Consumer complaint received 2023-02-22
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — 
Company: Onity Group Inc. (CA)

PHH automatically enrolled me into a COVID Forbearance plan in XXXX even though i made all of my payments from my savings. I called and let PHH know that even though COVID was impacting my ability to earn income that i had enough savings to continue to make my payments. 

PHH incorrectly applied some payments in XXXX and then decided to defer {$3900.00} to a non-interest bearing balance on XX/XX/XXXX. I scheduled a call for XX/XX/XXXX with my PHH Relationship Manager, XXXX XXXX, so i could understand the adjustments they made to my account. The relationship manager never called. I called the next day to find out why i didn't receive a call. 
I was told that in the mortgage servicer 's system the relationship manager noted that he had made a phone call even though they didn't. I verified that they had my correct phone number. 

In XXXX I made all of my payments from my savings. In XXXX i started to experience a prolonged hardship due to COVID. I contacted PHH and asked for a forbearance. They granted me a forbearance for XX/XX/XXXX- XX/XX/XXXX. In XXXX i also applied for the California Mortgage Relief and they were able to pay PHH {$17000.00} for the months of XX/XX/XXXX- XX/XX/XXXX. 

I scheduled a call for XX/XX/XXXX with my PHH Relationship Manager, XXXX XXXX, so i verify that PHH had received funds from the California Mortgage Relief and they were applied to my account. The relationship manager never called. I called the next day to find out why i didn't receive a call. I was told that in the mortgage servicer 's system the relationship manager noted that he had made a phone call even though they didn't. I verified that they had my correct phone number. 

I was able to make the payments in XX/XX/XXXX- XX/XX/XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX i continued to experience a hardship and contacted PHH to request another Forbearance. On XX/XX/XXXX i spoke with XXXX XXXX and was told that i am under a modification plan that is under review. I was told that there would be no negative impact to my credit or credit score. On XX/XX/XXXX i spoke with XXXX XXXX and i was told that i was on a Forbearance plan from XX/XX/XXXX- XX/XX/XXXX. 

I recently checked my credit score from XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX and PHH is negatively reporting that i am in default and it is effecting my credit score which is impacting my ability to gain employment since employers routinely check credit scores of job applicants. Additionally, PHH reported that i was in a Forbearance for the years of XXXX, XXXX and XXXX. I was told that under the CARES act that there wouldn't be any negative credit reporting. Reporting a Forbearance is a negative statement to my credit report. 

My loan in a XXXX XXXX loan and their guidelines allow a 12 month forbearance that can be extended to 18 months if there was a Forbearance on the account before XX/XX/XXXX. I qualify under PHH investor XXXX XXXX guidelines to have a Forbearance for up to 18 months. XXXX XXXX Bulletin XXXX, issued XX/XX/XXXX, provided notice to mortgage servicers that they are to comply with forbearance requests. 

Also, i was recently contacted by the California Mortgage Relief and was told that they have additional funding for accounts that have missed 2 payments before XX/XX/XXXX. I meet these qualifications and have applied for additional funding based on these new guidelines. 

I have told you the complete history of what has happened to let you understand that i don't have confidence that PHH will communicate with me using their Relationship Manager as they are required to under federal lending laws.