Update on the Countrywide Chaos

[downbutnotout]

Hello. This is my first post, although I've been visiting the site frequently. It's a tremendous source of support. Ok, I will TRY to be as brief and succinct as possible, while also conveying the INSANITY of our Countrywide experience. In Jan. 2005 we signed our mortgage which was ultimately assigned to Countrywide. My husband spent that summer ill, lost time from work and in September'05 was hospitalized for a month due to chronic colon problems (for the 3 years prior to this he was in and out of hospitals, surgery, on disability, etc. for the same reason). He then had another surgery and was out on disability from Aug. '05 to Spring '06. As a result of the several years of illness and income loss, our finances were already in a bad state. At the time he was hospitalized for a month, Countrywide agreed to a forebearance and told us to contact them when he returned to work. We did so and they proposed an outrageous repayment plan (our monthly payment had originally been approx. $1,650 and they were now proposing nearly $3,000). As you can imagine, we had A LOT of damage done financially and we owed everybody everything while having to also feed and care for 2 children. We attempted to adhere to the repayment plan and it was KILLING us. We contacted them and reguarly tried to re-negotiate, work it out, etc. I took it upon myself at that time to write directly to Mr. Mozilo (sp). I laid it ALL out. We weren't in this position because of credit cards or reckless spending, the emotional and social impact it would have on our lives if we were to lose our home, how our home and neighborhood enables us to be a vital part of our community, etc. It was not B.S. it's all true!! I sent the letter via overnight mail. I was contacted by the office of the president. I have to say, the gentleman I was put in touch with was very courteous and quick to respond. However, his news was not usually good. We haggled and hashed and begged and pleaded (everytime I asked him to go back one more time he did). I went to work full time and in Sept. '07 my husband found a job which increased his salary. FINALLY in Oct. 2007 they approved a loan modification and we were issued a document providing for monthly payments of approximately $2,400, with the first payment due Dec. '07. We made that first payment with joy! The nightmare was over. WRONG!!!!!!! On December 31, 2007 we received a notice from Countrywide advising that our payment was deficient and that it should have been approx. $4,300. Any future payments sent had to be in that amount or they would be returned. HAPPY NEW YEAR! We immediately called and e-mailed our work out negotiator (Ms. McGowan). On 1/6/08 she advised via e-mail that we had to contact the escrow department because escrows had not been factored into the modification. THEN HOW CAN IT BE CONSIDERED A MODIFICATION AND A RESOLUTION IF IT'S INCOMPLETE? We called and emailed her a few more times asking for her assistance in resolving this "error" and she finally replied saying that "this is not a work out issue". Our reply was that it most certainly was because in no way could this loan be considered to be "worked out"!!!!!! Never heard from her again. In January and in February we still sent the $2,400 AND it was accepted. At the same time my husband was on the phone with them regularly trying to get this straightened out. Lots of phone calls, lots of rehashing the history of the loan lots of "hmmmm not sure why that happened" comments from customer service but no resolution. In February we received a notice of intent to Foreclosure and we immediately responded via fax, e-mail, certified and regular mail that we disputed and rejected that notice because of the handling of our loan. Many months of phone calls, e-mails, no response, etc. On 5/30/08 we wrote to them via fax, cert. & reg. mail demanding resolution of the loan modification approved Oct. '07. On Thurs. 6/6/08 my husband called and spoke w/ "Sam" who said we had to re-submit a hardship letter with proof of income to the workout depart. We did that on 6/9/08. However, in that hardship letter we said that, because we were submitting proof of income with the hardship letter it appeared that we were back at square one being "considered" for a modification and that was not acceptable. We referred to our many previous communications sent to that very fax #. Have heard nothing. EXCEPT..........on Mon. 7/7/08 we were served with a Foreclosure Complaint. AND the plaintiff is listed as Wells Fargo on behalf of Morgan Stanley ABS Capital 1. An assignment from Countrywide to this plaintiff was filed on 7/8/08. My husband called Countrywide on 7/8/08 to "follow-up" and didn't make mention of our being served. The customer service person said she saw record of his last conversation with "Sam" on 6/6/08 and our countless letters of communication but that for some reason, when "Sam" concluded the conversation he didn't complete the process and submit the information which is why workout hasn't responded. Our fax is backed up in the computer and wasn't release to their department (I have no clue what any of this means). She told my husband to call back Fri. 7/11. Obviously we will respond to the Complaint before our time to answer lapses (NJ allows 35 days from date of service). We're waiting to see what their comments are on Fri. 7/11 before deciding if we file on our own or come up w/ a retainer for an attorney.

The thing we hate most of us is being victimized by abuse, neglect, greed and sloppy inefficient representatives of the mortgage co. These people have total control over our lives. Someone who fails to press enter on their computer affects whether we can sleep peacefully or try to get to sleep in a haze of worry and stress. Like it isn't stressful enough trying to cope with a medical crisis in the family and looking into the eyes of your children feeling enormous guilt because they have so clue just how shaky the security of the only home they've ever known is (we originally bought in 1996).

Is there any advice you can offer? Also, has anyone had any communication with (name removed) They came up on one of our searches for help and information and they sent us information that they can stop the foreclosure process and negotiate a modification for us. That's the other thing, there are so many people out there looking to further victimize people in the boat we're in with scams.

Any guidance would be most appreciated! Thank you!!!

[schwefls]

Welcome to our forum downbutnotout:

I am so sorry you are going through this. Please do not hire an internet company to "stop your foreclosure". Please hang in there, one of our moderators will be by shortly to provide with some sound advice/suggestions for FREE. Our forum is about people helping people, we have all been there dun that. We are here for you.

[downbutnotout]

Thank you!!!! I'm so grateful I found this site!

[ChubbyKatt]

Downbutnotout,

Hang in there. All of us are going through similar situations. I've have learned that you must stay on top of them. Your right, you can't trust country wide representatives, especially when its your home. If I remember right, there should be direct phone numbers on this site or on a thread. Maybe another member knows the thread.


Goodluck,

ChubbyKatt.

[downbutnotout]

Thank you for your encouragement - just when I feel like I want to curl up and give up, viewing this site always gives me strength and encouragement to fight to the END!

[Cat Damiano]

Hi downbutnotout,

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


Were you able to hear anything today July 11th from the phone conversation with Countrywide Home Loans?

[downbutnotout]

Hi Cat, thanks for following up. My husband tried through-out the day while at work and was put on hold constantly. Unfortunately being at work he couldn't just stay put and wait. I was out all day myself with child related commitments so I wasn't in a place where I could just sit and wait either. We shall try again.

I appreciate your follow up and your guidance.

[Cat Damiano]

No problem..............

Since you are at a stand still it wouldn't hurt to take this one additional step...........
Put your hardship letter and the runaround that you have been receiving into the body of an email along with your loan number and contact info and send it to each of the emails below...........you should receive a response by next week and you will be in a dept. that is in the position to at least take another look at what you have been up against.............

Hope this helps.......
Please keep us updated..........

advocacy@countrywide.com
customer_service@countrywide.com
pressroom@countrywide.com
david_bigelow@countrywide.com
elizabeth_moyer@countrywide.com
sarah_perek@countrywide.com
chris_oltmann@countrywide.com
gabrielle_williams@countrywide.com
maheshika_ruwanpathirana@countrywide.com
adrienne_ely@countrywide.com
raquel_robinson@countrywide.com
linda_turner@countrywide.com
daniel_whitehead@countrywide.com
melissa_guerra@countrywide.com
mary_archer@countrywide.com
laura_melara@countrywide.com
kacie_miller@countrywide.com
patricia_mckenzie@countrywide.com
david_sambol@countrywide.com

[downbutnotout]

DONE. Thank you - I'll let you know if I heard anything!

[downbutnotout]

I mean "HEAR" anything!

[downbutnotout]

Hi Cat,

Just wanted to update you. We've been advised over the phone and via a letter dated 7/8/08 that our "correspondence" has been sent to the Hope/Home Retention Department and that someone will contact us shortly. The correspondence they're referring to is our last communication sent cert. & regular mail on 7/3/08 which was a follow-up to our 6/10/08 hardship letter and prior to our being served w/ the Complaint. To date, I've not had one reply to the e-mail hardship letter I sent on 7/12/08 to the various e-mail addresses you provided. So, here we are perpetually sitting while interest penalties and fees accrue. As I said before, we will file an Answer to the Complaint but otherwise we continue to make no progress.

[Cat Damiano]

Since BOA took over Countrywide Home Loans the Home Retention Dept. is doing the mods........

Here is their number so you can see if you can get assigned someone to work on your modification.........

Home Retention Dept.
1-800-669-6087