Consumer complaint received 2026-01-05 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage — An existing modification, forbearance plan, short sale, or other loss mitigation relief
Company: Rocket Mortgage, LLC
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
I am a surviving spouse and successor in interest on this mortgage. My husband, XXXX XXXX, passed away after multiple strokes and prolonged hospitalization following XXXX exposure in rehabilitation. 

Rocket Mortgage failed to inform me of my federal XXXX forbearance and widow protections under the CARES Act and related CFPB servicing rules. At no point was I advised that I was eligible for up to XXXX months of forbearance as a surviving spouse experiencing COVID-related hardship. 

Instead, while grieving and financially vulnerable, I used my husbands life-insurance proceeds to make excessively high mortgage payments. I later went into pre-foreclosure and was rushed through probate and into a mortgage modification as successor in interest. 

The modification did not reduce my payment, extended the loan term to XXXX  years, and provided no meaningful relief. Had Rocket Mortgage properly disclosed my forbearance rights when my husband died, this financial harm would have been avoided. 

In addition, a mortgage modification that increases your payment, extends the loan to XXXX  years, adds deferred principal, maintains that the loan must be kept in a deceased borrowers name while giving me no credit reporting benefit is not functioning as a legitimate loss-mitigation modification. 

I was told that I will not benefit from any credit reporting whatsoever and should they do that - then they would have to report any delinquent payments that occurred under my late husbands name to my credit report as well. Which clearly can not be legal. 

I feel as if I am being pressured to re-finance or sell - and the deferred payment will eliminate any profit from my XXXX % equity of XXXX. I was told that I am not eligible for a HEA even though I only have XXXX months until I am finally XXXX and will receive survivor benefits from my late husband 's XXXX which will make this extremely high mortgage easier. I feel that Rocket Mortgage is trying to bury me here. 

They also added a {$850.00} late fee to my new loan from delinquency that occurred prior to me assuming the loan, as well as adding all missed payments ( under my late husband/s name ) to the end of my loan as a deferred principal which is required to be paid in full upon sale or refinance - while resetting the loan to start again with most of each payment going entirely to the interest and extending it for XXXX years. I think I am being treated very unfairly as a grieving covid widow. 

After XXXX years of payments under my late husband 's name- the original principal was {$320000.00} Now the unpaid principal = {$330000.00}??? 

{$290000.00} ( interest-bearing ) + {$96000.00} ( deferred, non-interest ) = {$380000.00} Actually they have the balance at XXXX which I don't understand either. 

The issue with keeping the loan in in my deceased husbands name violates Successor-in-Interest rules ( this is federal law ) Under CFPB XXXX XXXX and XXXX : Once you are confirmed as a successor in interest, the servicer must : Treat you as the borrower for servicing and loss-mitigation Provide full disclosures Allow you to enforce borrower rights While they may initially keep the loan in the deceased borrowers name for administrative reasons, using that as justification to deny credit reporting is highly questionable, especially after a permanent loan modification. 

A XXXX modification is a new credit obligation A permanent modification that : Changes term ( to XXXX years ) Changes principal structure Defers principal Sets a new interest rate How does Rocket justify : No credit reporting No borrower recognition in my name No written acknowledgment of liability structure Rocket Mortgage also failed to adequately evaluate my situation considering a predatory PACE lien already attached to the property, which dramatically increased my tax obligations and monthly housing costs. 

I believe Rocket Mortgage violated federal servicing obligations by : Failing to inform a surviving spouse of CARES Act and COVID forbearance rights Failing to provide timely and clear loss-mitigation options Steering me into modification after unnecessary financial depletion Failing to provide meaningful assistance before pre-foreclosure Pressuring me into a predatory loan. 

This complaint is submitted in good faith. I request written response and documentation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation