Countrywide/BANK OF AMERICA FIASCO

Many have experienced the pain and agony of dealing with first Countrywide and now Bank of America.  Most of us hoped that with the transition to Bank of America the poor business behavior of Countrywide would get better, but it hasn't. 

My story basically began in July of 2008, when my sister faced with her own foreclosure due to her financial ruin took her own life.  I had to step in and deal with all of processes involved with not only the death of my sister but I had to handle the loss of my sister's home.  I was so shell-shocked that this started my own financial downfall.

One doesn't choose to lose a home; one fights to save it.  All my money has been poured into this home.  It seems like my blood has been poured into it.  My tears.  I called Countrywide in November of 2008 when my husband was laid off from his job.  I explained that I was going to be behind on my first payment ever.  The young Representative was very understanding and helpful and took all my personal informational information and salary information and budget info including utitilities, etc. he told me not to worry he would modify my loan and put the missed payment on the end of my loan.... and I was an excellent customer he was also sending my paperwork over for modification for the Hope loan.... that I was a perfect candidate for it... Well I kept waiting for paperwork in the mail,,, and checking on line, and much to my surprise,  nothing on my account had changed.  In fact the payment which the Rep said would be moved to the end of my loan was now showing past due.  I immediately called Countrywide again and spoke with another Rep (by the way all of these calls are documented in a Hardship letter with dates and times and names) this Representative apologized for the first representatives error for not following up on what he said what he was supposed to do with my documentation.  In fact she said she would immediately take care of sending my file off to the Home Retention people for the Hope Loan for Review and modification.  She would stop all calls to me and she would also modify my missing payment to the end of my loan.  I thanked her.  I waited a few more days.  Checked my online account again and noticed that it had not changed from past due.  She had done NOTHING.  I called again.  I spoke to another person.  This time I asked to speak to a Supervisor.  This representative refused to let me speak to a Supervisor.  In fact I was on hold for over an hour with this person who kept giving me excuses as to why he could speak to a Supervisor , yet he would not connect me to the Supervisor.  Now, this particular person was excessively rude to me.  He was argumentative.  He was verbally abusive.  I never raised my voice.  I politely informed him that I would stay on the phone forever no matter how long it took, even if hell froze over, and I also told him that he had better not disconnect the line, on one of his forever holds or I would report him to HUD.  I  was finally told that he was speaking to a Supervisor who was advising him to advise me to write a HARDSHIP letter and fax it  with other required documents to a certain telephone number.   He also told me that yes, Countrywide was dealing with the H4H loan and that I would definitely be a in be a candidate for it. I knew the brush off when I was getting it.  Never the less I wrote my letter and faxed it to the number given with the required documents.  This was in January of 2009.  I am still faxing documents and we are not in the month of June almost in the month of July.  I am still calling my lender who is now Bank of America.  Yes, a different name, but the same practices.  I call, I get a different representative each time.  Each person says a different thing each time.  Last week I was told that I was in pre-foreclosure and that my papers were being reviewed for the Affordable Housing program which I was a very good candidate for and I met 3 of the major criteria, but they required 3 more documents.  Well, my HUD certified Housing Counselor faxed it to Bank of America for me.  By the way it is mentioned on the Bank of America Home Loans website that one should try to seek assistance from a HUD CERTIFIED HOUSING COUNSELOR yet I have been told several times by first Countrywide Reps and now Bank of America Reps that I should not have involved a 'third party' in this process  because it 'complicates' the process.  Complicates things for whom?  Them?  Or me?  It keeps them from being rude to me.  It keeps them from using their banker's jargon  which can have a tendancy to confuse.  It makes their task a bit harder when we bring in a 'third party' who offers us a little protection from their strong arm phone tactics. 

In my last phone conversation I was told that I am IN FORECLOSURE AND THEY HAVE ISSUED A SALE DATE. Hmmmmm,,,,, I was under the impression that they were reviewing my loan for a modification.  Especially, as they sent me a modification letter by FEDEX. Every few days I call for a status update and I am told something different by each new Representative.  Never the same story, never the same representative, oh, except for the one time I get the person I spoke to when I was catching my second mortgage up to date and the guy I spoke to was the same one who kept me on hold  for so long when I kept asking for a Supervisor.  I specifically asked this man to put a certain amount of money on my second mortgage to bring it up to date and he deliberately did not put the amount I told him to on my loan.  He also gave me a fake name.  He also did not put any information or notes in the computer system the day he took my call.  And, I found all this out when I called back to complain about my payment being made incorrectly and the Rep I spoke then told me she was confused as to why he did not note all the information down correctly especially the fact that he used a psuedo name.  She mistakenly gave me his correct name without realizing that he had given me a fake name.  Then she realized her error after the fact.  To make a long story short.... Countrywide/BofA Representatives are allowed to give us fake names.  We have to no recourse when we call up because we are not being given there real names when we call.  So, if they do not put in their notes properly that they have called themself a certain name when they took our call, well we look totally stupid when we call or write a letter of complaint, don't we.... no notes in the computer,,, well then we didn't really call did we, especially if they don't even have that person working for them.  Great business practices they have.    So, now  you have an inside view of Countrywide/Bank of America.... oh and one more thing the very first person who started all the this off... well he was based in India.....

So,,,,, where do we stand in this Bof A take over?  Countrywide was given a hand up and hand out.  Saving the jobs of all of their employees, well let us say most of them.  The government has handed out money to corporate America especially the banking sector.  Yet most of us facing foreclosure are still facing it.  Especially those of us who have loans that were serviced by Countrywide.  My loan is a FreddieMac.  I meet the criteria for this modification.  Yet I am facing the foreclosure sale date of Nov 4.  I have twin boys of 14; I have lost a sister; I have lost a husband;  Currently I am having severe health issues because of the stress and strain of dealing with the past months of worry about whether the Bank God will finally review my documents and pass or fail me.  And, it seems that the way it is heading  the Bank God is leaning more in favor of foreclosure.  I of course don't understand how it can be, considering my second mortgage is current; showing the bank that I am serious about keeping my home.  One, would think that the bank would want to do everything possible to keep a homeowner in their home.  Unless the bank wants to go into the business of owning homes and putting people onto the street. 

How does one get 'prequalified' for this modification and yet get a foreclosure sale date?????  Can anyone answer this?