Consumer complaint received 2021-09-08
Product: Mortgage — FHA mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — 
Company: Onity Group Inc. (SC)

Due ro Covid 19 we lost income and in XX/XX/XXXX requested a forbearance on our OCWEN mortgage. We were granted the forbearance and were told that we had to undergo a mortgage modification. Or we would have to pay, in full, the months that our loan was in forbearance. Due to the hardship this was not possible so we had to comply with a loan modification. 
In XX/XX/XXXX, during the modification process we were asked to complete, sign and have notarized multiple documents. We complied immediately and paid to have the documents overnighted back to OCWEN. Several weeks later OCWEN contacted us via telephone and said our modification paperwork was notarized incorrectly and that all of the paperwork needed to be redone and that the notary had to print our names separately and completely. For example, the notary printed our names as XXXX and XXXX Doe. OCWEN said in order for our paperwork to be correct the notary needed to be print our names as XXXX XXXX  and XXXX XXXX. We completed this paperwork and had it notarized again per their new specifications. 
On the same exact day the new paperwork was received by OCWEN they denied the loan modification due to our paperwork being initially incorrect. We called OCWEN and tried to speak with someone who could help us and who would see that the additional paperwork they requested had been received before the cut off date. We were told that we had to make an appointment with a Specialist to discuss any options we might have other than foreclosure. We requested an appointment and were told it would be in three weeks time and that there was no one else we could talk to. 
During the time we tried to make payments on our mortgage but were told that because the modification was denied they would not accept payments and if we did pay it would not go toward any of the forbearance amount nor would it reflect as a payment in their system. We were told this repeatedly over XXXX XXXX. 
In XX/XX/XXXX we finally were able to speak with a Mortgage Specialist. Our Specialist could not answer why our modification was denied even though we complied every request within the time limit. She said our only option was to appeal the denial, which we did. 
In XX/XX/XXXX our appeal was granted and we were told that the Loan Modification process could proceed and that we could begin to make monthly mortgage payments starting on XX/XX/XXXX. At this time they increased the mortgage payments by {$200.00} and said that this was due to rising interest rates. 
We have made our payments for XXXX, XXXX, XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX OCWEN requested that proof of a XXXX Satisfaction be sent to them in order to complete the loan modification. On XX/XX/XXXX we emailed the lien satisfaction paperwork. Our Mortgage Specialist contacted us via telephone on XX/XX/XXXX and said the Modification Department would not accept the proof of Lien Satisfaction and that they would now need the lien expunged from our record. On XX/XX/XXXX we contacted the State of SC and requested that the satisfied Lien be expunged. On XX/XX/XXXX I received an email from the State of SC saying the record had been expunged and we would be receiving a formal letter stating as much. 
On XX/XX/XXXX we sent the expungement information and a copy of the email from the stare to OCWEN. this same day we were approached by a woman outside of our home, she was taking photos of our home and said that the mortgage company sent her. I immediately called OCWEN and were told that as of XX/XX/XXXX our home was under a notice of foreclosure. We have not received any such notice and we were complying with a new request for documentation. We were unable to speak with a Mortgage Specialist and were told that the next available appointment to talk with anyone that could help us work be on XX/XX/XXXX. We then asked to speak to a supervisor to see if we could find out why the Loan Modification Department asked for additional documentation and filed a notice of foreclosure on the same day. This is exactly what the Loan Modification Department did in XX/XX/XXXX. They denied their Modification the same day they received the new paperwork they requested and now they are denying the modification on the same day they requested new documentation. We have complied and completed every request in a timely manner and it does not matter. 
Additional, on XX/XX/XXXX we were able to speak with a supervisor at OCWEN. He apologized for the lack of communication and agreed that everything we had been asked to do was done. He then asked us if we wanted a forbearance due to our continued COVID-19 hardship. We were not even aware of this option was available as we were told by OCWEN that the hardship forbearance we received from XXXX XXXX XXXX was the limit. The supervisor we spoke with said that the forbearance would stop the foreclosure process and would buy us some time to try and figure out exactly what the Modification Department had done. Again, we asked to speak directly with the Mortgage Specialist assigned to us but were told that her next appointment was not until mid XXXX.