Consumer complaint received 2017-07-21
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — 
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (NJ)

I have been working with Citibank for well over a year with regards to short sale process. First, they recommended that I apply for a loan modification from my mothers estate into my name. I did this and provided them all the information they requested, starting in XX/XX/XXXX. They then requested I deed the property from the Estate of XXXX XXXX to me personally, which was completed on XX/XX/XXXX. They then rejected my application for a loan modification, and then said I did not have time enough to apply for a short sale, and it was being sent to foreclosure. I use my first two-week adjournment on XX/XX/XXXX to postpone the foreclosure to allow enough time to apply for a short sale. I asked if I could short sell it to myself, and I specifically emphasize that it was me, and heir ( related party ) which would be unusual. The lenders rep verified with whomever is behind the curtain, and said I could do it, and I hurried to provide the necessary documents, including the contract to short sell it to myself. Again, I provided all requested info within a 24-48-hour period. After much rumination by whoever is behind the curtain, they said I could not sell it to myself, and there was not enough time and therefore they were going to go to foreclosure. So, I used my second 2-week adjournment on XX/XX/XXXX to get enough time to short sell it to a third-party. I then provided all the documents for a third-party contract for short sale within a 24-hour turnaround time. They again sat on for weeks and finally went to the negotiator or whoever is behind the curtain ( they never tell you who it is, or what their function is ), and he said that my offer was too low, and there was not enough time to negotiate and they would send it to foreclosure. This was on XXXX XXXX. Please note, I never received an actual rejection letter from them and I was only aware of this is because Ive been in constant contact with the lenders rep at least every 5 to 7 calendar days for the last six or eight months or more. CitiMortgage have been very meticulous about sending me these lengthy five page letters that are full of fluff and repetition and are a complete waste of paper. every time I send them the tiniest little document and they send out these same letters that all look very similar except for perhaps one buried sentence that might have something important to say. They will send the same letter three days in a row. However, the most important letter I could receive, would be this letter of rejection, which they never sent on any of these occasions, nor did they would never give me enough time to respond. On XXXX XXXX, they sent me a letter saying that my hardship letter application for short sale has been received, ( see attached document ) all documents were complete, and they were going to postpone the foreclosure to XXXX XXXX while they processed the short sale. On XXXX XXXX, they closed the case and said there was not enough time before the foreclosure, which is dated for XXXX XXXX, and closed the case. Again, this was never conveyed to me by either written or email, and I only found out because on Monday I had my regularly scheduled conversation with the lenders rep, XXXX XXXX, nor did they ever speak or contact my attorney, my Realtor, ( both of whom have written authorization to speak on me on my behalf ) or the third-party buyer. XXXX recommended I wait 10 minutes and call back on Monday ( XX/XX/XXXX ) to speak to the escalation department, whatever that is, and I did, and the man said that a case was open to request a postponement of foreclosure. And I was asked to call back on Tuesday ( XXXX XXXX ), unfortunately I was too busy and didnt call back to Wednesday ( XXXX XXXX ) at which point I was told that on Tuesday ( XXXX XXXX ) they request to postpone the foreclosure had been closed and it would still go to foreclosure on XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from CitiMortgage dated XX/XX/XXXX stating effective XX/XX/XXXX, the servicing of the mortgage loan will be transferred to XXXX XXXX. I believe I am getting the bum 's rush so that they can foreclose the property and get some proceeds from the loan prior to the transfer to the new servicing company. XXXX XXXX has been contacting whoever is behind the curtain, but there have been no results to date. I know of other people who have loans with CitiMortgage, and they have suffered the same run around, get all the info in to them in 24 hours, wait forever, and they without notice, they reject it, and say not enough time before foreclosure. My tenant who currently resides in the property is an XXXX year old woman, who would be eventually left out on the streets. Also, my family will be mortified if this is what happened to my mothers home. I strongly believe that CitiMortgage is not acting in good faith, I have bent over backwards to respond within 24-48 hour timeframe for every document that they have requested. Then they ruminate on the documents for weeks or months at a time, only to be told at the last minute, that they have rejected my request and there not enough time for alternative solutions prior to the imminent foreclosure. In addition, they have never provided written acknowledgements of their decisions, which I have only found out through my constant contact with the lender through weekly phone conferences. I respectfully request that the CFPB intercede on my behalf and allow proper time for the pending short sale to be processed.