Consumer complaint received 2017-04-27
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — 
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (TX)

In  XXXX  of  XXXX , we refinanced our home with  XXXX   XXXX . My husband and I had already retired from our jobs because of his medical conditions. The mortgage company asked for recent pay stubs, and I explained that we did not have any recent ones because of our retirements. The mortgage representative said to just fax the latest ones we had to him. We did, and got a refinance loan at a 7.75 % interest rate. As we were planning to pay down the loan or maybe pay it off entirely, our  XXXX  grown sons got laid off from their jobs and had to move home --  XXXX  of them had a wife, so  XXXX  came to live with us. We used part of my husband 's IRA to help maintain our family instead of paying off our home. In  XXXX , the stock market tanked and we lost almost all of the IRA in a downturn we had not foreseen. In  XXXX  of  XXXX , we knew we were going to have money problems, so I tried to negotiate an interest rate reduction with  XXXX . They refused to help. When  XXXX   XXXX  was bought out by  JP Morgan Chase, our  loan was transferred to Chase Mortgage. I then went into negotiations with Chase that lasted until  XXXX   XXXX ,  XXXX , but our interest rate remained at 7.75 % throughout the entire time. We were turned down for modification of our interest rate because of mundane issues such as Chase claiming that I left something blank instead of putting a zero in that spot or by circling an answer instead of checking a box on a form. I remember one application was turned down because I did not circle our deposits on our bank statements. This particular proc ess ( me returning documents and Chase turning them down ) wen t on for years. At some point during this process, I asked them to send me a copy of the Deed of Trust on our home. Chase asked who my original mortgage had been with. I was looking forward to seeing one as I had not received one from  XXXX    XXXX  . Within a couple of weeks, Chase wrote me and informed me that our mortgage was with  XXXX   XXXX ,  XXXX , and if I wanted a copy of it, I had to ask for it in writing.     Our past due payments, plus fees and penalties, continued to accrue. Our insurance, which has risen to almost {$12000.00} a year and taxes ( {$2200.00} a year ) were also paid by Chase which added to the total amount we owed. Our home insurance tripled during this time, but the taxes remained the same because of my husband 's age. Our original loan had been paid down to {$180000.00} but now is hovering around {$400000.00}.     On  XXXX   XXXX ,  XXXX , Chase turned our mortgage over to  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX . They have told me that they tried to help, and I sent them the documentation that they asked for. I talked to a young lady on  XXXX   XXXX ,  XXXX , and she told me that I -- I am guessing she was referring to my loan -- had been ( my husband died in  XXXX   XXXX   )  referred to an attorney for foreclosure, but no date had been set. The same young lady asked for another document, so I will be sending that to  XXXX  as soon as I receive it in the mail from her. I explained that I would be willing to short-sell my home if that was possible, and  XXXX  told me it was. I started the process, but  XXXX  sent a realtor to look at my home on  XXXX   XXXX . I have not heard anything from the realtor or SPS except for the young lady asking for another document on  XXXX   XXXX .