Consumer complaint received 2018-08-19
Company: Seterus, Inc.
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Mortgage debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX we requested and received a forebearance on our mortgage payments for 6 months due to our inability to work because of Hurricane Irma. Each month we received letters threating foreclosure. In XX/XX/XXXX when the forebearance was over we still couldn't pay the full amount ( 6 months of payments ) due in one lump sum. We attempted to negotiate payments that would not cause severe financial difficulties. Seterus, the debt collector, gave us a 3 month trial period with payments that were {$780.00} more than our original monthly amount. We paid the 3 months as directed, on time - each month receiving letters threatening foreclosure on our house. After the trial period was over we were offered a loan modification which not only extended the length of the loan, but now included escrow in the loan payment amount. We have never paid monthly escrow because we get paid 26 times a year and use the extra pay checks for taxes and insurance. Using escrow increases the monthly bills substantially and doesn't make the payments affordable. We declined the modification and spoke to representatives from Seterus on a weekly basis between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX in an effort to come up with reasonable monthly payments that would pay the past due amount. They kept saying they were " working on it ''. Not knowing what to pay for XX/XX/XXXX payment, we made a payment of {$1600.00} - my husband tells me he had a method of coming up with that amount, although I think the XXXX was otherwise fitting. On XX/XX/XXXX we received another threatening letter " demanding '' {$5700.00}. This amount seemed reasonable so I called Seterus to pay it off and be done with the threats of foreclosure. When I called on XXXX, however, the amount changed to a lump sum of {$7000.00}. I was told this was the amount due on that date. I received a confirmation email from Seterus of the transaction on XX/XX/XXXX and on XX/XX/XXXX the amount was withdrawn to Seterus from my account. On XX/XX/XXXX, we received 3 items in the mail from Seterus. ( 1 ) A letter stating that the payment of {$7000.00} did not go through - that the " financial institution account number provided is invalid. '' ( 2 ) An Account Statement requesting {$1400.00} as a XX/XX/XXXX payment. We were told our monthly payments would return to the pre-hurricane amount of {$1300.00}. The statement also shows that a loan payment of {$7000.00} made XX/XX/XXXX is in " suspense '' and our XXXX payment of {$1600.00} was also in " suspense ''. ( 3 ) Another " trial '' period of 3 months at payments o {$1800.00}. The hurricane was bad enough, but to have to go through XXXX with Seterus only made it worse. We paid off the amount due to the harrassment and the inconsistencies between amounts we were offered by Seterus representatives on the phone ( we have names, dates and amounts for most of these conversations ) and a barrage of letters from Seterus - all stating different amounts. Seterus has not only been extremely difficult to work with through this process, they have caused us both financial and mental stress. We refinanced in XXXX in order to get away from Seterus, only to have our refinanced loan back in their hands. They are horrible.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation