Consumer complaint received 2022-06-16
Product: Mortgage — VA mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — 
Company: Dovenmuehle Mortgage, Inc. (FL)

We have a VA loan and our servicer is XXXX. Our property is in Maryland and currently being used as a rental property, we occupied it for 2 years and got PCS orders elsewhere, as I am XXXX XXXX XXXX We intend to reoccupy the property in 2 years when we get sent back to the area. 

We were in forbearance last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and our renter who stopped paying rent. We were unable to evict, due to restrictions at that time. We were in forbearance until XXXX of this year, when the tenants lease was up and they vacated the premises. We have received a minimal amount of back rent from the tenant per month which has gone to making repairs to the property that she destroyed to the tune of {$14000.00}. We are in the process of filing legal action against the tenant due to the amount of destruction. 

We were told from XXXX representatives all last year that with the VA loan, we just needed to modify the loan to roll the missed payments into the end of the loan. We have several recorded phone calls stored of different representatives telling us the same thing in that regard. 

XX/XX/XXXX- we call the company to get out of forbearance. The rep told us to make a payment in XXXX and then we could modify our loan. 

XX/XX/XXXX - Made a mortgage payment. We submitted our loss mitigation application for the first time verbally because of what our customer service rep said. No paper application was sent at this time. On the XXXX we received a letter in the mail dated on the XXXX saying we were in default. In addition to that, on the same day, we received 4 pieces of mail regarding our newly foreclosed on property. We called XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX line immediately to try and get this resolved. We made a payment on the XXXX for {$2000.00}. The customer service rep said they would look into it to figure out why we were put in default and not staying in Loss Mitigation. On XX/XX/XXXX we called back to see if anything was resolved it wasnt. Nobody could tell us why we were in default status. We requested that they transfer us back into Loss Mitigation. We fought with them on this until XXXX, even citing VA guidelines. During the phone call on XX/XX/XXXX, they told us that we needed to start a two-step plan The first option was to roll the forbearance into the end of the loan and continue payments as normal. The second option was having the VA pick up the difference while the loan continued and then at the end of the loan we would have to make payments to the VA to make up the difference. We verbally requested a loan modification to utilize the first option. The customer service rep acknowledged that and said that our application to a loan modification was complete. We did not fill out anything at this time. It was a verbal application On XX/XX/XXXX we called back in to get the default status resolved. At this time, we were receiving foreclosure notices daily. Nothing was mentioned on our loss mitigation application, we were told everything was fine on that front. On XX/XX/XXXX we called back in to get the default status resolved. Same situation, no updates, nobody could tell us why we were in default. 

XX/XX/XXXX - Made a mortgage payment. On the XXXX we called again to figure out the default status. Per the letter that they sent, on XX/XX/XXXX we would be foreclosed upon. The customer service rep said to call back in XXXX hours. This went on for days. On XX/XX/XXXX we submitted a complaint to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau because the company was of no help and was dragging their heels on giving us any answers with the clock ticking down to foreclosure. Every customer service rep would tell us our systems are down or well call you back and never did. On XX/XX/XXXX we called and spoke to a woman in customer service who told us that they were reaching out to the VA to cover the debt the option that we DID NOT want to pursue. We told her that was incorrect and we spoke to a gentleman back on the XXXX of XXXX to roll the payments into the end of the loan with a loan modification. At this point the entire process restarted and she had to resubmit the two-step process into the system. XX/XX/XXXX we finally got ahold of a higher-up who admitted it was a mistake on their end in putting us in default and that we never should have left loss mitigation. No apology from the company, but they verbally admitted on a recorded line that it was a mistake. We received a loss mitigation packet in the mail ( finally ) to fill out and submit to get the loan modification on track. We filled out their packet, emailed it back, faxed it, and sent it via certified mail. XX/XX/XXXX we made our monthly payment of {$2000.00}. 

XX/XX/XXXX - Made a mortgage payment. We were told our initial request for our loan modification was denied and had to be reevaluated because the monthly amount had changed. We had received no correspondence on our monthly amount being changed, just a statement back in XXXX showing a different amount and back in XXXX was also when the customer service rep had told us verbally not to worry about the amount being changed on the statement, and to keep paying the regular amount of {$2000.00}. To us, it feels like the company continued to drag their feet and make excuses to delay the modification time and time again because interest rates were skyrocketing at this point. The monthly amount due was changed to account for escrow. To this day, we have YET to receive any formal correspondence from the company on changing our amount for any reason. XX/XX/XXXX we made our payment of {$2000.00}. We re-filled out the loss mitigation packet and resubmitted it via email and certified mail. That got kicked back because we didnt sign every single page. So we re-filled it out, signed every single page and additional document they asked for, and resubmitted. At this time we submitted our tax returns for XXXX and XXXX, signed on the pages requested ; hardship statement ; XXXX checking statement, signed ; XXXX pay stubs, signed ; the loss mitigation packet, signed on every page ; and a copy of our home owner insurance. On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted another Consumer Finance Protection Bureau complaint as well as a XXXX complaint. We submitted these complaints because we were being lied to at every step, the company was dragging their heels, and it had been 3 months of us trying to modify this loan with on-time payments at this point in addition to having a bogus default over our heads that was a mistake. We knew we would not get any progress done unless we got higher individuals involved. 

XX/XX/XXXX - Made a mortgage payment. On the XXXX we had our loss mitigation packet kicked back for the third time because we didnt DATE every single page along with signing it. That same day, I received a call from a customer service XXXX who was looking to resolve our complaint. We outlined all of the issues we were having and we finally got access to the XXXX XXXX XXXX website where we could upload all of the documents we were trying to submit and visibly see the progress of our application. I was put in touch with a woman named XXXX who worked at XXXX as my point of contact to get this resolved going forward. We uploaded all of the same documents onto the portal. On XX/XX/XXXX, Consumer Finance replied to our complaint and XXXX XXXX offered us {$750.00} to forget the matter and never make a complaint against them again, which is laughable and sad. They also indicated that they sent us mail back in XXXX to try and resolve this- which is a lie. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX replied to our complaint with the same message, leaving out the {$750.00} compensation they offered on the Consumer Finance complaint. On XX/XX/XXXX, a letter was uploaded to the online portal saying additional items were needed ( rental agreement for our place in Florida, homeowners insurance statement ( which we already sent ), HOA statement showing were current, my pay stubs, and to continue uploading XXXX pay stubs and checking statements as we go. At this time, I did not upload anything because I was working with our HOA company to get a statement on our dues being paid. The HOA company had switched to a whole new company this year and I did not have access to any statements. They said to give them 10 days for the statement to come in via mail, which put it coming to my desk on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX we received a letter from XXXX XXXX saying our loss mitigation package was denied and the foreclosure process would begin. At this time I called my point of contact, XXXX, to figure out why the company sent us a denial stating we hadnt submitted the appropriate documents within their 37 day timeframe when weve very clearly been trying to get this resolved since XXXX. All she could tell us was to keep submitting the documents and she would get everything pushed back to the reviewer to make sure nothing else was needed. We submitted our rental agreement, a letter explaining I am a XXXX and do not have pay stubs or a YTD number ; the HOA statement ; the homeowners insurance statement ( again ). She said to call her back in a week If did not hear anything at that time, as it usually takes 24-48 hours. I called XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, exactly a week like she said. She told me the exact same thing Ill get it pushed back to the reviewed, it usually takes 24-48 hours. At this point it had been 6 business days. Asked to call her back again in 1 week. I called her XX/XX/XXXX and got the same thing, with attitude. It usually takes 24-48 hours. I explained to her that it had been 11 business days at this point and nothing has changed in our portal view and she said its because we got pushed back into the queue. She also explained that me not having pay stubs would be an issue. I explained to her Im a 1099, a NON-BORROWER on the loan, and we uploaded their required letter of explanation for any deposit over {$500.00} which clearly states that my paycheck coming in. I truly dont feel that my pay stubs should be an issue as a non-borrower when weve complied with every request of theirs to explain our income and statements. 

XX/XX/XXXX - Made a mortgage payment. We have done everything they have asked. We have contacted the XXXX  and Consumer Finance. They continue to drag their heels. We have made payments from XXXX with no issue. We have been lied to several times, we have been fraudulently put in default. They continue to put up road blocks to prevent us from completing this process and moving on from this. On XX/XX/XXXX I call XXXX again who let me know there's new documents that the reviewer needs : Letter of explanation for certain bank account charges, a XXXX YTD profit and loss statement from my job, letter of explanation for expenses on the main packet that we submitted back in XXXX, corrections to page 2 and 4 of the main packet that we submitted back in XXXX. She said to upload all of that and call her again in 5 business days if I didn't hear from her the next day. I did not hear from her the next day. We uploaded all of that the same evening, despite there being NOTHING from the company asking for those documents beyond XXXX herself. I called XX/XX/XXXX and asked to speak to XXXX, she said she was on a call and would call me back. She did not call me back. I called a total of 6 times on XX/XX/XXXX to speak to her with her direct line and she evaded every single phone call. To this day, there is no documentation on our portal asking for any of those documents and we have screenshot proof of that. We called and made our mortgage payment on XX/XX/XXXX and were told that our account was in collections because of the denial letter we received in XXXX. No one in this company is actually helping us, they are all dragging the process out to we have no choice but to foreclose on this property. We have proof that we have tried TIRELESSLY for 6 months now to resolve this. They have yet to help, they fraudulently put us in default, they put us in collections because of their own timeline and not sending us required documentation in a timely manner, and now they're dodging phone calls.