Consumer complaint received 2018-02-19
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — 
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION (OH)

After an error with fifth third 's direct deposit I found myself facing a possible foreclosure in late XXXX. My wife at the time was in charge of our finances and did not catch the error because she thought the payments were coming out automatically and we had plenty of money then so she didn't think twice about it. I submitted an application for assistance but it was taking so long to process that we had to borrow {$10000.00} from her father to pay of the back mortgage, fee 's, etc. My wife 's error in not checking our account unfortunately lead to the start of our divorce. Soon after we made the payment to the bank we went to check on the condo since we hadn't heard from our tenant. The tenant had received a foreclosure notice and had moved out. When she left she stole all of our appliances, ceiling fans, cabinet droors, light bulbs, ruined the carpet etc. I had no money to fix the place up so and going through a divorce so I could not make my payments. I submitted an application in XX/XX/XXXX asking for assistance. When it came back I called in to see if i could do a deed in lieu and the rep said he would process it. After that i received a letter that i didn't understand so I got my lawyer involved and he said we had til XX/XX/XXXX for a hearing. Then i received something in the mail in XX/XX/XXXX saying a hearing was completed and that my condo was being foreclosed. I then asked for help again, hired a realitor, and wanted to do anything i could to stop the foreclosure. The bank said i needed to submit another application for assistance so i did in the beginning of XX/XX/XXXX. My realitor received offers and kept calling to see if they would accept a short sale with waiver but no one would ever call her back. I had given her permission to speak on my account but no one would ever call her back. Finally someone called her back and told her that they needed another application for assistance by the end of the day. These applications are very time consuming and i had just submitted one less than 30 days ago. The original one i sent in had everything the needed so i felt like i was getting harassed at that point. I decided to take off work, fill out another application, get all the documents they needed and i sent it back over. I just got the results back and they are offering me a loan modification but there are 2 problems with that. 1. I received it Friday XX/XX/XXXX when i got home from work. It said that the decision was due by XX/XX/XXXX which was that Monday. Monday is a bank holiday so how could i get it back by then. My lawyer would not get a chance to review it and so on. Then the verbage said i needed to have everything in 37 days from the date of the foreclosure which had already passed. I feel like this was a cruel joke and after all i have been through it just broke my spirit. It said short sale and deed in lieu where not applicable because they had offered me something else. I specifically this entire time have been asking for a deed in lieu and if not maybe a short sale with a waiver. I have two friends both in the same situation and their banks had give one a short sale and the other a deed in lieu but here i am getting the run around and getting beat down by a bank that doesn't seem to care about a persons life or situation. 2. I turned in a budget and my financials to the bank. I don't have any money so the solution they offered me would not work since i don't have any money for any mortgage no matter what the modification was. Its like they didn't even read my application or hardship statement. I feel like i am being discriminated against. I paid twice what the property was worth before the market crashed, paid interest for 10 years, paid {$10000.00} cash, and when i couldnt pay the mortgage i hired a realitor and have a good offer on the property. Why is fifth third not willing to help me? How many other people get help. I paid every bill on time my entire life until this. I always tried to do the right thing and here i am about to file bankruptcy. The bank would get less in a foreclose so why wouldn't they accept an offer that we had gotten for the bank especially after understanding my situation. I am broken because of this and just want someone with some compassion and understanding to help me out. My hardship statement will be attached and also the letter i received from the bank giving me no time to respond back to them. I am also thinking about taking this to the media since i know people who received help that were way better off than me. I have done everything asked of me and devastated that i will have to file bankruptcy over this.