Consumer complaint received 2017-11-29
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — 
Company: Onity Group Inc. (OH)

My previous lender sold my mortgage to Ocwen and I have had trouble ever since. The interest rate is so high I am barely able to make payments and have been paying on this loan for years and have not made any progress toward the principle. I was 3 payments behind and attempted to make 2 payments. Ocwen refused to take the payments and demanded {$4100.00} to reinstate the loan, or {$4300.00} to reinstate the loan and pay all or any late fees and charges and this will bring loan current but must be paid prior to XXXX XXXX, XXXX or they will proceed with foreclosure. On XXXX XXXX, XXXX I went to my bank ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and had them wire transfer {$4300.00} to Ocwen. Ocwen would not accept anything except a bank transfer or XXXX XXXX. This transfer also cost me an additional {$25.00}. From this point I was told the loan would be current and my payments were back to normal ( non-loan modification amount ) $ XXXX. I was told that because the loan payments were 3 payments behind, we were no longer eligible to continue with the loan modification program. The representative said they would send me another loan modification package to complete and reapply if I am unable to afford the reinstatement amount in full by XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. 

Early XXXX I applied for the loan modification program to get a lower payment because I could not afford the monthly payments at that time. The payments were $ XXXX I believe, with the loan modification program. I am not even sure of the exact dates because the approval was given over the phone by an Ocwen representative, which I thought was strange. I was told there would be a balloon payment due at the end of the modification program of {$70000.00}. I know that I was unable to afford that, but I felt like I had no other options at the time and Ocwen was threatening foreclosure at that time. 

XXXX/XXXX/XXXX I received 2 large packets of papers from the XXXX XXXX Court that say Summons on top, and lots of legal jargon I do not understand. I was told by Ocwen that I had until XXXX/XXXX/XXXX before any foreclosure proceedings began. 

XXXX/XXXX/XXXX I received 2 copies of another packet from the Court saying XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

XXXX/XXXX/XXXX I received another letter from the XXXX saying XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX vs XXXX XXXX XXXX. I believe it is something about a lien on the property for taxes. The taxes were supposed to be changed and added into the escrow. 

XXXX/XXXX/XXXX Paid regular payment of {$820.00} via online payment. 

XXXX/XXXX/XXXX I called Ocwen to clarify the Court letter regarding the lien for property taxes. I was told that the taxes were paid and current and to ignore the letter from the Court! I also wanted to clarify that the loan was current including all fees and requested it in writing. The representative said they would not send letters or email confirmation with the information I requested. They also let me know that my next payment was due XXXX XXXX, XXXX and was {$900.00}. I questioned this because it was supposed to be {$820.00}. The escalations manager at that time told me the payment was more to cover the late fees. I said I paid all late fees and charges when I sent the larger amount {$4300.00}. He told me he would do a one time waiver of the late fees, which made me very angry as I paid these fees already. He put me on hold again to look into the larger payment more. He said that the extra money I wired from the bank was applied to the escrow instead of to the late fees. He said I was also accruing late fees while my payments were behind, during the period of which they would not accept any of my payments! I told him this is mismanagement of my funds and I was lied to! I insisted that I wanted this in writing, where my funds went, what they were applied to, all and any late fees, etc. He said he can not do that and he is sorry. I also requested in writing that I am no longer in the loan modification program because of the late payments. The escalations manager told me that I am still in the program and that there is still a balloon payment at the end of the program. I asked him why did the other escalations manager tell me I was no longer in the program, and that was why my payments were higher again, and that there was no longer a balloon payment? He said he could not answer that. 

XXXX/XXXX/XXXX I received a bill statement from Ocwen stating my minimum payment of {$1000.00} was due XXXX XXXX, XXXX. I called Ocwen again asking why this payment was so high, and that it was supposed to be the normal amount of {$820.00}. I was told that it was because of late fees. I told him that I paid all the late fees when I wired the {$4300.00}. I also explained that the last time I called the manager offered a one-time waiver of late fees, even though I already paid them! He put me on hold again ( they always put me on hold, each call is usually at least 30 min ). When he returned, he explained that Ocwen added late charges. I asked him late fees for what? I explained that I made the XXXX payment on time ( within the 10 days grace period )!!! He put me on hold again, and when he returned he said Ocwen added a home inspection fee. I asked why did they do that, and when did they do that? I requested this all in writing again and he said he can not do that. I also told him that I am still getting urgent letters from attorneys stating that my house was actually foreclosed on, and it was also listed in the local newspaper that it was foreclosed on. I requested a formal letter from Ocwen stating that the house was NOT foreclosed on and was also denied that letter! 

Each time I have questions or issues I get transferred to another Ocwen representative, which all say different things. The money amounts, late fees, charges, balloon payment, loan modification payments etc. are questionable at best. The fact that the only way of tracking this information if by me taking a representative identification name and number down and take notes of the conversation, is also questionable practices. I am not comfortable with Ocwen telling me to ignore Court documents. I told Ocwen that because of their questionable tactics and practices, I am currently suffering poor credit and am unable to refinance with a real bank! I complained that each time I speak to someone that they each tell me different things and I am honestly not even sure what to believe anymore when it comes to what they are doing with my money, how much my payments really are, and not even sure about this loan modification program. I feel that I need legal representation for this matter and am currently unable to afford it and feel like I am left with no other options but to continue to do whatever Ocwen tells me to do in order to keep my house. The years of stress from numerous automated phone calls each day for late payments, the always-changing stories from each representative, the lack of options and feeling like I had no other choice but to do a loan modification, the crazy high interest rate, these are some of the reasons I feel this company operates illegally and I am the victim of a scam!