Consumer complaint received 2023-03-03
Company: TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: PA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
I live at XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, PA and have been in my house for over 20 years. This was my estranged husbands and my first house. At the time, my credit was bad and he was the only one on the loan, while we were both on the title. He moved out in XXXX and I remained in the marital home and have been making payments on my own since. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I took a Forbearance because I was an XXXX XXXX with no events to plan thanks to COVID and was let go of my job. My mortgage was held by BB & T at the time. They made it super simple and easy and told me that when I went back to work, the missed payments from the forbearance would be tacked on to the end of my loan and there wouldnt be any penalty to me ( interest, late fees, credit reporting, etc ) Fast forward a year and a half to XX/XX/XXXX when I got a new job as an XXXX XXXX. I called BB & T to let them know I could start making payments again. It was then that I found out that they were acquired by Truist. I spoke to their loss mitigation department who told me they would draw up paperwork that I would need to sign. 

The paperwork didnt arrive in XXXX so I called back. They said it was still processing and to hold tight- it could take a while. I began making payments in XX/XX/XXXX because i was nervous that if I didnt, Id lose my house. I called every month thereafter to see where the paperwork was. 

I think I received my first set of paperwork in the fall of XXXX after someone had come out to appraise the house ( they said that was part of the process ). The paperwork was for a 30 year loan modification and I called them to let them know it was wrong and thats not what I was told when I originally entered into the forbearance. They told me they would fix it and send new paperwork out. 

I have owned my home for over 20 years and have less than {$65000.00} left to pay on the mortgage so the thought of starting over and having to pay all that interest again isnt something I want to do. 

Again, I waited forever and kept calling to see what was going on. In the meantime, I continued making payments, which are about $ XXXX but rounded up to {$1000.00} each month. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, the new paperwork arrived and it was again for a 30 year loan modification but now with a partial claim tacked on at the end that would be in the form of a balloon payment when the loan reached maturity. This time I was livid because I do not want to modify my loan to a new 30 year mortgage and this option is as not what I was told would happen when I entered into the forbearance. 

I immediately looked into getting a new 10-15 year loan through XXXX. Someone from XXXX XXXX XXXX called me right away and I began the application process. I paid for an appraisal ( over {$500.00} ). A third party settlement officer called and said she would need to speak to Truist to verify some information and I agreed to be on the call with her so they could talk to her. 

She asked Truist  when my last payment was made and they said XX/XX/XXXX. She asked when the next payment was due and they said XX/XX/XXXX. I said, wait a minute! I should be current on my payments because Ive been paying everything on time since XX/XX/XXXX- how could this be?! 

I was then told by a Truist representative that the money Ive been paying has gone toward my missed payments and that when they began working on my loan modification paperwork, any payment I made since that point has been put into a separate account and not applied toward anything. 

Even though my credit score is in the high 700s, Truists business practices and mishandling of my account caused me to be denied for this new loan with XXXX XXXX  and I had to pay for an appraisal for nothing. 

When digging deeper with Truist, they said that my forbearance wasnt marked as COVID related and there was nothing they could do about it. 

I have since decided to sell this house in the fall and fear that its messed up status will hold me back from getting another loan with my boyfriend. We found a house we like and need to put down a sizable down payment ( {$40000.00} ) by next week, which will come out of my savings. 

Can you help me get this fixed and figured out? The paperwork was due back to Truist on XX/XX/XXXX but I told them I was not going to sign it because its not the best option for me and its not what was promised when I took the forbearance with BB & T. Now I fear that they may try to foreclose and my ex husbands and my credit will take a hit. HELP!

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation