Consumer complaint received 2024-08-20
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — Trying to communicate with the company to fix an issue related to modification, forbearance, short sale, deed-in-lieu, bankruptcy, or foreclosure
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION (NY)

I am reporting what I believe to be forbearance fraud on the behalf of my mortgage company. They displayed gross negligence when handling my forbearance application, accumulated fees and damaged my credit. 
1. I applied for forbearance relief with my mortgage company after XXXX XXXX XXXX due to XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX. 
2. At the end of my coverage in XXXX of XXXX I applied for an extension. This process was delayed due to the banks technical issues resulting in multiple applications being processed on my behalf incurring fees. Multiple credit inquiries were also reported on my credit report. 
a. My application for an extension of the then current forbearance coverage was delayed due to what the agent explained was a computer glitch due to my checking off Covid 19 as my reason for applying. The application was held in cyber space for several months and could not be viewed or processed, therefore cancellation of the extension request was my only option. 
b. Regardless of my appeal of being denied after cancellation of the extension due to their technical issues delaying the timely process of my extension request, I was denied forbearance coverage. In which case I had to reapply. 
c. I had to reapply 13 times as during the delay I became XXXX. The banks agent informed me that if there is an application in process they can not proceed with foreclosure. 
d. During the evaluation process a foreclosure was published in the Supreme Court of the State of New York County of XXXX. I was served foreclosure papers in XXXX of XXXX. According to a foreclosure attorney there have been several stages of foreclosure processed on my behalf. 
3. XX/XX/XXXX I was served foreclosure papers by the court however, advised again that if I continue to apply the foreclosure could not go through. I kept reapplying. 
4. XX/XX/XXXX my application was finally accepted however not the extension of the previous coverage but a new forbearance coverage with new terms : a. The pay-off time was changed from 30 years to 40 with a 3-month probation period. 
b. A payment from the XXXX XXXX came through during the probation period, after my first payment and the balance of my debt was paid to the bank. 
c. Without consideration or discussion, the bank canceled my forbearance agreement after my first payment. The new monthly payments have increased. 
5. I am unaware of the present terms of my mortgage as I have received no explanation or documentation regarding their maneuvers. 
a. There is an exorbitant amount of fees added to the repayment total that would not have been incurred if there was a timely and efficient process of my forbearance extension. Also, my credit would not have been impacted. 
b. To my knowledge as of late, there is still a public record of the foreclosure. 
6. My complaint a. There has been deliberate mishandling of my application, deliberate misinformation of the status of my account and the bank has taken a position of keeping me in continuous financial bondage. 
b. It is obvious that the bank acted in a ruse to get XXXX XXXX funding as they applied on my behalf without my consent and left me in a position with the foreclosure threat to accept the funding putting me in a 5-year contract that would require repayment of the money granted on my behalf. I can not sell or refinance for 5 years without repayment. With the vulnerability of the job market, I took a position paying XXXX less than what I was making to achieve the forbearance terms. I can still face foreclosure if I do not find more finances. My credit record omits me from applying for financing. 
Finally, there are multiple complaints identifying this behavior as typical from this financial institution to the CFPB and other such institutions. I am not convinced that a technical glitch in a corporation can last as long as they claimed, neither should I have had to apply multiple times for forbearance relief. It is a known fact that this institution does not intend to keep properties in New York as they told me so themselves when attempting to refinance prior to Covid. It appears that they intend to acquire the property, gain the equity and collect an abondance of fees from their clients. 
During this topsy turvy process, I had to care for XXXX household family members who suffered XXXX. There has been mental and physical anguish in the consideration of whether they would have a home to heal in or come home to. I struggled through this process alone trying to figure out how to come up with the money, keep house with no finances and looking for employment while caring for XXXX individuals. I too have now suffered my own maladies due to the stress. This process has taken a detrimental toll on my family, finances and health. Humanity has been absent from the process of a program called FORBEARANCE RELIEF ASSISTANCE.