Consumer complaint received 2021-11-05
Company: M&T BANK CORPORATION
State: NC
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: FHA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
My husband ( XXXX XXXX, XXXX ) and myself ( XXXX XXXX ) jointly own property located at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, NC XXXX. We participated in the federal forbearance program during Covid-19 hardships. Our forbearance was supposed to be closed and handled the first week of XXXX. The property is jointly owned, but financed in my husband 's name only because at the time we were advised we would benefit more from him being a first time homeowner and veteran. I had previously had a mortgage. When our current home was purchased, we owned our property ( jointly ) and used it as a down payment on our home. My husband died on XX/XX/2021 ( non-covid related ). I called M & T bank and let them know what had happened and tried to handle the forbearance and make the XXXX house payment. They have talked to me the entire time they have owned the mortgage, this time refused to talk to me at all. They informed me I needed to be made an administrator of the estate. I called XXXX County XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and they told me because of the limited assets and that my house was not considered an asset and automatically went to me, I was not needing to or required to open an Estate. When I relayed this to the bank, they refused to speak to me and forced me to open the Estate anyway. I went back, opened it when I did not need to, had to pay that fee, get bonded and insured, pay to run the add in the paper as well. All the using money, that M & T bank could have had sent to them. My appointment was set for XX/XX/2021. That was the first one I could get. I stayed in contact with M & T Bank. In the meantime they sent me a document with items from two different lists ( one from each list for me to send ). The document stating that was what I needed in order to be able to talk about the loan and end the forbearance. I sent a cover letter, marked the form and sent a Letter of Administration and a Death Certificate ( both of which are on the list to choose from ). I spoke with XXXX XXXX after it was received from M & T Bank and was told I would be resuming my payment in XXXX and I chose to do the balloon payment at the end. All of this time I had already been trying to pay. When I tried to pay in XXXX, I was again denied the ability to pay. I never received a letter or explanation of this change. I called Ms. XXXX and she said someone " higher '' up was trying to make me qualify for the mortgage and start over. She immediately put me back on forbearance to save my home since the bank would not let me pay my payments. I have not received any mail communications since. When I call the main number for a regular representative, once I give my information, I am put on hold and then disconnected. I reached out to Ms. XXXX personally today ( XXXX XXXX ) and left her a voicemail. So far, she seems to really care about my situation. I do not know what to do at this point. This is the 3rd bank to own my mortgage. XXXX with FHA insurance was our original financer. Then XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX held us briefly and now M & T has been our mortgage provider for years. I feel like my bank is trying to foreclose on me when I have the money to pay the payments behind my back. NC estates state they are not abiding by NC law and from what I am researching they are not abiding by foreclosure rules either. I was already a joint property holder. Taxes even come jointly. According to XXXX XXXX XXXX the house automatically went to me. All I wanted to do was pay my house payment. Please 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