Consumer complaint received 2024-08-24
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — Foreclosure
Company: Onity Group Inc. (ID)

Because of Covid and my husband being a XXXX XXXX  at the time ( and still is ), revenue dropped significantly. We burned through all of our resources. Then, he secured a full-time job in the same industry. On XX/XX/XXXX, we were finally able to get our mortgage current. Then, in XXXX of XXXX, my husband 's employer sold, and the new owner laid off more than half of the 350 employees. In XXXX XXXX getting a new job in late XX/XX/XXXX has been challenging and proved difficult for my husband. Finally, in XXXX of XXXX, he was able to secure work through his business working for a steady client at XXXX hours a week at {$75.00} an hour and now, most recently, has been awarded XXXX hours a week at {$75.00} an hour with strong potential to become a full-time employee with his client. 

We have been trying to get into a repayment plan in good faith. PHH keeps putting us into mortgage assistance applications, and we continue to get denied for the same reason each time : 'unable to approve because mortgage payment would be 25 % more than current payment '. We are not looking for mortgage assistance. We are looking for a repayment plan and putting down XXXX to XXXX, then paying the remaining balance each month, including the current mortgage payment. 

Over the last three to four months, the agents have continued to say they must read from a script, which means not finding the proper answer or solution for our situation. We are told that the account is in active foreclosure or on pause each time. We had an original auction date of XX/XX/XXXX, but we were told that a sale date was not yet established. 

Most recently, on XX/XX/XXXX, the relationship manager said we could not make a repayment plan because our equity is more significant than what we owe on the mortgage. I shared with her that when we had to bring our loan current for a hardship we experienced previously, we could do a repayment plan with a significant down payment. At that time, we had more equity than we owed on the mortgage balance. She said their policies had changed. Over the last three weeks, I called PHH on XX/XX/XXXX ; they said our new application for mortgage assistance is being reviewed and, within five days, would let us know if we need additional documents. On XX/XX/XXXX, we called in twice. The agent said they had to read from a script and could not answer my questions, that our application was being reviewed, and would let us know within five business days if they needed any other documentation. The same day, a different call on XX/XX/XXXX, and the same response is being reviewed. We will let you know within five days if additional documentation is needed, and on XX/XX/XXXX, we called the attorneys handling the account and asked them if we were in active foreclosure. They said no, it was on hold. I did request a reinstatement amount. They were able to provide that to me on XX/XX/XXXX and said {$24000.00} needs to be paid by XX/XX/XXXX, and regular mortgage payment would start on XXXX. The same day, on XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with the Relationship Manager. She again said our application is under review and would let us know within five days if any other documentation is needed. She also said we are in active foreclosure, and as stated above, she denied our request for a repayment plan, saying we have more equity than what we owe, so a repayment plan is not an option. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called again to schedule an appointment with the Relationship manager ; our HUD counselor suggested we request that PHH talk to the investor to start a repayment plan. Over the last three weeks, they also reference how the mortgage matures in XXXX, which is another reason we can not do a repayment plan. 

Today, XX/XX/XXXX, I called PHH again, and I asked this agent why you all keep saying you can only read from a script and that we have been told since XXXX that our application is under review and within five business days they will let us know if they need additional documents. She looked into it, unlike previous conversations, and came back to say instead of applying online, please print and fill out an application and supporting documents and email them to XXXX ; as of XXXX XXXX  MDT today, XX/XX/XXXX, we resubmitted the application again with a letter explaining our current situation and that we now have the means to start repayment plan. 

They are looking for reasons not to help a family of XXXX ( XXXX daughters, ages XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX ) make progress on this account. We are a hard-working family with nothing but good intentions, but it seems our mortgage servicer has no good intentions and wants to foreclose even now when we have the means to get things back on track with a repayment plan. 

I have also noticed that PHH will change its name again soon. This is probably because it needs to rebrand and move away from the poor branding it has created.