly {$11000.00} that I owed in behind payments by withdrawing from my retirement account. I repeatedly expressed my need to be able to apply for a modified mortgage and I was told every time that I would have this option. I originally planned on adding the {$11000.00} back into my mortgage contract, but because I was having to file bankruptcy, my attorney told me that she couldnt file until I paid off my late mortgage payments if I wanted to keep my home. This is when I contacted PennyMac and explained what I was told by my attorney  and we discussed my options and that I would have to take money from my retirement in order to pay them. Again, I repeatedly expressed my need to apply for a modified mortgage because I am XXXX and I cant afford to pay my bills and again I was promised that Id still have this option even though I was paying off my late balance. This was not the end result however unfortunate. As soon as I paid off the nearly {$11000.00} that I owed them, I inquired on receiving the application to apply for the modified mortgage as previously discussed and promised to me and I was immediately informed that I no longer qualify. They completely XXXX me knowing that Im struggling to make ends meet and terrified that Im going to end up XXXX. I tried to hire an attorney online to help me, but Im fairly certain I was scammed and I sent my personal information to a man who said he was XXXX XXXX, a paralegal who worked for XXXX XXXX who was supposedly the attorney who accepted my case. The problem is that he had me sending all kinds of personal information to him via email and I discovered his email address wasnt under his name, but instead the email address he was using was under the name of XXXX XXXX. Ive never been able to confirm that XXXX XXXX is an attorney or even exists or that XXXX XXXX is an employee of his, but I have identified the person who I sent my info to also uses the name XXXX XXXX on XXXX and I confirmed that they are both one and the same. I can explain this better by phone call maybe. My point is, I need assistance on multiple levels.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation