Consumer complaint received 2024-07-02
Product: Mortgage — FHA mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — Foreclosure
Company: PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC (CA)

My initial request for forbearance was denied. Then I qualified for XXXX forbearance and relief mortgage funds from XXXX were approved and paid my mortgage arrears. Before forbearance ended, I request modification assistance as stated in XXXX XXXX forbearance fha rule. My request was ignored. I requested again and was told regular payments resuming and not eligible to apply for assistance until loan 120 days past due. Thats not what XXXX XXXX forbearance rule stated. I was finally able to almost pay past due in full. Could have caught up, by paying twice following month. I tried to make payment online and my online access had been removed to make payment. Option to call and make payment available. I should have just called and accepted payment option. But I didnt know I could still do that. A rep answered and transferred me to loss specialist XXXX. Who is extremely rude and unhelpful. She stated I was not allowed to make payment unless arrears paid in full. I stated it says on my statement I can still send in payments. During our call XXXX says she has sent me an email and wants me to open it. She wont tell me what it is she sent. I dont open it. She offers to do an income to debt ratio evaluation over the phone for mortgage repayment plan. After answering her questions she says I dont qualify, my income is not enough to make regular payment and payment to catch up next 90 days. Our call ends. I apply for mortgage assistance online and am told by another XXXX rep to request forbearance option first and then a modification second. To stop payment and fees and then I could be assessed for modification. This process takes forever. My application needs items resent, reloaded over and over. Complete application status accepted took forever. Im waiting for decision. Calling and calling, checking my online assistance application for any updates. None. Then on XXXX lender decides to offer informal 3 month reduced payment trial and writes offer. Offer isnt mailed until XX/XX/XXXX and I dont receive until 3 days before trial to begin. I didnt get 14 days to respond to lender. I emailed lender and loss mitigation letting them know not enough time given to prepare for offers d payments would be made late and not on due date. I got no response. Only a call requesting I send back agreement. When my funds were suspended by XXXX to do an audit of my account due to fraud claim I filed for my funds being hacked and stolen month prior. This took forever. My stolen funds werent replaced for weeks and weeks and my XXXX did not resume payments until late XXXX and they got mailed. It would take 3 days to receive and then when I received payment it was short almost a {$1000.00} XXXX XXXX XXXX didnt care. Didnt offer any assistance. I felt totally set up for failure. I asked loss mitigation specialist assigned to me why she didnt contact me when 3 month trial approved? She stated she has no knowledge of offers given to borrowers because that comes from underwriting department and they dont make her aware of any offers. Then I received a letter stating my application for borrower assistance had been closed and denied based on checking my credit report. I didnt qualify for their other modification programs or partial claim because I stated I was unable to make regular monthly payments. Thats not what I stated. I stated my payment would be after date requested because of pause initiated and getting back on a regular payment cycle from XXXX again and my XXXX  payment had been paused late XXXX I didnt know why, I wasnt notified by employer or insurance company. All of this was affecting my financial stability. I appealed denial based on FHA rule handbook and requested new loss mitigation specialist. However, same mitigation specialist contacted me by phone first week of XXXX and offered a loan modification for partial claim. That I did not need to submit a new application for assistance. Wanted to know if I accepted, I wasnt given offer in writing or 14 days to refuse. I was asked if I accepted offer right then and there. I said yes. Loss specialist stated she was turning modification into underwriting for new documents to be prepared, usually takes around 30 days or so. I assumed because appeal accepted and offer given, 90 day extension to hold on filing for foreclosure to proceed in place. Thats what fha rule handbook states if option to solve mortgage denied and borrowers fails 3 month trial or requests an appeal, appeal approved. Lender is not to pursue foreclosure for additional 90 days while new option being completed for borrower. On XX/XX/XXXX I get another call from loss specialist assigned to me and she states because my loan is a XXXX repair loan and bathroom not completed, all work must be done before underwriting can approve my modification. How fast can I get it done? I request from rehab specialist how much funds are remaining in repair account for contractor to finish or can I finish myself. She had agreed months prior to let me do work I could finish. She only gives funds available. During XX/XX/XXXX call from specialist, she sends me another application to fill out for assistance. But she said I didnt have to on call offering modified mortgage option. I go to sign into my PHL online account to access my loan information and get loan details for HUD counselor, debt relief appointment, bankruptcy attorney because I need legal representation for other debts and I needed to know details for mortgage modification offered to let my attorney know in case that option didnt allow bankruptcy filing. I also needed to update my XXXX Tax return in the event lender needed to review before turning into IRS and State. Extension till XXXX to file. When all my loan information was removed from online and only letting me access assistance. I wondered what was going on. So I called and on XX/XX/XXXX I requested loan information I needed and status of my loan in underwriting and how much time I had before a notice of default would be filed or if lender had started foreclosure process and thats why my access removed to online loan information and I was told there was no information in system file foreclosure process being pursued, no notice of default issued and how fast could I get repairs done? Again thinking I have 90 day extension from appeal. However on XX/XX/XXXX the day I called and asked, lender had already been pursuing foreclosure process and hired firm to facilitate foreclosure sale process and firm signed notice of default on XX/XX/XXXX and then filed it with my county on the XXXX. Then on the XXXX I get email from lender saying I have documents that need to be viewed and to log into assistance center. But I was having serious health issues. On XX/XX/XXXX more information from lender on site. I had no idea what had already taken place. Following week I get copy of notice of default filed. I call asking lender about 90 day extension rule for fha lenders to follow when borrower requests appeal and appeal granted and new option offered to avoid foreclosure from fha handbook update. XXXX XXXX says that Im incorrect and that doesnt apply to their process. So I request mortgage assistance again and receive no assistance available anymore with online RAM portal. I contact bankruptcy attorney and let him know lender closed my application and filed notice of default without informing me when I asked on the XX/XX/XXXX and waited for it to be filed instead. I called to ask if Planet Home Lending worked with borrowers who filed for bankruptcy chapter XXXX and I was told that is how a lot of people are doing it now and they could only discuss my loan with my attorney after giving signed permission to do so. Then I look online under lenders assistance program tab and shows a new borrowers assistance request application started on the XXXX, with prefilled financial and other personal information I havent sent in. Stating requesting other documents need completion and submitted no later than 30 days from date requested. Requested date is XX/XX/XXXX. I have no idea any of these transactions have occurred. Every request for mortgage help was denied. Only given when it became mandatory due to XXXX related hardship. Which I suffered 3 times. Every other option I was told to file for, what would be considered first before modification never happened. I never received an email from lender in XXXX to my assistance portal stating I had new documents for my review on XX/XX/XXXX for payment trial option. It was held for 8 days before being mailed out to me from east coast to California. When default filed, notice to check portal sent right away. When application for assistance closed. Email sent right away to check new information for me. But no email notice for modification offered in XXXX or expiration date to complete repairs for underwriting. Planet Home Lending does not allow borrower assistance provided and wastes time for borrower to be successful in resolving mortgage issue. Why wasnt I given a date to have repairs completed by when loss XXXX said she was notified by underwriting they couldnt finish unless repairs all done and called me on XX/XX/XXXX. Instead she sent me new application to fill out again. At the time I didnt ask why new application sent. She said I didnt have to on initial call in XXXX offering modification. I got call after I complained with FHA headquarters and appeal requested when denying my application XXXX XXXX Planet Home Lending offers programs for mortgage assistance to avoid foreclosure. Yet they denied me option to make payments and notice of default not issued yet. Told me what they would be looking to review me for first, but none of those details surfaced, never posted payment trial offer on my portal to view on XX/XX/XXXX. Never called me. Just denied every application since. Except after appeal. Gave verbal offer. Then during call on XX/XX/XXXX same loss mitigation assigned to me was vague and not consistent from prior phone call offer. XXXX verbally my prior application denied because my XXXX not income thats considered for their requirements. Makes no sense. Why wasnt I given a new loss mitigation specialist and why was new offer not put in writing for me? Instead foreclosure process was being pursued and lender was actively lying to me when I would ask for information. Thats fraudulent behavior practices used by Planet Home Lending.