Consumer complaint received 2022-12-13
Company: CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC
State: MD
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
Subject : Disputing Information in Credit Report I am writing to dispute the following information in my file. 
This item from Carrington Mortgages Services LLC reporting my mortgage payment as 30 days late is inaccurate. I am requesting that this item be removed. Enclosed is documentation supporting my request : [ billing statements and correspondence from Carrington Mortgage Services
LLC and copies of payments made ]. 

My former mortgage loan servicer - XXXX XXXX  sent notification that my mortgage loan would be taken over by Carrington Mortgage Services , LLC, effective XX/XX/XXXX. After that time, all payments shall be sent directly to Carrington. 

During this period, beginning XX/XX/XXXX, my mortgage was in a Covid-19 forbearance ( under XXXX XXXX  XXXX. The forbearance ended on XX/XX/XXXX. My mortgage payments were to resume XX/XX/XXXX. Carrington has acknowledged my forbearance and continued to send me documentation to reapply for mortgage relief. My mortgage payment due for the month of XX/XX/XXXX was mailed off the last week in XXXX and posted to my account XX/XX/XXXX ( check # XXXX ). Later, I received a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX stating that a payment had not been received and that the mortgage was one month past due. Another letter dated XX/XX/XXXX acknowledged the end of the forbearance. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called the customer service line for Carrington and spoke to a representative. I expressed that my first mortgage payment was due in XXXX as the end of my forbearance was XX/XX/XXXX. He was adamant that there was no payment received. I insisted there was and gave him the date the payment posted to my account. He then " checked his computer '' and acknowledged the payment but insisted it was still one month behind and that the forbearance didn't mean a postponement of payment. I had to explain to him what a forbearance means. 

The conversation went nowhere. He eventually escalated the call to another rep who argued that a forbearance was not a postponement of payment. This conversation went nowhere either. Neither rep seemed competent, and my issue still has not been resolved. The paperwork received from Carrington is both confusing and contradictory.

A forbearance may provide temporary payment relief to assist homeowners dealing with a job loss, disability, illness, a recent disaster, divorce, death of a wage earner or other unique circumstances. With this option, you and your mortgage company agree to temporarily suspend or reduce your monthly mortgage payments for a specific period. This option lets you deal with your short-term financial problems by giving you time to get back on your feet and bring your mortgage current. ( XXXX XXXX  ). It literally means a temporary suspension in payments witl1out having to look up a formal definition online. The representatives refused to acknowledge the forbearance despite paperwork from Carrington acknowledging said forbearance.

The problem is Carrington is stating that I am one month past due ( now 60 days past due ). I am not. My mortgage payment for XXXX was made ( Check # XXXX ). Yet, my billing statement still reflects a past due balance. I have paid my mortgage every month since XXXX up till I mailed off XXXX 's payment. 

Please investigate this matter and delete the disputed item [ s ] as soon as possible. My mortgage should reflect no past due balance and the derogatory late payments reported to credit reporting agencies removed. My credit score dropped drastically, and I have worked very hard to raise my score. My job depends on having good credit and this is error is not acceptable. Carrington should abide to the agreement they sent. Thank you.

I was referred to file a complaint with the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation - Maryland Department of Labor. As a consumer, I have not been helped. The Lead examiner has repeated the same information that Carrington has stated including the refusal to acknowledge my mortgage payments made. 

Respectfully, XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation