Consumer complaint received 2024-11-16 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — FHA mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — Trying to communicate with the company to fix an issue related to modification, forbearance, short sale, deed-in-lieu, bankruptcy, or foreclosure
Company: M&T BANK CORPORATION
State: MD

Complaint narrative:
My retired military husband was involved in a car accident and lost his civilian job as I, an XXXX, was still out from XXXX XXXXXXXX treatment, we started to fall behind on the mortgage. I then applied after several conversations and false sense of protection put the house in a forbearance status until our financial status changed to include new benefits. 
I spoke to M & T Bank almost weekly to biweekly and explained this was a short term process and our intent was to keep our home and it was occupied. On XX/XX/XXXX, I missed a phone call from M & T. Note their number comes up as unknown on caller ID. On XX/XX/XXXX M & T called and as normal, and verified status. She then told me that on XX/XX/XXXX they flipped our house to a foreclosure status and we would have to send {$18000.00} thru XXXX XXXX using cash only by XXXX EST. We should expect multiple transactions and fees. I immediately panicked. It was XXXX so no chance of happening that day. She then stated that I could call her in the XXXX to find out if an attorney was assigned. If NOT then I would still have the ability to send this money via XXXX XXXX quick pay to a Pasttrust with code city XXXX I called the following morning after I had called multiple XXXX XXXX to find this process out. I was informed in my area the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was down and they could not do that amount anyway. I was informed there are different limits, some {$800.00} and some up to {$7500.00}. XXXX only allows a person {$7500.00} in one month of XXXX XXXX transactions. XXXX explained that XXXX XXXX themselves would cut anyone off at {$10000.00}. 
I called the single point of contact team at M & T and they did not care. They insisted this was my only means for paying and suggested to travel all over town, even to the inner city to get this money to them. Use multiple people if needed. I verbalized I was not comfortable taking secured funds out to transfer thru a non secure system. They did not care. I was in tears. I begged to please give me another way to send money. We had had the funds for 3 weeks and my intent was to pay off in XXXX it to initiate bringing the account current. We had received our funds from social security back pay. 
They refused and we spent 4 hours on the road trying to find a location to perform this task unsuccessfully. 
The following Monday was XXXX XXXX but that Tuesday I called again to find out no attorney was assigned and the stipulated terms still stood. I explained that the XXXX XXXX were still down at certain locations. I explained that when I called XXXX XXXX it did not sound right and the questions were inappropriate. They did not care. The following day, Wednesday, called again no attorney with ignorance reinforcing the XXXX XXXX transfer was the only way again. I suggested a wire transfer from my cashless credit union to theirs, a cashier check, personal check directly to M & T, credit card payment and a debit/credit card payment. They demanded this was not allowed and a payment to them via XXXX XXXX was still the only option. I asked them to assign the attorney so I could just pay them, the answer was we cant do that I then called the attorney generals office of XXXX. They were so kind and concerned. They returned my call quickly and I was told XXXX did not have jurisdiction over M & T but NY did. I was advised to call NY attorney general in which I did and was directed to your site in addition to other actions I called back to M & T single POC and informed them of the calls I made and explained that offering only one means to pay was unacceptable and that XXXX XXXX themselves on the recording explains to never pay anyone this way, especially telemarketers/debt collectors as identified by M & T. The MD AG office stated they spoke to a XXXX XXXX who would be reaching out to meheard nothing and no employee knew him either. He does have a profile in XXXX On Thursday, after one week of being on an emotional rat race I decided the only work around would be to transfer the money to my dads M & T bank account only to have him pull the $ XXXX out then we could send the cash. Note he lives in XXXX, DE. 
On Friday, I go to my credit union and start to initiate this huge transfer. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was upset at my request and had never heard of this. At the same time, my dad went to M & T in XXXX and that bank was concerned and the employees also never heard of this demand. 
I had called just prior to leaving for the credit union to see if an attorney was assigned and it was not My dad got a M & T employee on the phone while present at M & T on three way with myself, husband and credit union. The M & T worker stated that there was no problem to take my personal check over the phone to bring my account current in which I did. 
She stated our house was back current and we would continue our mortgage as prior to forbearance. What a relief after an emotional nightmare for over a weeknot good for someone in remission. 
I called back to the same number after this was done to see what they would say since I was certain M & T had a breach and possibly calls were being rerouted. 
When the single poc answered she told me no attorney was assigned and I could still send the money via XXXX XXXX. 
Once I revealed that I had paid the balance over the phone to M & T she suddenly said oh yea, I just scrolled down and saw you made a payment The rational was b/c suddenly I was taken from a foreclosure status to in review. This could not be true since I reapplied on the XXXX over the phone to continue the forbearance. 
In closing, consumers must have more than one way to pay. To ask someone to carry over {$18000.00} in cash on them to make multiple unsecured transactions is unacceptable. 
I could not imagine an elderly or a person who does not drive to be in this situation, or to lose that amount of money in a lost wire transfer. 
M & T created a XXXX with XXXX XXXX. Please help me help others. 
I am the daughter, wife and mom of military members.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation