Consumer complaint received 2021-02-24
Company: Specialized Loan Servicing Holdings LLC
State: CA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage

Complaint:
Please note that there are several " reasons '' for the complaint listed but I was only able to check one. 
My mortgage is serviced by Specialized Loan Servicing ( SLS ). I was granted a forbearance beginning with the payment for XX/XX/XXXX through the XX/XX/XXXX payment. 
The communication from SLS has been confusing, contradicting and frustrating, and this coming from someone who works in the mortgage industry. They have been giving me the run around as far as my application for mortgage assistance and that they have now reported me delinquent despite my efforts to make payments after the forbearance period. 

In XXXX I called in to get the process started on the arrangements for the 6 payments not made and to make a payment over the phone. The lady on the phone asked if I wanted to request forbearance again or apply for a review of my account to see what my choices were for the outstanding balance. I told her that I could start making payments and wanted to look at my options. 
She took my {$2300.00} payment to be applied to my {$2200.00} principal and interest payment. 

In XXXX I used my banks ill pay system to send in a payment, it was returned. 10 days later In XXXX I sent in the equivalent of 2 payments, again returned. 
In XXXX I sent in another payment, and also returned. 

I called in and asked about the reason for the return but either I got no calls back or was told they needed to research it. 

In XXXX I called in to get information on what was happening with the paperwork they were supposed to send me, but no calls back. 

In XXXX I was able to get someone on the phone who gave me a the list of pending items for my Mortgage Assistance application which I provided on XX/XX/XXXX. I waiting because I wanted to makes sure they had my most recent paystub. 

On XX/XX/XXXX they sent me a letter saying they needed more stuff. On XX/XX/XXXX I responded to the request which had a deadline of XX/XX/XXXX. I monitored my account online as that date approached and had ZERO correspondence from them. On XX/XX/XXXX I called in and the automated system said my file was complete and being reviewed. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I received a call from a customer service rep wanting to know what my plan was since I had withdrawn my request. I DO NOT withdraw my request. She researched it and said that it was " disengaged '' because of missing items not in the file. As far as I knew, I had provided everything on the list. The rep said I should send in a new request, provide an updated 4506T and a new explanation for my hardship. She said everything else in the file was good to go. So that same day I sent the items requested via fax. 
On XX/XX/XXXX they sent a letter saying that I was missing items, again! I tried calling them on XX/XX/XXXX after receiving the letter. The automated system said that my application was complete and reviewed and there was no one available due to a company meeting. I tried several times that day. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received notification from a credit monitoring service that they SLS had reported me 4 months delinquent on my account. I called them on XX/XX/XXXX, and again same messages as XX/XX/XXXX. I sent them a message through the regular customer service portal. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I received a message saying that the late reporting was accurate because my case was not finalized. But my case was not finalized because they keep giving me the run around and returning my payments! This late reporting was devastating as it caused my credit score to drop and my applicaiton for XXXX disaster relief was denied. 

I finally got someone on the phone on XX/XX/XXXX in the morning. XXXX, their rep, said that as far as she could tell the only item pending review from the XX/XX/XXXX letter was my hardship letter but that she would get back to me later that day or Monday if something else was needed. 
At that time she also informed me that my payments had been returned because payments through a banks bill pay system are not accepted while going through this process. When I asked WHY that is not noted on ANY correspondence or during my many calls, she said that they are not obligated to do so. She said that monthly statements are just a breakdown for record keeping and the letters I receive saying I'm past due don't have to include that information. She could not answer as to why no one else had ever said that to me. She however, offered to take a payment over the phone. I told her I would do so when she called back since I wanted to see how much more I could gather to apply towards the balance due. 
I never heard back from her. 
Today, XX/XX/XXXX, I called in. Again, the automated system says everything is in. but I asked to speak to a rep. 
The first rep I spoke to said that she couldn't tell what was still pending when we go disconnected. 
I called back and spoke to another Rep who said she would send me a list of the pending items. What she sent was a copy of the letter I received on XX/XX/XXXX, nothing new. 
I called right back and I spoke to a 3rd rep who verbally told me what was pending- a different signature on a tax return ( they didnt like what the one I sent looked like ) and another signed letter of explanation. I asked if could take a payment from me and she said no. The rep says that payments for accounts going through the modification process can only be done via wire transfer, XXXX or XXXX XXXX!!! 

How in the world is a consumer suppose to know the options when they are not provided to us? Not only that, but they are not listed anywhere, not on their website and not in the correspondence they send.

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