Consumer complaint received 2024-03-20
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — Applying for or obtaining a modification, forbearance plan, short sale, or deed-in-lieu
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION (LA)

I contacted the mortgage servicer when I was only XXXX payments behind ( Fall of XXXX ). I asked for relief, but was told that I needed to be further behind to qualify for " hardship assistance ''. I was experiencing a temporary reduction in my income. So, I was advised by the servicer to stop trying to make payments if I was struggling, so that I could qualify for help. I though this was strange, but I complied. When I was about XXXX months behind, I was sent a deferral offer. Unfortunately, I was out of town for the holidays for an extended period and did not receive the letter until the deadline to accept had lapsed. Once I realized this, I began trying to reach the servicer to see what could be done to accept the offer. I was told that since I missed the deadline that I would have to submit a new request for assistance, which I did. This time, they requested numerous documents and financial information, which I gathered and supplied through their " loan solutions '' document center. As of XX/XX/XXXX, they sent me a letter through their " loan solutions center '' portal which indicated that my package was deemed complete. Since that time, I was told that my property had been scheduled for a sheriff 's sale. Apparently, this information was sent through the mail and not in the communication portal for the loan solutions center. I was shocked and upset to hear this. All I wanted to do was to put the past due payments at the end of my loan and resume making regular payments. I kept calling and emailing the servicer to check on the status of my hardship application because I did not want to miss any communication from them again. I kept reminding them of the sale date. They kept telling me that they were expediting my application since there was a scheduled sale and that I would have a decision on my application at least a week before the sale date so that I would have plenty of time to figure out what to do. As the sale date got nearer, I kept reminding them of the imminent sale and how stressed I was over this. I was given no options of what to do other than wait for a decision. Yesterday, I called again checking on the status. I was told that they had received the paperwork from underwriting and were contacting the lender and that they would expediate things. I asked to speak to a supervisor and I was told that they put in a note for a supervisor to contact me. Today, I still had not heard from anyone. I then received a letter in the " loans solution '' portal indicating that I needed to provide additional information, which was essentially the same information that I had previuosly provided. I was confused and upset by this and placed a call to the servicer. The servicer told me that my request for assistance had been denied and that they placed a letter in the mail today ( the day before the scheduled sale ). I was shocked and upset. I asked why there was no letter to this effect in the communication portal and I received no explanation for this. I also asked why I received a letter for me information if I had been denied. I received no explanation for this either. I asked what I could do to move the sale date due to this conflicting information and was told that there was nothing that could be done. I have been desperately trying to figure out what to do. I was able to borrow some money and send a payment through the online banking system, which is all that I could figure out to do, as it was too late to try to wire the money. I was told verbally that I would have to pay almost double of what I owed in past due payments to reinstate my loan, but that there was no guarantee that this would stop the sale. I am sick to my stomach. I am now in even more financail distress than when I came to the servicer seeking help. This is not what should have happened. I am distraught and XXXX XXXX.