Consumer complaint received 2021-02-02
Company: AmeriHome Mortgage Company, LLC
State: VA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: FHA mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
Our mortgage company is AmeriHome mortgage. I lost my job XX/XX/XXXX due to COVID and had to put my loan in forebearance for 6 mo. After this, I was approved for the COVID-19 National Emergency Standalone Partial Claim for FHA-insured loans plan where I could defer the suspended payments to the end on my loan. A packet was sent to us which was the Promissory Note and Deed of Trust which we had to sign and notarize and have back to AmeriHome by XX/XX/XXXX ( a Monday ). We sent it back XX/XX/XXXX via the envelope that was sent with the packet which was XXXX XXXX  24hr delivery. Unbeknownst to us, the packet which should have arrived XXXX did not get to them until XX/XX/XXXX. In the meantime, I was told that since I'd sent this in I could make a phone payment which I did XX/XX/XXXX. This is what we thought was the start to our resuming the normal monthly payments on the mortgage, which we would typically be done online from that point on. The person I spoke with told me that we would be able to do so. However, the packet was sent back to use the first week of XXXX saying that the Notary left the date off one spot and that another area was incomplete, ( which was true ), and that I was to have it notarized again and sent back. I spoke to another different rep from AmeriHome and this was confirmed. Again we were under the impression that everything was going well. It was renotarized and sent in again XX/XX/XXXX. At the beginning XXXX, my husband attempted to pay XXXX 's payment online but he was denied. I called AmeriHome again and spoke to another different rep. She told me that the original packet that I sent in was denied because it was received on XXXX, one day after the deadline. However, anytime that I spoke to the multiple reps in XXXX, no one had ever mentioned anything of the sort. And I had call a few times with various questions-trying to make sure everything was done right and that we were back on track. It was as if there were 2 separate entities at AmeriHome dealing with my file and they weren't communicating with each other or making appropriate notation in my file. They said that I would have go through the entire process again-that someone would have to approve me again and a new packet would be sent to me. Now, this is the information that I obtained from several phone calls, speaking to different reps each time over the course of those few days of trying to straighten things out. I would have to repeat this entire saga to each rep each time I spoke to one because the notes in their system regarding this matter were all over the place, some even contradicting others. The final word from someone was that I would be receiving a new packet sometime over the next few weeks, if I was approved. I also found out during one of these calls that the payment made on the phone at the beginning of XXXX ( that I was told would be the mortgage payment for XXXX XXXX never even went toward the mortgage but toward some other account within the loan. I was never informed of this and we were lead to believe that it did apply to XXXX 's payment. Thus, I assumed that now it would look like I was in default, which was very upsetting. During this time, we had been talking to the mortgage broker that we dealt with when we got the loan originally back in XXXX. We wanted to refinance due to the lower interest rates because of COVID and we were very concerned that this fiasco with AmeriHome would ruin those chances. He advise to us to do an online bill payment through XXXX XXXX, our bank, such that it shows that we have been attempting to make on time monthly payments. This is what we've been doing since. As for the new packet I was to receive, it never came. I had tried making phone calls regarding this but each time I spoke to a different rep, having to repeat the whole story over again and them trying to make sense of the notes in the system. When I spoke to a woman that actually seemed to know what she was talking about, I somehow was disconnected. I hoped she would call me back but she never did. I tried calling the main number to be reconnected and the person with a heavy foreign accent said that she was in another state and there was no way to reconnect me with the same person. In the end, someone told me that there was no notation made regarding having to restart the process of getting approved again and a new packet with the promissory note being sent to me. So it appeared that I was not making payments and that I was in default. So I have been trying to get everything together for the refinance. Anytime that I have talked to AmeriHome to straighten this situation out, it is a mess. I can't talk to the same one or two people ; it's always a different person. I have to explain the situation over and over again, which is SO frustrating. No one can put me through to a person in charge. I have been told that the loss mitigation department would not speak to me. Some would say that they were going to send emails to other people or departments that might help me. Nothing has come of this. I am being harassed daily with multiple phone calls and letters sent to my house. If I do answer a call, it is either disconnected or some new rep is on the line telling me they are attempting to collect a debt of 7 months of mortgage payments of over XXXX AmeriHome will not take anything toward this unless it is the entire amount paid in full and that I could apply for one of the repayment options, which I tell them I have already done. It is as if they have no knowledge of anything going on with it. It keeps going around in circles and I'm not getting anywhere. It makes me look like I am neglecting paying. This entire thing could have been so easily fixed if they had taken the original packet that we sent in which was one day late. That was not my fault that XXXX  didn't get it to them on time. Also, mail can be delayed because of the pandemic. I was being held at fault. This is such an aweful company and they have been a major cause of stress and misery. I don't know what to do anymore to get it fixed. I hope this hasn't jeopardized my ability refinance.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation