Consumer complaint received 2022-08-17
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: VA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage

Complaint:
Main Issue : Citizens Bank is in violation of the federal law under Unfair Deceptive Acts and Practices. I submitted an application for a " Modification Loan '' to get caught back up and Citizens Bank failed to deliver to me the documents that they required of me within their own deadline timeframe and then disqualified me from the hardship program when I did not return to them the documents that I never received. Now they refuse to take ownership of their mistake and have continued to make false promises such as " we will respond to you via email within XXXX business days '' yet I still haven't received this email and today is the XXXX business day. In addition, I have been hung up on twice during this XXXX month process by agents without any advance warning. Here is a timeline of the events that I will be sharing with my lawyer as well. 

Call History : - XXXX of XXXX : I called Citizens One and advised them that I fell behind my payments due to a XXXX, XXXX, and reduction in income. They enrolled me in a Forbearance Program that expires in XXXX months and advised me to pay what I can when I can. 
- XXXX of XXXX : I called Citizens One and advised them that I can't catch up my payments and asked for an extension to the Forbearance Program which was granted until XXXX of XXXX. 
- XX/XX/XXXX I called Citizens One and applied for a " Modification Loan '' by completing the " Financial Prevention Package ''. I was told that I would receive a response if accepted and that the Forbearance Program would continue until a decision is made. 
- XX/XX/XXXX I received a call from a notary on behalf of Citizens One. I asked what the call was in regards to and the notary said she could not discuss the details with me and that I would first need to contact Citizens One to discuss the details before she could speak with me. I asked if I could call her back after speaking with Citizens One and she said no, she would call me back after I have spoken with Citizens One first. 
- XX/XX/XXXX I called Citizens One asking why a notary called me and what this was in regards to. I was informed that a notary was assigned to me on XX/XX/XXXX for my acceptance into the " XXXX XXXX '' program and that I will work with them to sign the documents and officially by enrolled by XX/XX/XXXX. I asked if I should call the notary back to reschedule now that I have spoken with Citizens One and the agent advised me to wait for the notary to call me back to sign the documents. 
- XX/XX/XXXX I called Citizens One asking where the notary is ; it has been over a month, I haven't received a call back, and I am supposed to start the program on XX/XX/XXXX. I was advised to continue waiting and that the notary would call me soon. 
- XX/XX/XXXX I finally received the call from the notary at XXXX PM EST to sign the documents ; XXXX months after I first requested the call. The notary said they could not meet the same-day but could meet tomorrow. I scheduled an appointment with the notary over the phone for her soonest availability which was the next day on XX/XX/XXXX to sign the documents. 
- XX/XX/XXXX The notary never showed up to our appointment; ignored my call and text. She called me XXXX minutes after our scheduled appointment and told me that Citizens One cancelled the agreement and that I would need to call them to figure out why. 
- XX/XX/XXXX I called Citizens One advising them that the notary never showed up at the meet up location and left me waiting for over an hour. I was told by the agent that I missed the deadline for signing the documents and would need to send an appeal email to be re-enrolled and would receive a response to that email within XXXX business days. I expressed that this was not my fault and that I had done everything I was asked to do ; Citizens One failed to deliver me the documents within their own deadline and I asked to speak with a supervisor. My request to speak with a supervisor was declined. 
- XX/XX/XXXX I sent an appeal email to XXXX per the agents ' instructions and documented the situation in detail; asking for an appeal due to the bank 's failure to provide me with the documents and notary to sign those documents within their own required timeframe. 
- XX/XX/XXXX I called Citizens One XXXX business days later due to not receiving any email response. I was informed that I would need to fill out the " Financial Prevention Package '' again in order to be re-evaluated for the program as I was no longer in Loss Mitigations as of XXXX of XXXX. I explained that I already filled out the " XXXX XXXX XXXX '' in XX/XX/XXXX and explained that Citizens Bank made an error and should fix it rather than putting me back through this process from the beginning. The agent said there was nothing she could do until I sent in that package again. I asked to speak with a supervisor because this process has already taken 4 months and I would not like to start it over again due to their bank 's errors. I was told I would need to wait XXXX business days for a call back from a supervisor. 
- XX/XX/XXXX called Citizens One again on the XXXX business day for the email response deadline and asked to speak to a XXXX ; XXXX told me to wait XXXX more business days for a call back. I repeated my request to speak with a XXXX. The agent repeated their script to wait XXXX more business days. We repeated this exchange several times until the agent purposefully disconnected the call without any advance warning or notice. 
- XX/XX/XXXX received a " do not reply '' email stating that I have been removed from " a package '' and to call " XXXX XXXX '' if this was done in error. Phone number provided in the email was generic and directed to the automated system ; email said to " login with the link below '' if this was done in error but the email had no link to click. 
- XX/XX/XXXX Still no response for my appeal email. It has now been XXXX business days, XXXX day after their self-imposed deadline. No call from the supervisor either and today is the last business day they are supposed to call me. 
- XX/XX/XXXX Called Citizens One again and asked to speak with this " XXXX XXXX '' who emailed me but she was not in office. XXXX said they scheduled a call back request with her and that I should receive that call by tomorrow at the latest. I asked to file a complaint and the agent said they would write down my complaint. While I was advising them of my complaint in a calm and collected manner, they disconnected they call without giving me any warning. 

No doubt this issue will continue into the future with additional unfair and deceptive acts/practice which is why I have now taken action to file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXX I have no faith that I will receive a call back from this " XXXX XXXX '' who is supposed to be my relationship XXXX nor from this XXXX XXXX XXXX  either. This issue threatens my home and has caused me mental anguish over a XXXX month timeframe and that timeframe just keeps getting longer and longer.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation