Foreclosure Sale 6/11/2008 Help Me Please

[maryloucross]

Hello my heart goes out to everyone on this site as well as those who are not even aware there might be help out there. I don't want to waste any time because I know there are so many people under the same time restraints as myself.

First I want to let you know I live in Arizona and this is where my property is. I fell behind in my mortgage payments with Countrywide in November. I am retired & a widow. My daughter and son in law live with me to help me out financially and to take care of the property. This last year has been difficult with the economy in dire straits. Periodically in the past I have fallen behind in my payments but have always been able to catch them up. This time I am not able too.

In late December my septic tank and leech fill was damaged and had to be replaced. This took all of my money for the Mortgage Payments plus some to fix. With no savings I am in big trouble.

I decided to apply for an FHA Reverse Mortgage. Because I am retired and over the age restriction I can qualify. It's my understanding there is no income or credit qualifications. The requirement is equity which there is plenty of in my home. This home is our family home and I don't want to lose it. At this point of time it makes sense to apply for a Reverse Mortgage. The process has been started with a Lender. I believe everything is complete and the lender is prepared to send the package off to underwriting for approval.

My problem and the reason I am asking for help is Countrywide commenced foreclosure which I was not aware of until the Title report came back and showed the recorded foreclosure sale (this is another issue I have with Countrywide). The FORECLOSURE SALE date is June 11, 2008. I am afraid the Reverse Mortgage will not be approved and funded in time to beat the foreclosure sale date.

I have been on the phone with Countrywide for the past 10 days and have gotten the run around like everyone else. Each person is new and the story must be repeated and they go through the entire process all over again. The people who answer the phones give you the wrong information or direct you to the wrong place. I think these people are on auto pilot. I am asked the same questions over and over by different people. The problem is my situation is a bit different. I am not asking for a payment plan or a modification or a short sale or file bankruptcy. I want to pay Countrywide OFF in full through the Reverse Mortgage.

I desperately need to get to the right place and the right person to try and get the FORECLOSURE SALE POSTPONED for 30-45 days until I can get the Reverse Mortgage approved and funded. Does anyone have any idea WHO I need to speak with and WHAT Department?

Please can anyone help direct me in the right direction. I would so appreciate it. Thank You! Thank You!

Mary Cross
Arizona

P.S. I am also contesting the Legal Foreclosure Process. I was not Notified by Certified Mail as required in Arizona. Which is why I did not know the process had been started until the Title Policy was issued with the Lender who is handling the Reverse Mortgage. However when I call Countrywide you guessed it I am getting the run around about this as well. I will have to pay the Foreclosure cost in my Payoff even though I don't feel I should have to. The Trustee should have to waive those fees. But at this point my MAIN CONCERN IS TO GET THE FORECLOSURE SALE POSTPONED

[maryloucross]

I forgot to mention that yesterday I phoned Countrywide again to see about getting my foreclosure sale pp for 30 days to allow the Reverse Mortgage to be approved and funded. A very nice lady by the name of Tiffany helped me. However I don't think her instructions to me were correct but maybe I am wrong. She told me I needed to fax the following information to a woman on the Foreclosure Postponement Desk. 1. Purchase Agreement (there is no sale - why would I have a Purchase Agreement) 2. Formal Approval Letter (I don't yet have one because the Lender is just now submitting the Loan) 3. Escrow Instructions (There wouldn't be Escrow Instructions yet - but Escrow has been opened) 4. Hud 1 Settlement Statement (Isn't this provided at closing?) So all the documentation that I have to FAX within 24 hours doesn't yet exist.

I would think Countrywide would be a bit more willing to allow the postponement of foreclosure sale since they will be paid off in full. So why am I having all the run around and need to provide all this documentation that doesn't yet exist??

God Bless all of you who are posting on this website and the person(s) who created it. If you can save just one home and alleviate the stress level of many thats one more than Countrywide is willing to help.

Mary Cross

[Cat Damiano]

Hi Mary,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for joining............

I think Tiffany did misunderstand because what she is asking for is required as a result of a short sale.......

To talk to someone about postponing your foreclosure sale date for the required amount of time you need for the mortgage.......you woul need to speak to Countrywide Home Loans's legal dept........they should be able to help you........
Also make sure to mention the part about the mortgage with them being paid in full......

Hope this helps.........
Keep us posted on how it goes.........

COUTRYWIDE LEGAL DEPT.
PARALEGAL
MARY ARCHER
972-526-3610

[maryloucross]

I'm sorry I just noticed the information you provided is Mary Archer Paralegal with her phone number. I apologize. You can't tell I am a bit frantic can you?

Thank you for the welcome and your response to my problem. Is there any particular person in the Legal Department I should speak with? Is there a direct line since I can't seem to get pass the first person I speak with when I call the 800 number?

I really appreciate your help and time.

Mary Cross

[Cat Damiano]

Mary..........

See if you can get anywhere with Paul Lane from the Legal Dept.
if he can't help you he might be able to get you to the dept. that you need to be in.........I have also included the contact number of the Office of the President too.......


COUTRYWIDE LEGAL DEPT.
Paul Lane
1-818-225-3147

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
400 COUNTRYWIDE WAY
MS SV-314
SIMI VALLEY, CA 93065
1-805-578-6380
1-805-578-6311

[maryloucross]

Thank you! I phone the number for Mary Archer and received Voice Mail. I left a message however who knows......

I will try Paul Lane as you suggest and Office of the President.

Again I appreciate your time and efforts.

Mary Cross

[maryloucross]

Hello I hope this finds everyone doing better with Countrywide than myself.

Friday 5/30 I Faxed a letter to Donna Cline on Countrywide Home Loans Postponement Desk stating Tiffany had misunderstood I am not looking at a short sale. I was prepared to pay Countrywide in full and faxed her the letter from the lender I am working with. This letter states I am in the process of obtaining a Reverse Mortgage through Integrity 1st Lending. It states the Title Company and the open Escrow Number along with the existing FHA Case number issued by FHA for the Reverse Mortgage. The letter also states the estimated closing date is June 30th.

Monday AM I have messages from Mary Archer and Donna Cline both asking me to call them. I contacted Mary Archer first. She told me I needed to get to the Home Retention Team who would get me to the Postponement Desk. But if I got no where with them to call her back and she gave me her direct line.

I decided to Call the Office of the President because I felt like I was just spinning my wheels. A very nice lady by the name of Lori listened to my story and understood what I was asking for an extension of time in order to pay Countrywide in full. Lori transferred me to a Customer Care Unit person by the name of Jeanette Guiterrez. Jeanette took all my information looked to see if Countrywide Home Loans had in fact received the letter from my lender and asked for the phone number of the lender I am working with. I was informed it would be 48 hours before I hear back regarding my Postponement. But if I don't hear anything here is my direct number please call me. She also told me in idle talk that the first of each month is really hectic because many states only hold foreclosure sales on the first few days of the month.

After I hung up with Jeanette I thought I would return Donna Cline's phone call to see what she had to say after receiving my Fax and Letter from the Lender. Instead I was told she is on vacation for a week (go figure-so I wonder who really left me a message). Anyway I was told Christine was going to help me. I started by explaining the information Tiffany and Donna was requesting is not feasible because I am not asking for a Short Sale. I was informed by Christine in order to obtain a Postponement I had to produce these three documents. That is Countrywide Home Loans Policy.

1. Good Faith Estimate
2. Purchase Contract
3. Signed Approval Letter

I explained I don't have these documents yet because the Reverse Mortgage wont be submitted until the end of this week. She proceeded to tell me I had some time to produce them the sale wasn't until 6/11/08. So I explained to her that I had spoke with Mary Archer and a Lori who transferred me to a woman by the name of Jeanette Guiterrez. They all acted like all I needed was a letter and some type of verification from the Lender.

She (Christine) abruptly looked at the notes on my file and said OH you have contacted the "Office of the President". This escalates your file and I can no longer do anything to help you. I am documenting your file and will be forwarding it to Jeanette Guiterrez. Then I will be closing out your file. I asked her If this was a bad thing? She said "No". Then I asked her if they will be requesting the same information in order to Postpone the Sale? She said they have different policies and she didn't know what they would require. End of conversation.

So unless you have any other suggestions I guess I just wait out the 48 hours to see what happens. Please everyone pray for me that they will grant me the Postponement.

I am so desperate I called a Hard Money Lender today to see if I could borrow the money to reinstate the loan which would cancel out the Foreclosure Sale. Unfortunately they said it was almost too late to get that done and it would cost me $2500.00 to $3000.00 to borrow the amount I needed. Then I have no clue if that would even mess up the Reverse Mortgage by doing this.

Thank you for letting me tell my story. I hope it might help someone else who is in the same boat as I am. I realize my circumstance is a bit different than most posting here. But in reality we are all getting the run around and can't get anyone to commit to anything.

I am very grateful to you for providing me the phone number of The Office of the President. I hope this will be my answer.

Mary Lou Cross

[Cat Damiano]

Mary,

They should be able to help you out of that office..............

I do hope it works out for you soon.........
Please keep us posted......

[maryloucross]

Thank you Cat. It all seems pointless at this time.

I woke up to a call from a Carrina in the Legal Department who told me she was going to get me to the right person. Well she did transfer me to my Foreclosure Representative. At last I have been told there is a person who is really overseeing my loan. Carrina informed me that she had been directed by the Corporate office to contact me and get me to the right person.

That hope was short lived. She told me I needed to go thru the proper channels in order to get a postponement and referred me to the workout department where it all has to begin. She did show some compassion as I was crying and she could hardly understand me. I told her this is why I have been unable to get anywhere it's back to square one only to go through another 50 people. She did give me her direct number and I have her supervisor's name as well.

So I did what I was told and talked to the workout department who told me the same thing I have now heard many times. In order to get a postponement I need to produce the items as previously stated Good Faith Contract and Approval. I explained the loan is to be submitted by end of week and I won't have an approval until underwriting looks at it. Which considering the back log could take a week or two. So I was told well lets see what else I can do. The only thing she could come up with is the Hope Assistance Program. Again someone will call me and here is no guarantee and the foreclosure will move forward. She informed me the Postponement had been denied on June 2nd. When I asked her who denied it she couldn't answer me. I don't know if it came from the Postponement Desk or the woman I spoke with yesterday Jeanette Gutierrez. So I don't know if there is still hope of a postponement or not. I guess this is my fault for calling so many people and everyone working on it.

The problem is my income and what they calculate as my expenses are well in the red. My daughter helps me out but not enough where they are concerned. So basically they are saying I can't afford the house. Well DUH hence the Reverse Mortgage. That is not enough for them to postpone the foreclosure sale.

What exactly is the Hope Department? Can they buy me time to get the Reverse Mortgage Approval letter? I was told even referring me to the Hope Department would not stop the Foreclosure Sale. But I don't know who to trust anymore.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you again for all your help and support.

[maryloucross]

Good Morning

Today is Friday and guess what I have not received a phone call from the Hope Department! I just wanted to give that bit on information.

Thank God I have been able to pull together enough money to reinstate my loan. I had to beg borrow and steal to get it but it's done. I have federal expressed the Cashier's Check to Countrywide which should be delivered within hours today. I am most definitely going to keep on top of them to make sure my foreclosure sale is canceled. I have heard too many horror stories of even though.... and .... the foreclosure sale still took place. You can bet if I don't hear from the Trustee stating my foreclosure sale has been canceled I will be on the courthouse steps on the 11th with a copy of verification of reinstatement.

I will continue to check on this website and pray for those of you who are still trying to work something out.

God Bless you all

[maryloucross]

Just a short follow-up and perhaps encouragement for some. Although I was able to Reinstate my Loan with Countrywide and cancel the Foreclosure Sale. I tried to get a Postponement before I reinstated. No one at Countrywide would tell me they could or would postpone the sale to allow me the time to close on the Reverse Mortgage. Well before my Reinstatement was posted I called the Trustee to see what the status of the Foreclosure Sale was. It had been postponed for 30 days. What great news it would have been but Countrywide failed to tell me. At this point I already sent the money in to reinstate.

So a little bit of encouragement is even though Countrywide isn't telling you anything. If you follow the advice provided to you on this site SOMETHING will happen. You just may not be aware of it. That's what happened in my situation.

I thank God the Reverse Mortgage closed and Countrywide was paid in full a week ago. The only issue I have now is there were some fee that appeared on the Payoff that no one seems to know what they were for. At the time I just wanted the loan paid off so I figured I would deal with it after the fact. I am going to try and get Countrywide to identify the fee to see if it was legitimate.

I would like to Thank everyone for the support either written or in thought through this process. Everyone here and those to come have my best wishes and prayers.