Consumer complaint received 2024-02-03 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — VA mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — Applying for or obtaining a modification, forbearance plan, short sale, or deed-in-lieu
Company: Mr. Cooper Group Inc.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
In XXXX Covid-19 took the world by storm and affected many people. Many people lost their jobs while others had to adjust their work schedules. In XX/XX/XXXX, my wife fell ill from the XXXX XXXX and was sick for quite a bit. When she returned to work, she fell victim to XXXX reduction schedules and was immediately terminated without cause. For several months, we used our savings until it was depleted. 
I called Mr. Cooper loans to ask about my options as a customer. I was happy to learn about my options from Mr. Cooper. In XXXX of XXXX, I called Mr. Cooper loans to better understand my options. I was elated to find out I was granted 3 months Covid protection forbearance or what is known as VA Covid relief program. I was explained at the time, I would be given options at the end of the expiration period of the forbearance agreement. Those options at the end of the agreement would be, ( 1 ) have the payments put at the end of the loan and continue my payments, ( 2 ) have the payments broken up into 12 equal payments or, ( 3 ) a loan modification. However, at the end of the three month period ( XX/XX/XXXX ), I was told option 1 or the VA Covid Relief was no longer available to me. I was then asked if I could make a lump sum payment for the three months I was behind. I informed the Mr. Cooper representative it would not be possible for me to make three months payment at one time. It was at that time, I was given the only option to modify my loan. The representative initiated the modification process and informed me it would take 30-45 days to complete the process. I asked the representative if I should continue to make my monthly payments. The representative advised me not to make payments and to wait until the modification was complete. The representative said another reason I shouldn't make payments is because I wouldn't know what the new payments would be that would be set for me in the modification agreement. It seemed to make sense to me at the time. In XXXX XXXX XXXX, I had not heard from Mr. Cooper and I began to make phone calls to check on the process of the modification. I was informed the modification was still under review and I would be contacted if anything were needed of me. The process continued through XXXX of XXXX and it was during this month I believe it was first escalated because a representative felt it was taking too long. XX/XX/XXXX came and the modification still had not moved and another escalation was sent in. In XXXX of XXXX I was contacted by a Mr. Cooper representative for a collection call. I was appalled I was being called for payments during the modification process and I informed the representative of what I was advised to do by the previous Mr. Cooper representative. We began talking about the modification and I was wondering why it was taking so long. The representative took the time to do some investigating and not do the usual " escalate the modification ''. Upon her investigation, she informed me the original person who initiated the modification inputted the wrong account number associated with my modification which is why it was not moving. Once she corrected the problem, the modification began to move. From XXXX XXXX time, I must've completed my packet about 6 times or more. This process has been nothing short of horrific. Each time I completed my packet, Mr. Cooper would come back a week later asking for something I had turned in probably 2-3 times over. I became increasingly frustrated with the entire process. I repeatedly called and asked Mr. Cooper representatives for help and confirmed and reconfirmed if my packet was complete. Some of the representatives were even unprofessional and hung up on me while I was simply trying to understand the process. Today, I received my modification letter after enduring the long and grueling process and I was floored to find the proposed modification is over {$1000.00} more than I was paying. To go from 2.3 % interest to 7.1 % in a modification is absurd. I thought the purpose of a modification was to relieve the homeowners of financial stress and to help keep them in their homes. I trusted Mr. Cooper, VA and the American Government to help my family and I in a time of need. I followed the advice given to me by the Mr. Cooper representatives. Moreover, much of the delay was because of the Mr. Cooper staff and now it seems I am stuck holding the bill.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation