Consumer complaint received 2018-02-13
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: FL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Investigation took more than 30 days

Complaint:
I have been battling with CitiMortgage and subsequently, XXXX ( whom they sold the mortgage to ) for several years. To be clear, I had both a first and second mortgage with Citi which they then sold to the later company. I went through a horrible health stretch from the years XX/XX/XXXX til XX/XX/XXXX. I explained this to Citi at least hundreds of times through letters, emails, and voluminous calls. At times they were sympathetic, at times threatening, but rarely helpful. I even, on several occasions, wrote to XXXX XXXX, the CEO of Citi. My only goal was to refinance my mortgage so that my payments were more within my ability to pay during the trying times I experienced due to my health. I was stonewalled and given the ever bureaucratic run around. Finally, I was assigned to a woman in the mortgage department who dealt with such issues on a regular basis named XXXX. I am sorry I do not have her last name. But internal Citi docs will be able to identify her. She counseled me SPECIFICALLY to stop making payments. She said that the best way to qualify for a refi was to demonstrate distress through NOT paying. I did as I was told, and within 9 months of taking her advice I was approved for a HAMP modification. I was told and sold that everything within this program was going to help. I ALWAYS pay my debts, and therefor bankruptcy was never an option for me. It is against my moral fabric. If I had done so when my health issues began I would already be out of the reporting woods, but I never considered that an option. I borrowed the money. I needed to pay it back! I received the loan docs and quickly signed them. My monthly payment dropped, and I was able to afford to stay in my home. Once again, this entire process was navigated by Citi. I would never have come up with this solution on my own. I have paid dearly for this in two distinct ways. First, when I sold my home to relieve the financial pressure on me, there was a balloon payment that NEVER appeared on any of my mortgage statements. This didn't come to light until the final closing docs were generated. This payment was nearly 60k, which, in order to sell my home, necessitated with 2 days notice before closing, me stroking a check for XXXX instead of me pocketing XXXX. What a horrible eye opener. But Citi and XXXX received EVERY dime I ever owed them, with a handsome profit to boot. So, that happened. Then I started to notice that my credit reports and scores were dinged nearly irreparably as a result of me following Citis counsel. So not only did I make good on every penny I owed them, they penalized me without notification because I merely did as they told me to do! These unfair practices are beyond reprehensible. They negotiated with a man who was on deaths door in bad faith. They took advantage of someone they knew was in a desperate situation. They are predators, plain and simple. They benefitted by knowing my commitment to repay all of my debts. The preyed upon the weak. I am no longer week. I run a financial services company and my income, and health, are now better than ever. But I can't get credit. Or buy a house for my family. Or get a decent rate on any loan, be it car or credit card or anything. I want Citi taken to task for this miscarriage of justice. They have subjugated a good man who has worked hard his entire life and paid all of his debts. I have written. I have called. I get nothing but a stiff arm. I am writing this missive concurrent to complaints to the credit agencies. I want this cleared off of my record. I would like an apology, but this would suffice. Thanks in advance for your assistance in rectifying this travesty.

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