Consumer complaint received 2021-02-25
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage — 
Company: Onity Group Inc. (WA)

The first week of XX/XX/2020 I called into my mortgage company ( PHH Mortgage ) to gather information and steps about a re-cast process. 

I worked with the same XXXX XXXXXXXX the entire process. She guided me through the process and worked with me hand in hand, step by step as a liaison between myself ( the consumer ) and the PHH " research department / investors. '' In the early beginning stage of applying for a re-cast, the XXXX ( PHH XXXX XXXXXXXX ) and I have all calls recorded for PHH mortgage service reference. 
I had made it very clear that I was looking for my TOTAL MONTHLY mortgage payments each month with EVERYTHING INCLUDED to be {$1500.00} and {$1600.00} a month. 
At that time we discussed all that goes into a monthly mortgage payment ( escrow, interest, principle, etc. ) The XXXX and I were on the same page, as I repeated myself on broken record that I want to pay between {$1500.00} and no more than {$1600.00} each month, in REPLACEMENT of the TOTAL MONTHLY mortgage payment I have now ( {$2300.00} ). I made it very very clear that I wanted my end recast results to make my total payment each month to go from {$2300.00} down to $ XXXX {$1600.00} each month TOTAL, coming out of my auto pay. There was no misunderstanding between myself and the XXXX or XXXX department. 
The communication of my goals to recast and have a modification with PHH mortgage was clear between the XXXX and myself. 
She sent emails to the research dep. at PHH mortgage on my behalf, inquiring before I applied for the recast with her ; " What lump sum would I need to put down on the principle, to ENSURE my NEW TOTAL MONTHLY mortgage payment WITH EVERYTHING included would be coming out of my account between {$1500.00}, and {$1600.00}. This is TOTAL, escrow and all fees, everything included. '' The language and communication was VERY clear between this XXXX and myself. 
She was very professional and accurate all the way through the entire process with me. 

She told me I needed to now wait for their response in a formal letter in the mail, and that it would arrive in 1-2 weeks. I waited for the letter and received it from the research department stating that " If I put {$40000.00} down on my principle for a re-cast, I would bring my total monthly mortgage payments down to $ XXXX {$1600.00} a month. '' I then followed the directions I was given ( also took notes in a notebook of mine the entire process she gave me to follow to ensure I was doing everything on my end properly and accurately ) contacted the XXXX regarding the statement, and she CONFIMRED on her end that the escalations department replied to her in email as well, stating that {$40000.00} down on my principle would bring my TOTAL MONTHLY mortgage payment coming out of my account each month down to the amount specified above. 

I was given steps to take after this to request the recast. I was guided to email the research department ( as did the PHH XXXX on my behalf ), and then to wire the {$400000.00} to a financial institution in NY. 
I drove to my bank, paid {$35.00} to wire the recast sum on XX/XX/2020, paid another additional fee of {$50.00} for them to " receive the money '' on their end. 

The communication with myself and the PHH mortgage XXXX ( as well as a few other XXXX ) was on a weekly basis. 
I repeated my goals and what I was looking to do ( over and over ) to ENSURE there was no room for the research dep. to mess things up. 
Well, they did anyway. 

They communicated with the XXXX I worked with, as well as the supervisor in the XXXX XXXX. at the tail end. 

They received the money, and then sent me a final signature document in the mail requiring a notary stating that I will agree to the NEW modification amount of {$2100.00} each month, as result of this of the re-cast. 

WE DID NOT AGREE OR GO THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCES FOR MY TOTAL MONTHLY MORTGAGE payments to come out at {$2100.00} ( only {$200.00} less than what I pay now, after paying {$40000.00} on the principle ) and starting this entire Re-cast process by ASKING THEM what they want/need to make the total monthly payments **with everything ( escrow, interest, ALL ) included to be $ XXXX {$1600.00}! ** All the escalations managers I spoke with ALL AGREED with me that the communication with them, and with them to the research department was done correctly, and it was clearly communicated on both ends. They as a department agreed that they did everything correctly under policy of the company, and this outcome should not be happening, and they are very sorry and will appeal on my behalf and escalate this to the Supervisor. The XXXX XXXX then also advocated for me for to be corrected, to the right amount we worked on together as a team and agreed on. 

I see why PHH mortgage is a widely hated company and I want justice for myself and everyone else who is being lied to and taken advantage of. 
This is absolute fraud. The XXXX also apologized to me on behalf of their research dep. and had all agreed that what was being done to me was wrong. Its fraud. 

This triggered me to do research on this company that I did not choose, but was sold off to by XXXX XXXX. This PHH Mortgage company that has been around for 30 years has a D rating with the XXXX, has had 3 lawsuits by the Attorney Generals in 3 states in the last 2 years ; CA, FL, and GA for the SAME fraudulent UNETHICAL lying business practices they did to me during my recast request. 

The XXXX I worked with did everything correct, was professional, and followed company policy and followed through with all communications on my end and on the end of the research dep. 
This should NOT have happened. I did everything in my power to make sure I followed instructions and communicated clearly to get the end result of $ XXXX $ XXXX monthly mortgage each month. I am a single mom who has really been struggling with a XXXX son with no support. My father passed away unexpectedly and this money I put on my principle was supposed to be a GIFT from him! An honest man of integrity. This was supposed to be a BLESSING to HELP us during a time I desperately needed my mortgage payment to be lower and I DID EVERYTHING I WAS ASKED TO SAME DAY I WAS ASKED. PHH mortgage is a terrible awful group of investors and research department hurting innocent people and lives. They are fraudulent, uncaring, liars and a bad group of people the world could do without! 
Its too easy to follow through and DO THE RIGHT THING. DO WHAT YOU SAY AND PROMISE YOU WILL DO. I was raised to do the right thing in life. PHH mortgage lies and scams people who are already hurting. I hope this complaint gets sent to ALL the nefarious, greedy, fraudulent investors at PHH mortgage. 

The XXXX Department is a wonderful group who genuinely cares about the consumers they service. Each XXXX XXXXXXXX I spoke with throughout the process had genuine empathy for me and the situation and apologized on behalf of the research dep. mistakes/errors. The XXXX I worked with set at least 2 appeals on my behalf and involved her supervisor to help make the research dep/investors follow through with ethical and honest business practices, but they still refused. Instead all the XXXX was able to do as a result of this fraud and failed appeals by her and the escalations supervisor, is refund me the re-cast amount of {$40000.00}. I also firmly insisted they repay the {$85.00} of transfer fees I had to pay. 
I have received the {$40000.00} back, but have not received the {$85.00} yet. It has apparently been mailed to me. 

This company should not be in business and needs to be reported for their FRAUD in the state of WA ( similarly like they have been for CA, GA, and FL ). 

I wasted so much of my time, money, energy to have it all come back to me as fraud. 

Please contact me for more details as I have notes, time stamped, and the official recast letter they sent me asserting " If I paid {$40000.00} my total monthly mortgage payment with everything included would be $ XXXX {$1600.00} ''. They have lied to their own escalations department, made a fool of them as well as me. Their own Escalations department feels very sorry this was done to me, and AGREES this should not have happened, and it is wrong. 

Red flags all over this company for years and still holds true today. 
I am pursuing further action and would appreciate the attorney general for the state of WA to help us consumers who do not have a voice in this fraudulent malpractice mortgage company. 

WE need your help! This issue needs attention and legal action taken. 

Protect innocent consumers and may justice be served on those who seek to hurt others for their own personal financial gain.