Consumer complaint received 2025-10-16 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — Applying for or obtaining a modification, forbearance plan, short sale, or deed-in-lieu
Company: Ocwen Financial Corporation
State: IL

Complaint narrative:
At some point in the past year I had fallen behind on my mortgage due to medical issues and required surgeries. ( PHH Mortgage is the company I was transferred to and were not my choice and have been my servicing company during this entire time. ) The letter of late payment and Loss Mitigation notice noted I could fill out a deferment request by calling them. I did call them and they sent me the application for the deferral. I filled out the application and submitted it. They then asked for documents, which I did provide, however, according to them I submitted them past a deadline, that I was not made aware of at any point in the process. They said I would have to apply again. 

So I applied again, submitted all the paperwork again. XXXX, when I called them, they said my bank statements and paperwork were confusing and underwriting could not tell how often or the amount deposited for child support was made. My bank statement clearly shows a XXXX  a month deposit schedule ( direct deposit from the state ) and the amount is always the same, which I had highlighted for them! Above and beyond, I had also submitted the legal document signed by the court with the fixed schedule and amount for XXXX  XXXX to be paid. When I had called them for an update, this is when they told me they could not understand the schedule or amount of XXXX XXXX. I was not allowed to speak with my account rep nor any other person qualified to handle my account or request. Just a woman who read me the notes from underwriting, which might I add she read incorrectly and read me an old note and and told me that was it. Had I not insisted multiple times that was an old note, I would have left it there and never known. Well, turns out underwriting needed me to submit an explanation, which I did. They called ( again, outside of our scheduled call ) and said they needed the most current bank statement, which was XXXX of XXXX, which I provided via email literally during that same phone call on XX/XX/XXXX. When I spoke to this representative XXXX, at a later date ( XX/XX/XXXX ) he informed me that the deferral was denied because I had not provided my most recent bank statement, as asked. However, I did in fact submit them, on the XXXX of XXXX. He checked his documents and notes and told me that yes, it was their mistake and they did have them and had them in time. But, unfortunately, I had no choice by to apply AGAIN because the window for this application had closed. Even though the error was on their end. XXXX told me to sign the application again and date it and resend. 

Frustrated, I applied again that same day XX/XX/XXXX and the application was marked complete for the first time and sent into review some days later. In the mean time, I had received multiple loss mitigation letters and early intervention letters and collection phone calls from PHH. Worried about foreclosure, I made my most recent payment on XX/XX/XXXX as soon as I was paid from my place of employment. Today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) I received a letter from PHH ( dated XX/XX/XXXX ) that my deferral request was approved and I could accept by calling to accept. I call and they told me because I made a payment on XX/XX/XXXX I no longer qualified for the deferral and it was rescinded because I was no longer late enough on payments to qualify. The letter is dated XX/XX/XXXX and I was notified via email on XX/XX/XXXX ( today ) regarding the deferral. No one informed me to stop making payments nor that I had to be XXXX days behind on the mortgage. So, now he tells me I have to apply yet again, for the XXXX  time to be considered for the deferral even though my mortgage is XXXX  months past due with the payment in que now being due XX/XX/XXXX and I have also missed XX/XX/XXXX. I asked this man if I needed to stop making payments in order to be XXXX days behind if I applied again and he told me he could not advise me on what to do with my mortgage payments. If this is a REQUIREMENT then it should be clearly described to the customer that being XXXX days late is the only way you can be approved. 

Above and beyond the ways they keep finding to prolong this process, each month I accrue a late fee and my credit is negatively effected. I will also say that we have " scheduled '' multiple calls throughout these XXXX applications ( months and months ) because that is the ONLY way you can speak to your rep, and if you miss a call and call back they will not allow you to speak with anyone that can help, even though his message in voicemail says you will able to speak with a qualified colleague if he is not available. No one who answers is qualified to help nor will they transfer you to someone who is qualified. They will " schedule '' another call that is a week or more from that date, which is obviously so you will be past your deadline ( that they do not tell you that you have ). 

Regarding the scheduled phone calls, regardless of when they are scheduled, my rep, XXXX, would call me a day before, hours before, hours after, any time but for when that call was scheduled, XXXX, obviously to ensure that you miss the call from them and get delayed by waiting another week to be able to speak with them. 

If you look at their website " dashboard '' you will only see the amount of XXXX payment due, in green, regardless of how many are actually due/past due. I believe this to be predatory. By falling behind, not only do you accrue late fees to benefit them, but your credit will decline giving you significantly less probability that you will be able to obtain a loan/mortgage elsewhere. I was denied a XXXX for this very reason. By ensuring that you miss their calls by calling outside of the scheduled timeframe, do not allow you to speak with anyone who is qualified help when you call them, schedule appointments weeks apart, do not inform you of due dates, fail to review the provided documents correctly as required by their profession-and assumably their license ( underwriting ), they further ensure you never truly complete the process nor obtain the loan deferral. When I spoke to a " supervisor '' today XX/XX/XXXX, ID XXXX XXXX he told me he could not contact their own underwriting and that he had to send an email and wait an unknown amount of time to see if I was still in review for a loan modification, even though I had already been approved for the deferral yesterday XX/XX/XXXX. I know this is yet another " issue '' to ensure that another month goes by with me not being able to successfully obtain the deferral. He informed me that my option for deferral was now closed unless I applied again. 

Without a doubt, PHH Mortgage is predatory in ALL aspects ranging from their website to customer service, to modification/deferral requests. I did not choose this lender, my mortgage was transferred/sold to them. I would never have intentionally utilized them by just reading the reviews online, alone. 

It is my belief that this company should face legal action by the reviews and complaints I have seen that are similar, if not identical to my situation. I did not have to dig at all to find these same issues, they are clearly noted by customers on all platforms, including your agency, via a single, quick XXXX search. 

I ask that you please take action against PHH Mortgage, a predatory lender, for a variety of issues. The consumer should be protected from them or allowed to request/demand their mortgage be transferred elsewhere. These types of predatory practices should not be allowed to continue.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation