Consumer complaint received 2018-12-28
Company: Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc.
State: NY
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Reverse mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage

Complaint:
In XXXX my mother took out a reverse mortgage with XXXX XXXX on her home at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX NY XXXX with advice from questionable people. My father had just passed away and my mother, in her XXXX 's and beginning XXXX was convinced by the mortgage broker that she needed this and it was quite safe. The mortgage broker told her that the maximum for the mortgage would be {$120000.00} and would never go above the actual value of the home which was at the time @ {$120000.00}. She was also told that she could stop the payments at any time. 

During her lifetime, I had moved back into her home with my daughter to care for my mother. 

I tried to contact XXXX XXXX to no avail in @ XXXX and then soon after received notification from XXXX XXXX XXXX that they would service her account. At that time, I asked if I could start paying off the mortgage and I also was questioning a statement that she had received which showed what I thought was excessive interest and fees. I also asked at that time if there was a way to stop the mortgage payments. They said there was not and that they would also send a statement showing how to pay off the mortgage. Nothing ever came of this but shortly after that call my mother stopped receiving regular statements. 

Upon her death in XXXX, I tried to contact XXXX  XXXX XXXX again both by phone and by letter. Additionally, unbeknownst to me, the deed to the house was transferred to my name as it was in her will. When I contacted the bank I was told that they did not handle her account anymore. 

Approximately 1 year later, I received a notification from Reverse Mortgage Services asking for information about my mother 's passing. I called them and asked them about how to pay off the mortgage and asked what was owed as no one was able to tell me at any point. To my calculations she had at the most received {$65000.00} at the time of her death. 

After approximately 1.5 years of hearing nothing from any of these companies, I tried again to contact Reverse Mortgage Services after they sent me a letter asking the same information about my mother 's passing. I called them and asked again about the mortgage and what was owed and also about the taxes as I had not received a bill. They told me that the taxes were held in escrow and that they would contact me with information regarding the payback amount. 

Again I had heard nothing from any of these companies that were involved at any point. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, a man XXXX XXXX showed up at my door telling me that I had to leave my home as he said I did not own it anymore! He said that XXXX XXXX owned it. I was shocked and had no idea what he was talking about. He told me he had taped a letter to another door which I do not use and when I found it it said that my house was being auctioned off and I had 30 days to leave. On this letter was the name of a lawfirm, XXXX XXXX llp in XXXX XXXX NY at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I called them several times and was put on hold for up to 1 hour and then I had to hang up because I was working. 

Since that day that man showed up at my door, I have received several threatening letters, visits from people saying they represent the banks but who are actually real estate agents and no actual correspondence from the banks or reverse mortgage company except for a piece of paper shoved into one of my doors from another named bank, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX claiming that they were the owners and that I had ten days to move out. Again, I had never received notice of any said auction. 

Soon after this, I received 7 letters on the same day from another agency XXXX of XXXX NY included in these packets were documents with a 10 day notice to quit and a referee 's deed in foreclosure notice that there was a foreclosure sale in XXXX or XXXX of XXXX with yet another Lawyer, XXXX XXXX, XXXX NY, a different county than that which the house is located in. Again, on this letter there is yet another attorney, XXXX XXXX from XXXX NY. 

This is so convoluted and confusing and again, no contact was made by any of these partied to me prior to them telling me to leave this house or prior to this supposed sale. In this documentation it said that what is owed on the property is {$130000.00}! This would mean that the fees and interest that was accrued on the account are in excess of {$70000.00}! 

I have tried on several occasions to find out how to take care of this mortgage, how I could pay it back, what was owed. I have in good faith tried to contact most of the players that I at least knew of but there are so many people involved and none with answers. I have even contacted an attorney that is trying to get answers but even he is being sent to many different places to talk to people. As of today, I am still the owner of the property on the tax records in my county. 

Never have any of these agencies contacted me in good faith offered me the decency of contacting me with anything prior to the " sale '' of this property with the same urgency and barrage of contacts both in person and by mail as they have after this " sale ''. This to me shows that at no time were they operating in good faith. The fact that all of this happened nearly 5 years after my mother 's death and with no contact prior to this seems as if they made some errors along the way and are now trying to quickly get this done. 

I plan on leaving the property when and if I have to. I would like the opportunity to have a clear and reasonable figure on what can be paid off to keep the home. I would even be willing to rent the house if purchasing is not an option but to blindside a person and tell them to leave without warning with a 10 day notice in a home that has been in my family for 50 years is unreasonable. I, in good faith have contacted an auctioneer who will be selling off the contents of my home very soon. This can't be done overnight but I am trying so hard to comply. 

To charge in excess of {$70000.00} in fees for a mortgage and to take advantage of an XXXX year old woman by preying on her insecurities is unconscionable. 
I would like these people, whoever it is that actually holds this property, if they do, to be held accountable for their strong arm scare tactics and I would at the very least ask for a chance to pay a realistic debt or have time to find a home for my family. 

I just want answers and I also think that the convoluted tactics that are being used here can confuse and frighten individuals faced with the same strategies. I am a strong person and I have been reduced to tears when these people show up at my door threatening me and my family. 

I thank you for anything you can do in this matter.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation