Consumer complaint received 2017-04-27
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CT
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage

Complaint:
YOUR HONOR I had  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX  in   XXXX  . Concerned for my health and our future my wife, who is  XXXX  and retired had read the article on the HARP Program. We called citimortgage and started the process. We had to do that four times before we finally got into the system. We were not behind even one month when we began this process.     We we strung along for 2 years before we sought legal help. After finding that the attorney 's representative had forged our signature, we searched for another attorney and eventually spoke to an Attorney  XXXX  who was an associate of  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX . After a few months months of not hearing anything, we called the office to find out that Attorney  XXXX  had been fired and we were now assigned Attorney  XXXX . So easily  4  more months of our time was wasted by incompetence.     Once again we were promised the world. However it was just more and more confusing paperwork, emails and letters from the bank. It was difficult and confusing to make sense of and keep up with the requests. Most often it was extremely difficult to distinguish what was new and what was a duplicate request.     Due to my wife 's illnesses, her memory is greatly affected and we thought perhaps having our son  XXXX   XXXX  step in to assist us, would make things easier. It helped clear some of the confusion but the same ridiculous requests kept coming. For instance we were told it was being held up because they needed a letter stating we did not belong to a community association. After 3 years they decided they needed this??? This was never listed on the original information request, why now? Most recently we had to provide a letter that we had no stocks, bonds or annuities. Never asked for it before in 4 years. If it was necessary why did n't attorney  XXXX  ever ask for it? Did he purposely withhold this request to drag the time longer in order to inflate our bill? When I contacted the State of CT Banking Commission, Attorney  XXXX  decided that he could no longer work with us and filed a motion to withdraw with the court. After paying him $ 15,000+! All for nothing.     The emails and phone calls were coming from the para legal  XXXX , not even Attorney  XXXX . Emails went unanswered as if we had no right to question this process after 4 years! Yet we have received and paid towards bills in excess of {$15000.00} with no clear explanation what it 's for because we have seen absolutely no results. This is also not the first time we were intimidated with a motion to withdraw. It 's been done before when they wanted payment. Rather than just call they preferred scare tactics.     Is there no time limit on the modification process? They come back every three months asking for updated info. It would not be outdated if the bank was doing its job. This has caused so much stress and worry in our home. Not knowing if we will have a home or not. I think you would agree that fours years of building stress is more than anyone should have to deal with.     Why does the paperwork now list  XXXX   XXXX  and not citimortgage as our lender? Has our account been sold without our knowledge? If I understand correctly, if our account was given to them, without our knowledge and for the purpose of pursuing foreclosure, they are wrong.     We also seem to have two different processes going on here. One seems to conflict the other. We have recently noticed a misspelling in our last name and wonder if that 's how we ended up in foreclosure BECAUSE we continue to get offers from citimortgage, monthly, to apply for the HARP Program. I would think that the status of our account should show we are in modification. The left hand does not seem to know what the right hand is doing. You ca n't talk to anyone at  C iti without making a telephone appointment and that could take up to a week for a response. Even then, we are only told what paperwork needs to be updated. We are at the point that we just automatically send them pay stubs, etc weekly.     We feel th at four years is  in gross excess of this process. If they were going to say no they could have done that long ago instead of running up mortgage balances and attorney bills. Attorney  XXXX  has done nothing to move this along. His paralegal emails and calls to give us the same exact information we just received in the mail from the bank. He has attended a few remediations and sat there and nodded his head to what we would say. We lost faith in him a long time ago. We just did n't know what else to do. Now we find out from the banking commission that we should have been working - at our lawyers recommendation- with the  XXXX   housing counselor.   That was never told to us.     We have always been good, hard working people. We do n't deserves this. We were trying to take advantage of this what sounded like a promising government program and it 's been dragged out so long that now we are in default. Had we known this is what would happen we would have never done it. We feel we have truly been treated unfairly by all parties concerned.     Our house is set to be sold on  XXXX   XXXX . We are going to court on  XXXX   XXXX  to try to get a 90 day extension to attempt to continue to fight this. Any information you can provide us would be greatly appreciated.     Thank you so much for doing what you do.     Sincerely,  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX ,  XXXX .    XXXX   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX , CT  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX  XXXX  XXXX

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation