Consumer complaint received 2022-06-16
Product: Mortgage — FHA mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — 
Company: RUOFF MORTGAGE (IN)

I purchased this home in XXXX of XXXX. Shortly thereafter COVID locked down the country and I took a 20 % pay cut. I contact Ruoff and advised them of the situation. They offered a Forbearance and I accepted. The Forbearance began XXXX of XXXX. I was actively looking for a job that would bring me back to my normal salary so I could start making my payments again. I contacted Ruoff in XXXX of XXXX explaining I had just started a new job but would need an extension of my forbearance due to having to dig out of the 20 % salary cut, I was told that the extension would be approved and to contact them again in 6 months. I lost my job XX/XX/XXXX due to COVID layoffs and called and advised Ruoff of the situation. The representative I spoke with stated that my forbearance hadnt been approved due to the rep misunderstanding my situation and coding the forbearance request incorrectly. She then submitted the forbearance and it was approved. I was able to secure a position remotely in XXXX of XXXX. That position was a $ XXXX pay cut but it allowed me to work from home so I could take care of my children. I contacted Ruoff again and advised them of the change in circumstance. The forbearance continued until XXXX of XXXX. In XXXX shortly before the forbearance ended I spoke with a gentleman at Ruoff, I explained that I was unsure if I would be able to keep up with the payments due to the job loss and the new job that I had taken. I also explained that I was actively looking for a new position which would pay me what I was making pre-COVID. The gentleman and I spoke for upwards of an hour. I was very distraught and made him aware that I did not want to lose this house. I explained everything to him from the begging of Covid until XXXX. He told me I was no longer able to move the past due or differed amount to the end of the loan and that I would have to submit a full loan modification package. I told him I wasnt sure if I would be able to make a payment from XXXX ( when the forbearance ended ) until XXXX. He told me that was fine and that the department handles the loan modifications are extremely backed up and I wouldnt receive the package until XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX anyway. I asked if this would put my home in jeopardy and he told me no. XXXX and XXXX roll around and still no packet. I contacted Ruoff numerous times from XXXX to XXXX always waiting on hold for an hour or more or being disconnected multiple times. Should I of called more, yes but I doubt I would of ever been able to speak to a human in less than an hour. I was also taking care of a XXXX yr old and a XXXX yr old all the while working 40 hours a week. I finally was able to get through to someone mid-march of XXXX and was told they had not gotten to my loan yet and once they did I would receive the loan modification packet. I explained I had just started a new job in XXXX of XXXX and that I was making what I was making pre-covid and asked if it was possible to fill the forms out online. I was told no and I should expect to receive them shortly. Fast forward to Late XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I get a notice from an attorneys office with Ruoff listed as the debt collector. That was on a saturday. I call Ruoff that Monday, they stated I was in foreclosure. I explained that I called in XXXX and again in XXXX XXXX and was told that the loan modification paperwork was being mailed. She said they had no information that I had requested the loan modification nor does she show I spoke to someone in XXXX, that my home was now in foreclosure with a sale date of XX/XX/XXXX. I asked how that could be and she said I should of called them. I tried to explain the situation and all she could tell me was I am in foreclosure and that I would need to fill out the loan modification paperwork. I explained to her that I never received any mailings or contact from them other than my monthly statements, tax and insurance payout receipts. I also explained to her that I applied for HAF back in XXXX when the applications opened. I was waiting for the process to be completed since there is such a backlog there as well. She said I should of called them back or answered my phone. I asked when they called and she said numerous times. For one reason or another all Ruoffs calls are flagged as spam by my cell phone provider. This has been the case since I took the mortgage back in XXXX of XXXX. She basically told me that was not their fault. I sent an email to Ruoffs leadership team explaining all of the above and have been " working '' with a gentleman however, there is no urgency adn I have not received any answers from Ruoff as to why the ball was dropped and what the plan of action is to correct this. People are driving by my home daily, taking pictures, stopping, etc... we live on a dead end street. My children are seeing these people. It is absolutely humiliating and is causing undue stress to my family. With this being my first mortgage I didnt know any better. Now I do. I know to follow up consistently until i get what I asked for. I know to not depend on a customer service agent to do their job. I also know that due to the fault of Ruoff my home is now in foreclosure. I did file a complaint with the XXXX  and was advised by XXXX to let it close out since he is working with me directly. I did just that. I received a message from them on my complaint stating they sent me numerous emails, letters and left voicemails. They did not. I had missed calls with no voicemails. I had mailings of my statements and paid escrows. I had no email communication with them whatsoever. They never did their due diligence to contact me and they never advised me of my rights as a consumer that had been implemented to protect home owners against foreclosure. They did not due their due diligence.