Consumer complaint received 2015-04-03
Product: Mortgage — Conventional fixed mortgage
Issue: Loan servicing, payments, escrow account — 
Company: Onity Group Inc. (LA)

Dear CFPB Representaive ( s ) ; First, thank you for making the platform for delivery of complaints accessible via the internet, and for making it so user-friendly. 
My drama began approximately seven years ago when Ocwen Loan Servicing began servicing my home loan. Still recovering from the impact of XXXX XXXX and a direct strike from a XXXX born out of the storm, the Mortgage Crisis was beginning. Michigan XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX and finally Ocwen, each, took over my home loan. 
Somewhere in the process my loan was put into a 30-year fixed loan. That was the good news. 
But, despite my pleas to handle my property tax and hazard premium payment myself, Ocwen demanded escrowing the funds. My town - XXXX XXXX, LA - requires property tax payments at the beginning of the year instead of year-end, like most municipalities. Despite repeated letters to Ocwen, my property taxes began accruing interest and penalties, and finally, after many years of letter writing warning Ocwen about the potential problem, I discovered Ocwen had n't even been paying my property taxes at all. And, my home and property were sold at a Tax Sale. ( attachment ) Only last month, in XX/XX/XXXX, did I finally find a change to my escrow account on Ocwen 's webpage. The glaring and abrupt increase in my escrow account and the increase in my monthly mortgage payment were tell-tale signs something had changed for the worse. 
And, to make matters worse, my home suffered a total loss from a fire on XX/XX/XXXX. A plug-in fragrance and night light device was the cause. 
But, already losing my home and most of my possessions to this fire, I was forced to continue arguing with Ocwen Loan Servicing about the Delinquent Tax Bills they had not paid, but they had escrowed my payments for over the years. In other words, they took my payments for XXXX XXXX, but Ocwen did n't pay the taxes. 
Then, the last straw was laid upon my already stressed existence. Ocwen withheld proceeds from my Hazard Premium for over thirty days from receipt of my funds. Ocwen played game after game slowing the release of even one dollar to help me rebuild my home. Had it not been for an XXXX, we would have suffered nearly 90-days with nothing. Still today, I have to argue constantly with Ocwen to release funds for reconstruction. And with 92 % of the work complete, only 66 % of the funds have been released. Today is XX/XX/XXXX. The XXXX was XX/XX/XXXX. Nearly seven months and still Ocwen withholds funds. About three weeks ago, Ocwen Loss Department called me to inquire about my percentage of completion of construction from the fire. We agreed they should send an inspector right away. The inspector showed up last week, but she forgot to bring the paperwork. Three days later she emailed me requesting I print he email, sign the form, scan the document and email it back. Perhaps, not having experienced a total loss from fire, she did n't realize fires do n't leave one 's computers and printers functional. 
Looking at the number of documents Ocwen required before release of XXXX penny of the Insurance proceeds, some docs requiring notorization then discarded by Ocwen as unimportant, one ca n't imagine the burdeon placed on victims by their mortgage companies. But, I 've never heard of a mortgage company being as heartless as Ocwen. I know the documents were useless because despite everything I returned, Ocwen asked for other documents which were n't even in the original packet of docs that needed to be completed. Ocwen just wanted to hold the funds, Recently, it was newsworthy that Ocwen 's CEO stepped down from his lofty perch. I used to think my problems with Ocwen were somewhat unique, but once the news broke I learned that Ocwen had been hurting many, many others. More