Consumer complaint received 2018-04-09
Product: Mortgage — FHA mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — 
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (PA)

Hello my Name is XXXX XXXX I am the widow of XXXX XXXX XXXX Whom Passed away suddenly onXX/XX/XXXXat the age of XXXX years old,  we had no will nor was my name on the mortgage or deed for the reason being I was fighting for a workman '' s compensation settlement and when I got that My husband and I were going to buy another property in my name as an income and rent it out. Unfortunately my husband passed away before I got a settlement. When I called Chase to tell them my Husband passed away I asked them what I needed to do all they said was send a death certificate, I told them my name wasn't on the loan or the deed is there anything else I needed to do? They said NO just send a death certificate. Which I did right away. I borrowed money from my Mom at that time to pay mortgage ( My Mom is now deceased as of XX/XX/XXXX ) and called my compensation Lawyer and told him my husband passed and I need to take whatever they would offer me so I can keep a roof over my head. So in XX/XX/XXXX I got a settlement nothing of which I would of gotten if I kept on fighting due to my injuries I obtained at my job at a XXXX XXXX.So I continued to pay mortgage, I payed off a trustee payment early that my husband had because he filed bankruptcy due to falling behind on mortgage due his lack of XXXX  work in the winters here in the XXXX.He work  all year round when we lived in XXXX XXXX XXXX. We didn't know of lack of winter work in XXXX or we would of put money aside for the winter months. Well in XX/XX/XXXX my deceased husband received letter from mortgage company saying the mortgage was being raised almost {$200.00} which exceeded my income. So I called mortgage company to ask for help. They told me they couldn't talk to me because my name was not on the loan! I had been paying mortgage with check in my name solely for years and they wouldn't talk to me. I made a partial payment they sent it back. full payment only they said.So I kept on calling and asking for supervisors and finally got one that spoke to me to tell me what I needed to do.Which is what they should of told me back in XX/XX/XXXXwhen I called to tell them my husband passed away. On XX/XX/XXXXmy husband received this letter in the mail which upset me greatly, not to mention all the phone calls three to four times a day asking to speak to him because now I was behind on the mortgage.This letter which I will attach to this complaint thanked my husband for his inquiry about authorization to discuss mortgage loan with another party. they stated in letter they updated there records showing my husband authorized Me ( XXXX XXXX ) to discuss his account. REALLY So I called them and asked them for a copy of that letter they claim he wrote. I never got one of course because a deceased person can't write a letter after being deceased for 2 years and 11 months & if he did I sure would love to have seen it. So I went through the process to get a pro bono attorney since my income was so low from my SSI from my XXXX. I opened an estate in my husbands name and got what I was told is called a short certificate which gives me the right to sign documents pertaining to the home I still live in and gives the mortgage company the right to speak to me, I could sell home which I did try to do for three years the market being so bad I had no luck with that.I have applied for I can't tell you how many Loan Modifications I went to court every two to three months for a year fighting to get a modification.The lawyer representing the chase bank, kept telling the judge/ facilitator ( not sure if he was an actual judge ) Her Meaning me XXXX XXXX situation was different than most and they didn't know what to do with me? That's what he said in the court room each and every time we went. Finally the Judge/Facilitator said he wanted someone at the next hearing there from the bank. So yes the flew someone in and that lady said my income was too low to fit the guidelines so it made no sense to send her application to the underwriter. So that was the end of the court dates The judge/Facilitator looked me in the eye and said if I get paper from Social Security with my raised income prior to sheriff sale date I should immediately refile for a modification, In XX/XX/XXXXI received a letter of my income raise because I am XXXX I am eligible to collect on my deceased husbands Social Security which almost doubled my income so I quickly applied because Sheriff Sale was set for the end of XXXX. The sheriff sale was stopped, but since then I keep filing for modifications I give them EVERY Document they ask for and now all they keep saying is they want me to put my name on the deed first. I was told by lawyer the federal government does not require my name to be on the deed in order to be approved for a modification. So why is it they want my name on deed? Now I went to see my lawyer onXX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX   he told me I was approved for a modification but before they will give my lawyer or me the specifications of the modification I have to put my name on the deed.He has nothing in writing that I was approved nor do I, He received a phone call from XXXX XXXX at chase telling my lawyer I was approved and I need my name on deed before They will give us any specifications or move forward?? REALLY So I tried calling this XXXX XXXX 4 Times at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  well I never got this person not once the people I spoke to at chase now tell me they can't speak to me because I have an attorney. REALLY? I have had this pro bono attorney for years and they spoke to me before. My Lawyer told me to call them to see if I can get any answers my lawyer also told me to ask them if I put the property in my name and then I don't agree with whatever there modification specifications are, will the mortgage company accept a deed in lieu of foreclosure? Well mortgage company wouldn't speak to me, so I wrote a letter to the Mortgage company Attorneys sent it return receipt requested which I should of gotten a signature, so I would know who signed for it, all I got was a stamp with firms name on it and a date they received it.Which wasXX/XX/XXXX I or my Attorney hasn't heard anything from them I will attach the letter I wrote and the return receipt so you can see. I have been fighting tooth & nail to keep this house even in court once I was so sick and so upset I told the mortgage Attorney just give me back the money I paid into the home since my husbands passing minus the homeowners insurance and taxes and I will give them the keys to the house. His response was they can't do that, What I have learned in these many years of fighting to keep my husbands dream home alive is the mortgage company can do whatever they XXXX well feel like it and no one can stop them. I recently heard from my cousin her sister use to work for chase in there modification department she told me to file a complaint she said it can't hurt. I have developed may medical issues due to the stress over this house and all the stuff the mortgage company has put me through, you know I have sent them over 11 death certificates because when I would call they couldn't find it in there system, REALLY Where did they put them all?? Maybe it is with the letter my deceased husband didn't write them in XX/XX/XXXX that they claim he did.So Now I am stuck. Sheriff sale is coming upon and if I don't put my name I the deed I won't get a modification and if I do put my name on the deed if I turn down modification then the foreclosure will go on my credit report and I will NEVER be able to buy a home or even rent an apartment because they check credit reports now even for apartments, the mortgage company has XXXX me so badly!! I will not let them XXXX me with this, if the federal law states my name doesn't have to be on the deed then why can't they tell me the specifications of the supposed modification they say I am approved for. What is the big secret?? They now claim my deceased husbands owes them {$160000.00} plus on this home we owed {$81000.00} when this started in XX/XX/XXXX My husband purchased home for {$100000.00} that was including the closing costs he didn't have to put any money down when he purchased home. Now, If they told me what I needed to do back in XX/XX/XXXX when he passed away I would not be sitting here writing you or anyone. There lack of doing there jobs correctly has cost me XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  issues all from stress that I shouldn't even be going through. I have heard so many times they don't care where mortgage payment comes from they told me my neighbor can pay for all they care, I was told that. Okay but that law should be changed because is that why they didn't tell me what I needed to do when my husband first passed? They wanted to see how much money they can get from me first? When I got an attorney he told me technically I should of not paid anything on the home because technically I don't own it. I live in Pa which is the commonwealth state which I thought if the spouse passes away everything would go to the wife. Anyway I feel a great Injustice has been done to me! If I was told the right thing from the beginning none of this would of happened or be happening to me now, so I wasted all my compensation money on paying for a house I am told isn't mine I did A lot of fixing to the house through the years bathroom all redone, replaced gutters had to cut down trees driveway stones, etc. Now I don't have that money to use as a down payment on another home that '' s smaller. I know none of this is your problem either but my cousins sister use to work for Chase in there modification department and she told me to file a complaint. I want to know what the modification specifications are. This house is not worth {$160000.00} plus I owed XXXX on it when this issue began. The interest on the loan my husband took out is 7.75 % I was told by a woman that was helping me for a while from XXXX XXXX XXXX that the mortgage company can change the interest rate and give me the home for the value it is worth. anyway There is so much they have said and done to me in the many years of fighting to keep this home which I consider mine since I have lived here with my husband for 7.5 years and then I have continued to live here since his passing the home was purchased inXX/XX/XXXXso I have lived here for 17 years The homeowners insurance policy has been in my name only since my husband passed away they told me it had to go in my name because I couldn't carry homeowner 's in a deceased persons name, so if my name is on homeowners policy that the mortgage company still pays on, I renewed policy on XX/XX/XXXXand the mortgage company paid it. The homeowners and taxes was Incorporated with the mortgage at the time my husband purchased home. They still pay both. So If they are paying a homeowners policy that's in my name only how can they say this house isn't mine? How can they not tell me what the approval of modification is?? How do I even know that a real approval exists? I have no proof and my lawyer just got a verbal approval from XXXX XXXX @ Chase. Maybe this is just a lie so the house will go to sheriff sale and they win and I am homeless with my two dogs and a renter. I even rented out a room to raise my income to help my chances for an approval. can you help me in any way??? I am really at my wits end here I feel I am fighting a losing battle.So many  houses around me the people just up and left their homes before they were even given a notice They had family 's they were working so before that foreclosure would go on there credit report they up and moved someplace else and left their homes there are 5 homes on my side street I know they did that, they have all been sheriff sale and Repurchased and people are living in them now. Here I sit still fighting for mine!! I guess because I have no family to help they are all deceased My XXXX Dad passed in XX/XX/XXXXmy XXXX Mom passed inXX/XX/XXXX, my husband is passed and his mother has passed.So I am doing everything everyone asks me to do, fill out this form send in this paper over and over again and I am getting no where they has to be something wrong with this process I swear there has to be. People I tell this too can't believe the bank can do this to me and put me through all of this.Is there anyway you can help me?? I would Greatly Appreciate anything you can do!! Sincerely, XXXX XXXX