Consumer complaint received 2025-05-23 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — VA 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: MS

Complaint narrative:
Narrative Rebuttal CFPB Complaint # XXXX Submitted by : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXDate : XX/XX/XXXX, XXXXCFPB Complaint Number : XXXX My name is XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX , and I am a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX veteran, rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs . I reside in XXXX, Mississippi, and I have held a VA-backed mortgage through M & T Bank since XXXX. Over the past two years, I have taken every possible stepwithin and beyond the systemto seek help through authorized federal relief programs. In return, I have faced indifference, selective assistance, and ultimately, denial of my rights as a protected veteran borrower. 

In XXXX, I received assistance through the Mississippi Homeowner Assistance Fund ( HAF ). M & T Bank, fully aware of my hardship, participated in this process, helped validate my application, and ultimately accepted over {$49000.00} in public taxpayer funds to bring my loan current and cover several months of mortgage payments. This proved M & T knew I was in financial distress, knew the nature of my XXXX, and had the administrative infrastructure to handle federal mortgage relief programs. 

When the VA Servicing Purchase ( VASP ) program was launched in XXXXa federal program designed as a last-resort home retention option for veterans like meI promptly contacted M & T Bank . I informed them of the program, confirmed my eligibility with the VA, and asked that my loan be reviewed under VASP. The VA explicitly told me that only my loan servicer could initiate the VASP process. I relayed that to M & T Bank, but they told me they were unfamiliar with the program and would look into it. Despite multiple follow-ups, they never submitted the request. I was denied access not because I was ineligiblebut because my servicer chose not to act. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, the VASP program closed to new applicants. Because of M & T Banks inaction, I was permanently excluded from the one program designed specifically for veterans in my situationthose facing long-term hardship with no way to resume full payments. This was not an oversight. It was a business decision. 

M & T Banks XX/XX/XXXX response to my CFPB complaint fails to address any of this. They omit all mention of VASP, misrepresent the waterfall process mandated by the VA, and continue to describe my situation as a temporary hardshipeven though they know I am XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  and awaiting a Social Security XXXX hearing. They fall back on offering me another short-term forbearance, which only delays the problem and adds to my financial instability. 

Worse, they deny any wrongdoing, provide no documentation showing that VASP was even considered, and continue to report my mortgage negatively to credit bureaus despite the use of federal assistance funds to reinstate my account. 

I respectfully request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau : Reopen this complaint and conduct a full investigation, Compel M & T Bank to produce all internal servicing notes, including any records of communications regarding VASP, XXXX classification decisions, and any internal servicing waterfall evaluations, Compel production of any recorded customer service calls related to my hardship requests and VASP inquiries, from XXXX through present, Refer this matter to the VA Loan Guaranty Service and VA Office of Inspector General for further investigation into whether VA-backed loan servicing obligations were violated. 

As a XXXX veteran, I have upheld my obligations. I am asking the CFPB and VA to uphold theirs. 

Respectfully, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, MS XXXXVA Loan # : XXXXM & T Loan # : XXXX

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