Consumer complaint received 2016-11-22
Product: Mortgage — Conventional fixed mortgage
Issue: Loan modification,collection,foreclosure — 
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (IL)

I was working and paying the assessment and XXXX fees on my condo for seventeen years without fail up until this year. In XXXX of this year I was XXXX and had to be XXXX. I had XXXX and began the process of learning XXXX that the XXXX. I had beeen working as a retiree to pay my bills including my mortgage and XXXX because my XXXX had steadily increased over the years. I was hoping to sell the condo but the housing crisis negated this. My condo value had dipped below the mortgage amount. I was also trying to wait out this housing crisis but my XXXX prevented it. I was advised to move to a single level dwelling or a building with an elevator. I kept digging into my modest retirement XXXX to supplement my small pension in order to pay my mortgage. After awhile I decided that I needed to move ( per my physicians recommendation ) to save my life. I have a XXXX Condo on a high second floor. I live alone. I can barely get up the more than XXXX steps to my apt XXXX And move around in my home. 
I was advised to pursue a deed in lieu mortgage modification to get out and not risk my safety and health. I contacted a XXXX certified Mortgage advisor. They were surprised that I was applying even though I was not in default. Many others advised me to stop paying and save my money. I thought that was unethical. I wrote a letter that was attached to my loan modification application explaining my hardship. After a month of submitting it JP Morgan Chase ( bank servicing my loan ) denied my application stating that I could afford the mortgage. They never mention whether or not they considered my hardship. They gave me the right to appeal within 2 weeks. I did appeal reiterating my hardship that they did not address in their denial. They informed me a week later that they were sending my file and appeal to their corporate office. Two weeks later the corporate office at Chase denied my appeal stating that my debt to income ratio was 54.77 % and the requirement was that it be 55 %. They stated that since my numbers were so close to the requirement that they were contacting XXXX ( the investor of my loan ) to allow them to decide. They said it may take 30 days or more. 
In the meantime I put my condo on the market, with no offers so far. I decided to preserve my life and health by trying to find a safe place to live. I stopped paying my mortgage, and began receiving letters from another dept at Chase ( debt collections ) offering solutions for preventing them from foreclosing on me. I called them and told them that I had already applied for loan modification and been denied and was waiting to hear back from Chase and/or XXXX. They informed me that my file had been closed by Chase when they denied my application for modification, back in XXXX 2016. I did not know that they had closed my file after the denial. They also stated that since I was now in default I might stand a better chance of approval. This makes no sense to me. I also called XXXX and their representative agreed with Chase that I should now reapply.. Thay also stated they had no files on me from Chase and that they do not keep files on clients. Their best advice was to reapply all over again. This has caused me great stress, which I do not need. It appears that they are waiting for me to die instead of attempting to help me at such a crucial time in my life. 
When the banks were ailing we helped them out to save them. I was and still am a tax paying citizen. They seem to have amnesia about how we bailed them out. 
I am asking for your assistance in this matter in order that I may live the time I have left in safety and security, like the security that Chase and XXXX now enjoy.