Consumer complaint received 2018-01-16
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — 
Company: NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC (VA)

Our problem started in XX/XX/XXXX when we tried to lower our interest rate with our mortgage company XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX. We were told that we could n't reduce our rate, at the time 7.85 %, because " we did n't miss any payments. '' We could pay XXXX, which we did n't have, to refi. XXXX/XXXX suggested we miss two payments to trigger a modification. In month three, we tried to make a payment and it was denied because we were in modification review. Six months later, our request was denied because of " lack of paperwork ''. We resubmitted and went through the process for another six months to be told the same thing. It was at this time that we found out that the fax machine at XXXX/XXXX was set to only accept 20 pages at a time. Our package was 75 pages. This time we overnighted the package to them and waited again. We hired a private mortgage specialist to help us and a modification was agreed to. Before we sent the signed document back, we were informed that our loan had been " sold '' to Nationstar, a sister company. Nationstar said they had no documentation of our modification and sent us a bill for {$150000.00}. We had to reapply for a modification and it was approved with our loan increasing by the {$150000.00}. Meanwhile, because of stress and dealing with this problem, I lost my job. Our bills and mortgage payments stacked up until we had to file for bankruptcy in XX/XX/XXXX. We came out of backruptcy early and began making payments again until I lost my job again as a XXXX XXXX. We had to get another modification in XX/XX/XXXX because of the payments not covered in bankruptcy. We had to send Nationstar proof that we had made payments to them with reports from our bank showing the payments were made and that they had accepted them. During the modification, they added the amount to our existing loan. In XX/XX/XXXX, we tried to catch up by paying over {$41000.00} to Nationstar in XX/XX/XXXX. This time, my employment contract ended and I was n't employed again until XX/XX/XXXX. We contacted Nationstar, now Mr. Cooper, and were told that we were in foreclosure and that we owed XXXX in back payments. We asked what could be done and they said they would try to lower the amount. We called back on XX/XX/XXXX and the amount had increased to XXXX. We again asked for relief and were told to call back. On XX/XX/XXXX we called them to find out that reinstatement was now XXXX. We contacted the foreclosure attorney and asked for the copy of the cure notice stipulated in our agreement that said that we would have 30 days to respond once it was received per the suggestion of an attorney. 

Today, XX/XX/XXXX, I called Mr. Cooper to ask what could be done. I talked to three people increasing in the management level. We were told that the reason that our reinstatement was so high is that our new payment amount increased to {$6700.00} per month and a 7.85 % interest rate. This is what it was nine years ago! So, this many years later, our credit is ruined, we have the same interest rate ( while prime quoted from some banks is 4.0 % ), our total amount owed is now {$810000.00} ( increased by $ XXXX from when we started ), we are facing foreclosure on XX/XX/XXXX, and we will lose everything. Our savings is gone. I have no retirement and now no home. We wanted to pay down our loan now that we are all employed and sell the house to move to something smaller. We could n't qualify for HARP because Nationstar/Mr. Cooper added the $ XXXX to our loan of $ XXXX and we were over the qualification maximum. 

I am not sure if a crime was committed, but common decency was definitely violated. All we wanted was to have a lower interest rate and keep our home in XX/XX/XXXX. Now, we are days from being homeless.