Consumer complaint received 2022-03-31
Company: CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC
State: CA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Other type of mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage

Complaint:
*** CAN NOT UPDATE COVID PLAN*** Carrington Mortgage Servicing is the company. 
This loan is a USDA loan, paid for at inception and good for the life of the loan. It is clearly listed in the HUD closing documents. 

Carrington aquired this loan and has been denying that fact. 

1 year ago they lied to our lawyer and said the loan was not USDA and we did not qualify for any covid protections - we have that in writing. 
We also tried to streamline refi and they kept telling the loan lady it was NOT USDA. 

The covid page on their website DOES list it as USDA and that was the only way we were able to get it the covid protections. 

We also kept making payments but in XXXX ( month XXXX ) they refused to accept any more payments. They kept saying, " If you can pay, you don't need the covid protections ''. 

They have listed on the monthly statement " You are currently on a Covid-19 Forbearance plan '' outlining all the things they can not do, including " no foreclosure action during the covid-19 forbearance period.

DIRECTLY below that is " Please take notice that Carrington Mortgage, LLC has made the first notice or filing required to start a foreclosure ''.

Now, I must make a decision on what we want to do when our protections expire- today. I have been trying to update it for a week.

There are several issues : 1- WEB ACCESS RESTRICTED I have been trying to update Carrington but the " online covid update '' link is not active on my account. Since the last update in XXXX, where the " update covid '' button was is " We have received your update and will have a written response within 7 days. '' All covid notices direct to the online account to update because " call volumes are heavy ''. 

2- PHONE ACCESS IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE Carrington will only allow me to speak to a certain department with very limited hours.

3- USDA FORBEARANCE INFO for guaranteed loans is short and simple. It is on their website and CARRINGTON HAS IT ON THEIR WEBSITE under " How we can help ''.

" Upon completion of a forbearance period, if the homeowner can resume making regular payments, they will be offered either a reamoritization to incorporate the cost of the missed payments into the remaining monthly mortgage payments or a term extension to defer any missed payments to the end of the loan. If the homeowner is unable to resume making regular payments, they will be evaluated for all available assistance options, including term extensions, capitalization, and a mortgage recovery advance. '' Since the start Carrington has given only 3 options- full reinstatement, full payment in 3 monthly payments and submit a FULL modification packet.

THESE ARE CLEARLY NOT THE USDA OPTIONS so, Carrington is trying to deny us the USDA protections we paid for. 

4- FORBEARANCE REQUESTED XX/XX/XXXX ( verified on document from Carrington ), online shows XXXX. 

5- ANY WORKOUT DENIED In XX/XX/XXXX we turned in a completed mortgage assistance package to Carrington . They came back in 8 business days to say, " We've decided you can not repay the arrearages in 6 months so your only option is to liquidate. '' In case Carrington is trying to keep us from updating our covid plan- in violation of USDA rules and all the covid forbearance rules- Today, XX/XX/XXXX We are updating our covid-19 forbearance plan to the following : Question- Can we resume regular monthly payments?

Yes, we can resume NORMAL monthly payments Now Carrington needs to offer us either : A reamoritization to incorporate the cost of the missed payments into the remaining monthly mortgage payments or a term extension to defer any missed payments to the end of the loan. 

Making note of " they WILL BE offered '' in the USDA text. 

As soon as we entered forbearance, Carrington did ANOTHER escrow analysis. Our monthly should be under {$800.00}. Carrington doubled it so the " current '' payment is {$800.00} higher than the " regular '' payment. That should be handled as a covid balance- NOT A REGULAR payment. 

USDA website is very clear about wanting the guaranteed loan people to STAY IN THEIR HOMES IF THEY CAN AFFORD THE REGULAR MONTHLY PAYMENTS. We can. 

We also have a packet into The California Mortgage Relief Program that was marked as complete and submitted on XX/XX/XXXX. They have contacted Carrington and was added to the 3rd party contacts by Carrington on XX/XX/XXXX. The file is listed today as In review and awaiting info from servicers. The hardship letter in that file also states " We can do well ( as we had ) with the current mortgage payment. '' The link to the CA mortgage help WAS NOT added to my main screen until XX/XX/XXXX when the CA Mtg program contacted Carrington.

So clearly, resuming paying the loan is our intention. Carrington 's intentions are to not let us do that.

*Please note : we have all documents, screenshots almost daily going back more than a year, as well as having all conversations with Carrington recorded BY ME as well as them.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation