Consumer complaint received 2021-12-05
Company: Freedom Mortgage Company
State: FL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage

Complaint:
I started a Covid forbearance on my XXXX XXXX loan under Cares Act after confirming with Freedom that I would have a deferral option at the end resuming normal payments and putting the balance on the end of the loan. I later extended to 18 months and confirmed again with Freedom the option for deferral at the end. Late in the forbearance I received letters from Freedom saying I should make contact 30 days before the end and I did. Although I knew I wanted the deferral, the representative had to read me all the options and I selected deferral. She told me to expect in about 30 days a package with documents to sign and return. The following is a timeline following that call. 
( The calls below involved enormous hold times and repeatedly required me to start all over again from the beginning every time I spoke to someone. I have spent more than 5 hours on the phone with Freedom. ) XX/XX/21 : After 30 days no package so I called. Multiple attempts over a couple of days were necessary due to extensive hold times to reach a representative. Reached XXXX ( teller # XXXX ) who said the deferral was approved yesterday and the package was out for delivery. 
XX/XX/21 : No package so called again. Reached XXXX ( teller # XXXX ) who said info I was given on last call was incorrect. Again, she said approved yesterday, but that what I was approved for was a loan modification that changes my payment and extends my loan term from 30 to 40 years, NOT the deferral option I had chosen. I asked her to escalate the call and I reached escalation specialist XXXX ( teller # XXXX ). Lots of re-telling story ; hold times ; conversation. The final result was that I would get a call from XXXX who was my assigned contact. ( Suddenly I had an assigned contact. ) XXXX ( teller # XXXX ) called me. I went over the whole scenario once again and went on extensive hold while XXXX tried to correct the situation. In the end XXXX advised ( and read me the notes he was entering to this effect ) that he sent to the proper department to be re-drawn as a deferral as I had originally requested ; that I would be able to resume my normal payments with the balance put on the end of the loan ; that there would be no negative impact of any kind to me ; that I should discard any package that arrived regarding the loan modification ; that the forbearance would continue until corrected ; and that I should receive a package for the deferral in about 30 days. 
XX/XX/21 : No package, called to confirm being sent. Reached XXXX ( teller # XXXX ). XXXX says I am not eligible for deferral because I have passed 18 months, in direct contradiction of my conversation with XXXX on XX/XX/21. I asked for escalation and reached XXXX ( teller # XXXX ). 90 minutes of holds and checking and retelling the story yet again. XXXX insists that deferral is not an option for a conventional loan ( Not what XXXX said, and clearly incorrect in light of Cares Act ). She gave me 3 options that included modification, but not deferral. She was unable to explain to me why I was eligible for deferral with everyone I spoke with until now. She found XXXX notes so she is aware of that entire exchange. She said I have a new problem because I did not respond to the modification package that Freedom had instructed me to discard. She was unable to locate any call or notes from when I confirmed the deferral option and started the forbearance ; OR when I made my deferral selection ; OR to produce any notes or call where I selected the option of a modification. At one point it became clear she didnt know my forbearance was covid-related and I went on hold yet again. When she returned she directed me to a website ( XXXX XXXX so that I could see deferral is not an option, but I showed her that it clearly stated there that deferral is an option. She was at a loss at this point and told me that a supervisor would call me in XXXX hours. I never heard from Freedom again.

I see numerous complaints at CFPB showing this is systematic behavior by Freedom.

I am entitled to the deferral. It has gone over 18 months because of Freedoms deception and incompetence. I have been trying in a timely manner to resume payments and to send them money and they are obstructing that process, which should not result in any negative impact to me. I simply want what I am entitled to under Federal law and intended since the day I started the forbearance to resume my normal payments and put the balance on the end of the loan.

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