Consumer complaint received 2017-06-09
Company: SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.
State: CO
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage

Complaint:
After long consideration, I 've decided to file a second complaint against my former mortgage company, " Suntrust Mortgage. '' In my first complaint, I explained how, after my husband passed away, I contacted this mortgage company asking for help. At the time, I was assured they would work with me to refinance my house, so that I might be able to keep it. Because of this, I invested money into finishing the basement, repairing the roof, maintaining and adding to the yard, cleaning the carpets, etc.
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I sent in the initial paperwork, with all supporting documents, and was not contacted again. This was in the summer of 2013 and in   XXXX   of the same year, I called to check in on the status of my request. I was told a few documents were missing, so I resubmitted them. This happened again shortly after, and then again. Every time I resubmitted the documents and every time I called, they told me they were either missing or expired. Eventually I was told my adviser was no longer available and nobody else could help. I called several numbers, trying to get a hold of someone who could discuss my case, but it never worked out. The mailbox I was told to call was always full, so I could n't leave a message, and if I called another number, the people who answered were unable to help.
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My savings were, finally, exhausted and I could n't make the payments. I tried to sell my home, but a sale fell through. The foreclosure proceedings went forward. During this time, a real estate agent contacted me with clients willing to buy my house. I contacted Suntrust, who then referred me to their foreclosure lawyer. I received an email from the lawyer explaining how I am not a signer on the Note, therefore I have no legal rights to the house and can not sell it. I lost the buyers and that was when I filed the first complaint. As a result, Suntrust apologized and postponed the foreclosure for six months, but the damage was done -- the buyers were no longer interested.
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The house was sold through foreclosure without a single notification. They claimed I abandoned my house, but this is untrue. I paid utilities and checked up on everything until I discovered the locks had been changed without letting me know. It felt as if they stole my house from me. After this shock, I received another through the mail -- a notification to pay taxes on the loss of my home, the one that, according to their lawyers, was never legally mine.
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I deliberated on sending another complaint for a long time, but this last notification was the tipping point. Because of Suntrust Mortgage, I lost my home, savings, investments in the house, and the chance to sell it. Everything they did felt deliberate -- that they stalled and everything went in circles so that, ultimately, they could take my home away from me. With this, I hope I get at least financially reimbursed for the loss of my house, the investments, and the emotional distress. Losing a husband is difficult enough, but losing the home I shared with him was like getting punched on an already open wound.

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