Is This the Normal Process with Countrywide?

[EMORTENSEN]

My family of 6 bought our first house in 2004 1 hour away from family, friends, and work. It was a brand new home that we could all be in but a little small, 4 bed rooms. It was new but $100,000.00 plus less than homes near work and where we rented. A little drive daily, save some big dollars, all new homes/community, whats not to think it is a great deal. Everything was great and with things foreclosing in other counties I decided to see what may happen to me. Finding out what my payment is adjusting to I called Countrywide 2 months before the adjustment. They said nothing can be done until I am 90 days late and maybe I should refinance. After speaking to many lenders the value was not there anymore, being I already had a 2nd mortgage no one could consolidate the 2 loans or even refinance the 1st. Called Countrywide to be proactive about my situation and I was mailed a letter to submit some information. I sent it out right away never received a phone call so I called after 10 days of sending in the documents and I was told a negotiator would call me back. Never received a phone call, I called just before the due date for the new rate and was told not to submit a payment. Waited many days for phone calls and made many phone calls to get answers. People answering the phones said to submit updated documents as the olds ones are void, did that right away. Called again found out I have a new negotiator assigned to me and I ask for him to call me, never called back after 4 different phone calls requesting to know what is going on.

I am now 3 months behind, dont know what is going on, cannot refinance as I am sure credit is trashed now, dont have any equtity, ashamed of my situation to even speak about with neighbors or co-workers, keep spending money on gas to commute, working hard to pay bills as always, and I rather just pack it all up and move to a rental close to work. I would save tons of money monthly but I know it would comback to bite me big time. Alot of stress and tension to keep a home we thought would be part of the American dream with a little sacrificing, no big deal right? At this point it is wrong as I spent thousands of dollars for the house and I also added some stuff to make it better as we planned on living there for a long time at least 10 years. What to do? Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you for any input!-Erik

[Mary Salzer]

It appears to be in some cases the normal process. Please read Andrew's story and JacMac's story on their Modifications with Country Wide and what they went through to obtain sucess.

You need to be the proactive, responsible party with them and keep at them. It would not hurt to send a QWR demand - there are examples of the letter in the Tool Box. In that letter demand your Life of Loan History, copy of Note, Deed of Trust, Riders, all Assignments of the Deed of Trust, TIL, Right of Rescission (if refi), Lender Final HUD-1, all disclosures and all loan documents in your file, copy of appraisal. Send this three times certified return receipt required and also send it to the Broker, Title Company and all others in the Chain of the Transaction.

Keep calling, to the point of driving yourself crazy, in the end send letters to everyone you can think of, Elected Officials, President of Country Wide - Andrew even sent on to Dick Cheney - Vice President of the US.....keep fighting and keep calling. You can not rely on them to call back, they have proven that. Fax everything if you have a fax number to them to try and get their attention, fax it redundantly. There are some addresses and Phone Numbers in the Homeowner Tool Box as well.

Keep us posted, but you have to stay on top of them, they are not apparently staying with the problem for you.

[EMORTENSEN]

Poppy thank you for the repsonse to my posting and everybody elses. I called again today and spoke to someone other than the negotiator (as always) and she says the notes in there system says that the negotiator has submitted for a impound account and is waiting for the analyst to looked at. If things go according to their plan they will then submit to supervisors for adjustment. Does this sound like it is going on the right path? I also asked her how long these things should take and here response was 4-6 weeks once I am assigned a negotiator and I have submitted my pay stubs plus a hardhsip letter. I then said I have been trying to work things out before my 1st newly adjusted payment was due in November. She has no record of anything prior to the day I sent in the hardship letter and that is when I was assigned a negotiator. I said I received a letter dated 9-24-07 in regards to requesting workout assistance and I should send over pay stubs, thats it and to contact them after 15 days. I called of course 15 days later and they said they would call back.

Heard nothing and called again just before payment was due in November and they said they needed stubs and hardship letter at that point. This is when they first show documentation in there system, anyways I am almost 90 days behind because January is not over and I pulled my credit and it has dropped over 150 points with 60 day lates! I asked about that and they said if I could make a FULL payment I should anything less will not be accepted. It almost sounded to me that they want to forclose on my house and many other homes out there too!

For a last question for now, does anyone think my 2nd mortgage lender would want help me knowing I am in process of working things out with my 1st or would they not even care until my loan needs adjustment next year? Again thank you to anyone for advice and for people just learning about these types of issues learn fast from everyone elses headaches!

[Mary Salzer]

The second mortgage holder will do nothing but applaud your efforts, they do not become involved unless foreclosure is imminent. Wish I could say they were in your corner, they kind of are, but from afar. With luck you will not need a modification in just one year, they are modifying further out than that from most of what we see.

Now they do not call back, please refer to the postings in success stories, you must be the responsible adult at this party. So, have at it, call, call, call, fax, fax, fax.....

Do the QWR, and send letters to everyone you can think of. You will as the squeaky wheel get some well deserved grease.

Please keep us posted and let us know how you are doing.

[EMORTENSEN]

Thank you again Poppy for the response! Do you think I am on the right track with Countrywide? How and when should I ask my 2nd mortgager for a modification?

[Mary Salzer]

Yes, and please do the QWR, and stay on top of them.

I would wait until you go the modification on the first and then go after the second. Stage the requests.

[EMORTENSEN]

i spoke to countywide many times in february and they said the negotiator would call me back since i could not get in touch with them. that is the same song and dance they give all the time, i ask to speak with their supervisor and that did not work either. well for somereason the negotiator finally called me back, it was a complete shock to recieve a phone call from counrywide asking me how they could help! the negotiator basically said he was sorry for not calling back many times ago as he is swamped with his workload of modification and i am not the only one 4 plus months trying to modify. i stated he was submitting for analyst and would be hoping to have documents ready to be signed before months end of february. he said i should call back after 10 business days if i did not receive a call. i waited 10 days (plus a few extra) and sitting on my door step was documents from countrywide wanting money for missed payments and a notarized docment extending my rate for 5 more years!

i am almost seeing the light as i was also suppose to send some other docs that were not in the fed ex envelope. i called and requested them to be faxed over so i could send out everything at once. nothing came over so i decided to send the check and notarized document without the other docs. i do hope that i can now move on to my 2 mortgager and hopefully change that rate as rates are dropping. if they do lower the rate i might actually get to put more money towards my balances and pay them down to get out of credit hell!

poppy please say my battle with countywide is a success!!!

[Mary Salzer]

Things move in mysterious ways...and your success with Country Wide is really a mystery....like where are the other documents and what were they????

Do you have a clue....I am confused, I would say this was a sideways success, you got the modification, but it is a little bizarre....have you called again for the mysterious missing documentation to be faxed to you.....do they have a clue.....are they at home at Country Wide Home Loans...

Yeah this is a success, what does the Web Site say about your loan up there in Country Wide Outer Space....???? Does it show the new terms yet?

Please if I were you I would call for the remainder of the paperwork and see if they can figure out how to work the little buttons on the fax machine...kinda wonder myself, they can't work the little buttons on the printer or copy machine for your modification, the fax maybe to complicated....

Let me know what the Web Site says when you sign into your loan....to bizarre....also call them Monday and see if they can get the remainder of the agreement faxed....

Next onto the Second....You are SUCCESS, albeit a different one.

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[EMORTENSEN]

the documents i was missing was a step rate modification form and a direct payment form. i figured those were not as important as the cashier check and the modification letter so i sent them in anyways hoping things will still go throught! i dont know why they cannot fax it over, i asked to have that done even by the person answering the phone. they replied with not having access to these forms, pretty stupid if you ask me. i will definatley keep everyone informed if it gets worse or better and i will be working on my 2nd mortgage!

[Mary Salzer]

Keep at Country Wide for those forms hey, do you have the full name of your negotiator... e-mail formula firstname_lastname@countrywide.com try e-mailing every 30 minutes or so.... if the underscore does not work, try a "dot" they change up to confuse us...

Those docs should have been in the package as the step portion is important documentation for your files and theirs and I think requires your initials on the bottom. They must be hard up and can not afford paper any more..

Go for the Second and please keep us posted.....

Thank you for the success....