Consumer complaint received 2022-05-12
Company: Nelnet, Inc.
State: AZ
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Problem with customer service

Complaint:
In XXXX my federal student loans were XXXX due to XXXX. I was under evaluation for XXXX XXXX. I have substantial overhead of a business and medical nature, as I must have some additional income beyond my meager social security XXXX check, to pay for healthcare-related expenses that are keeping me XXXX. When I wasnt stable enough to consult formally, I bartered with healthcare providers and an XXXX research organization in exchange for XXXX XXXX  products ( many not available elsewhere ) and healthcare services like XXXX. It didnt earn income most of the time and occasionally I consulted or freelanced on top of it to get out of dire needs. As a result, Nelnet ( my student loan servicer ) repealed my student loan discharge in XXXX on the basis of excess gross income. Thats absurd. I am a 1099 sole proprietorship who pays business overhead ( things like flight and research costs ) and healthcare expenses. Its not gross personal income. All I needed to do is establish hardship into the future ( which I did in follow-up online submissions at their request ). I was living in poverty off and on for years, mostly between year-end XXXX to mid XXXX. 

I appealed as soon as I could but I was XXXX and my receipts were not stored with me. By the end of the year, I uploaded all receipts for overhead expenses ( business-travel, office, and healthcare and XXXXaccessible associated expenses ). Nelnet asked for more documentation spanning additional years to establish hardship. I did so, and proved that I had been XXXX XXXX XXXX  for several years ( end of XXXX to XXXX evidence was provided, although I was displaced through part of XXXX until I took anotheXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX that was work-from home and would accommodate my XXXX ). I uploaded the second batch of documentation files to Nelnet and took a screenshot, just as I had done before, to the student loan discharge account they create for me. Without responding to my appeal, they closed the account. I was assured a response and waited several years for a response ( paying the last bit of money in my procession, while XXXX, to keep a XXXX XXXX just to hear from them but they never responded, despite assuring me ). They closed my account and turned it back over to the USDE who gave me an income-sensitive forbearance in XXXX while I awaited Nelnets response. It never happened. Eventually, I had to close my mailbox and the last I checked mail was XX/XX/XXXX. 

Meanwhile, my 1-year forbearance with USDE could not be renewed because I no longer had a mailing address and virtually no family or friends in my life at the time. I called USDE on my sisters phone because I eventually couldnt afford much of a phone plan at times ; I begged them but they refused to help me in any way to make payment arrangements or forbearance ( because I didnt have a mailing address ). I asked to speak to a manager and she argued with me for XXXX minutes saying that they dont help XXXX  who do not have a formal mailing addresses. My late uncle would not let let receive a letter at his house ever, but especially in XXXX because he had XXXX and couldnt open mail himself. I was there briefly during my sisters second XXXX XXXX / XXXX  XXXX to help her and her XXXX baby. 

I have had extraordinary circumstances and hardship at times. I have faced XXXX in XXXX ; then, my temporary apartment I was staying in was vandalized ( ransacked ) and deemed unsafe on top of it. That was the just the first time I dealt with XXXX  during the evaluation period. I took a less-than-XXXX-hour XXXX  position for 3 months at the end of XXXX and one month at the beginning of XXXX ( to cover out-of-pocket paid handicap housing and healthcare expenses ). The money went to XXXX XXXX housing expenses which are exorbitant, as well as the research products and over-the-counter health products and extensive prescribed diet that have kept me XXXX When I was consulting ( out-of-town ), the storage unit company had a whole in the roof and my items suffered water and mold damage which accrued additional expenses. I was XXXX again in XXXX, when I had to abandon over XXXX of property. I briefly took a job ( 2 months of low wages that only covered my health products and transportation and moving expenses ) in XXXX and then just a few hours of XXXX later in her year but I required office space which costs money. 

Saving my life has been work and it has required living overseas or living in a hostel, sleeping daytime in a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX at timesjust to afford healthcare I have letters of medical necessity for XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and a statement stating that malpractice contributes to additional expenses out-of-pocket expenses for me ( I am denied services in mainstream medicine except in out-of-pocket care and the XXXX XXXX were caught covering my XXXX and XXXXXXXX XXXX  ; I had to pay for XXXX XXXX and at times leave the state to prove what was going on ; I contacted the FBI more than once and the medical board promised they would let me submit everything electronically and they never responded to me either ). I am also being harassed and set up by a law firm ( it took me years to discover who it was ) but a woman obsessed with finding my private medical and lifestyle info revealed it to me after I called her out on it and for knowing things about me that I never told her. I was then threatened by another one of their investigators ( who they hired at my hostel ) after the man became infuriated that I would not discuss anything with him ( he said he was getting paid to XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ) ; its been going on for years, most recently being followed by a man accusing me of stealing my own bag and following me into XXXX  ( he led into XXXX after me saying, hey, wait, you did we we were going to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX together. I have contacted the police and FBI over it. The FBI must be very busy and the police say there are no resources to help me. The investigators continuously break into my accounts and keeping up with cyber security is a near full-time job. I have been grabbed and blocked on the sidewalk by these detectives. My sister, who now lives with, can confirm some of the cyber security and XXXX  issues. It started in XXXX following malpractice when I had a XXXX XXXX  ( less than 2 weeks following XXXXXXXX XXXX  ) and was drinking contaminated well water ( multiple chemicals ) in XXXX and the town closed my well. My case was highly unusual because of a XXXX XXXXXXXX and was overseen by a physician named XXXX XXXX ( who worked hard to cover it ) as well as XXXX XXXX who XXXX me over and over at XXXX XXXX  until I almost XXXX XXXX  and they were forced to admit me to the hospital ; I was violently XXXX I suddenly found myself being followed and each year the harassment gets more invasive ( especially when I had to live in hostel dorms because there was no way to get away ). However, the malpractice was not limited to XXXX XXXX and extended into their affiliate hospitals. This is not a delusion of grandeur. My malpractice is written about by my other physicians ( private pay ) and I can submit the letters. 

In XXXX, I discovered that key files were misplaced and my taxes were in a trash bag ( by my former personal assistant who assured me everything was still there but re-arranged ). I eventually discovered that my assistant had taken key legal evidence ( medical and legal records, many meant for the district attorney because my gas pipe had been cut in XXXX in XXXX and I was determined by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to be sabotage ; it also contained my USDE file ; 2 tax years were stolen too but I had scanned the receipts prior ). 

In XXXX, I was finally able to get a mailing address again ( XXXX XXXX XXXX and I hired a new assistant to help me get the remainder of my files to new storage. I provided the mailing address to USDE and Nelnet but they both ignored me. USDE turned my account ver to collections. I tried to get a payment plan but they would not allow me to on the basis that I put our old family lawyer on my account to investigate the issues with Nelnet. Because I added his access to my USDE account, the collections agency said they were not obligated to communicate with me or make a payment plan. But, the lawyer was too busy to help me. I asked the collection agency to put this policy in writing and they said they would not. 

I XXXX pretty badly from XXXX  XXXX among other things and my doctor ( who cost me over {$800.00} for the year ) re-discharged my student loans in early XXXX. I sent the letter and forms ( forwarded directly from my doctor ) to Nelnet using the email address they provided on their discharge form. It was from an email address I have had for years but it was new to Nelnet because they old email address they ignored for years AND I dont use it any more. I had problems with the old email. 

Nelnet sent an automated response to the new email address saying the would respond to my submission. They never did. I had to contact them after they waited over 8 months to follow-up on my new discharge forms. When they did respond, they said my doctor would need to provide new forms because the date was beyond three months. I said, its older than 3 months because they ignored the submission and their request was irrational. They acknowledged my change of address but not mail new email address. But, they insisted I needed re-resend the forms over which pushes out the discharge date and incurs more penalties and fees and interest. Meanwhile my doctor was XXXX with XXXX XXXX and I dont have the heart to bother him. His office is many months behind on paperwork and still havent responded to documentation requests. 

Finally, after ignoring my change of information for over a year, they finally updated my email address. I thanked them and then requested that they acknowledge my prior student loan discharge submission ( from XXXX ) and provide a transcript of my student loan account and a transcript of my customer service interactions. They are ignoring that email. 

I have tried to file a complaint with USDE and the website wouldnt let me ( see uploaded documentation ) more than once! I also tried to file a discrimination complaint against USDE and the agency overseeing government discrimination wouldnt help me but wouldnt tell me who could help me. During Covid I was sent emails that penalties and interest would be deferred but the collections agency would not. I have XXXX in interest and penalties and ruined credit. 

They continued to request my contact info over and over like I didnt provide it over and over. See emails. 

On XXXX, the USDE sent me an email asking if I wanted to place my loans in deferment and hit reply with a yes if so. I did but they ignored the request. See email screenshot included. 

Meanwhile, penalties, fees, and interest compiles. My credit is ruined. Its not right.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation