My experince with CitiMortgage has been 14 months of lies and deceipt inevitably foreclosing on my home and selling it. The stress alone has caused health problems in a man that was perfectly healthy up to February. I recently discovered that CitiMortgage has gone beyond the reahlms of being a predatory lender and have activated policies and procedures that border criminal extortion. I am going to include my full story in it's entire state.
The information you will read are complete accurate details as to my to my experience with CitiMortgage and my foreclosure dispute through CitiMortgage which was supposed to be unbiased and truly wasn't. CitiMortgage sat on my remodification for 4 months while they foreclosed on my home and only contacted with the remodification on the same day the final papers were executed in the Akron, Ohio courts. Does this sound suspicious? The leveraged me so there would be no way for me to remodify my loan by adding over $3,000 in attorney fees. Legal extortion.
I encourage everyone to call the number of Ms. Barbara Banks at CitiMortgage and listen to her irresponsible message - at the end you will hear say that "if you call more than once (no matter how important your situation is) your processing will be delayed". Listen for yourself (301) 696-5237 I did wait and NEVER got a call back from her.
Here is my story:
Foreclosure dispute
Friday, February 17th
To: Barbara Kemper
Ms Kemper,
I am writing this letter disputing the foreclosure actions that were taken against me and my home. I was never informed (considering the multitude of calls I have made to CitiMortgage and your attorneys at Lerner Sampson & Rothfuss over the coarse of the last 11 months) that there was a department at CitiMortgage that handled Foreclosure Dispute until today. I made a last effort call to CitiMortgage on Thursday, February 16 trying to secure the payoff of my loan because I found another financial institution ready to secure the loan. I had made numerous calls to Attorney Siegel over the last month trying to get those figures and, as I was informed yesterday, calling the attorneys was proper protocol. I was under a stringent deadline because by law, I had 30 days from the auction sale of the home to retain/repurchase it. That is the back story that lead me to you and your department when a lady named Tressa, returned my call from yesterday.
I have questions (which were asked many times in the past) as to why I was shuffled from person to person at CitiMortgage to individuals that couldn't help to find a solution to my problem. This situation should/could have been resolved when I initially over night delivered paperwork to CitiMortgage on April 2. I FedEx'd the documents to CitiMortgage on because Loss Litigation Department stated that if I sent the documents ASAP (they were mailed to my home) we would be able to restructure/loan remodification (I do not know the proper terminology here for what CitiMortgage was to do) of the loan because of what I went through trying to track down who even retained my loan after it was sold by Principal Residential (see detailed addendums sent in over night package). You will also see an attached document from Principal Residential where I received loan documentation, including payment envelopes, as of January 16. I can pull all phone records of calls made with exact times because my home phone is digital VoiP through Lingo which registers EVERY call that comes into my home and out. I will gladly supply you with the login for Lingo so you may review the multiple calls to Principal and CitiMortgage if you desire.
Here are my grounds for the dispute. The problem started when I was never notified by Principal Residential or CitiMortgage that my loan had been sold. I realized there was a problem when a check I sent to Principal Residential (check dated January 15) for my November and December mortgage payment (s) was never cashed. I found out it wasn't cashed the first week of February when I received my bank statement and went to my bank to find out if there was a problem or if it was necessary to stop payment on that check. The check wasn't cashed and wasn't placed towards my loan because one day after receiving my bank statement, I received a collection letter from Principal for November, December and January (I was still not aware that my loan was sold). Again - how would I know that the loan was sold if I was still getting documents from Principal?
I then made multiple calls to Principal Residential, and the debt counselors that I worked with, but received no call backs for over twenty (20) days from the 1st week of February to the 3rd week when I finally talked to someone from CitiMortgage after logging into the Principal website and viewing the re-direction to the CitiMortgage site.
At that time, in a conversation with a representative from CITIMORTGAGE, I then corrected all the information necessary on the account and planned on taking the money that was sent to Principal and re-send it to CITIMORTGAGE to make my November and December payments as well as January. I requested the envelopes or payment slips to make sure the money went to the correct account (I had a bad experience when I only sent a check in the past to Principal). It was now the last week of February and I went to out of town to visit my mother, had an accident on ice, and was laid up for almost two weeks out of state. When I got back home, I had a few messages from CITIGROUP and when I called to make the November, December and January payments, I was declined because they would only accept five months worth and I only had the three months mortgage amount. Mind you, I made many efforts to get the money I had to CITIMORTGAGE.
This brought us into the third week of March. I spoke to another representative from CITIMORTGAGE named Sarah on March 22nd and she sent me this packet which I received on March 29. I immediately filled out all the information as quick as I could so that the restructuring of my loan could begin. At no time, I was told that foreclosure proceedings would begin but only that CitiMortgage was here to help and everything would be worked out. I was told that I would be contacted if CitiMortgage needed any additional information.
Again - no mention of any foreclosure proceedings. I figured that it would take a few weeks to process plus the Easter holiday so I waited.
To my astonishment, I received a letter from the law firm of Lerner, Sampson & Rothfuss the beginning of the third week of May stating that my home was being foreclosed on. I immediately called the attorney on the letter, a Mr. Joe Williams. He stated to me that he was not aware of any paperwork that was over night delivered to CitiMortgage and that he only received word to precede with the foreclosure of my home. I told him of the papers that were sent to CitiMortgage on April 2nd and he requested that I fax them down to him and I did. I also called their receptionist to verify that those documents went through and she verified that they were not only received but were also given to Mr. Williams. He gave a number for me to call at CitiMortgage. I was told to call a Barbara Banks from CITIMORTGAGE at the following number (301) 696-5237.
I immediately called Ms. Banks and got her voice mail which stated If I (anyone) was to leave more than one message trying to contact her, it would slow the process in returning the call and processing the account. I received no call back and 6 days later I called again risking getting placed at the back of line. I understand that you handle hundreds of thousands of loans but I should have never had to call her in the first place and even though I was just another loan number to her, my home meant everything to me. I believe that any call back from Ms. Banks could have resolved the situation or directed me to others that would help. When I called CitiMortgage, they directed me to your attorneys and when I called your attorneys they directed me to one particular person (Ms. Banks) at CitiMortgage. I followed the exact protocol that was directed to me by Citimortgage and your legal representation. It also bothers me that your attorneys were well aware of the documents over night delivered to CitiMortgage on April 2nd and did NOTHING about it.
The continual calls to a Christopher Siegel at Lerner, Sampson & Rothfuss and to a new number given to me by your attorneys spanned almost two months and brought us into the third week of July - no answers to any of my questions.
On July 30th, I received a final foreclosure document stating that my home was foreclosed. That same afternoon, I received a call from a Ms. Dicole Brown from CitiMortgage and returned the call promptly. It seems that she was the person handling my account/loan the whole time and Ms. Banks wasn't. Multiple, multiple calls made to Ms. Banks and others at CitiMortgage (numbers given to me by your attorneys) and she wasn't even the person I was supposed to speak with. I believe I have a right to be suspicious that the same day the house finalized on foreclosure is the same day I get a call from the right person at CitiMortgage (again - the calls can be verified).
When I spoke to Ms. Brown, I let her know how upset I was that the documents were never reviewed promptly as I was told and I would have never had to go through foreclosure. Ms. Brown apologized that it took so long to review the documents that were sent in April but she would send me additional documents to do a remodification of my loan. Four months later now I thought everything was going to be fixed.
I faxed a stack of documents to Ms. Brown on August 4th including all the addendums and paperwork that was over night delivered (just in case). I then spoke to Ms. Brown on August 10th to make sure if she needed anything else. When we started to review what I had sent, she had someone else's' documents in my file and she had to call me back when she found all the correct documents (mine) that I faxed and whatever else she had in the file. We spoke and she said she would send out remodification documents and that I needed to return them ASAP. I did not receive the re-modification documents until August 18th by 2nd day air. I immediately reviewed the paperwork and everything looked fine except for the $2,675 in attorney fees that should have never been as well as four months of delinquent mortgage payments that carried on during the foreclosure proceedings. Can you see where I had a problem? I jumped through hoops to find out who had my loan and make arrangements to make good on the payments and get back on track, yet no one at CitiMortage or your legal representation did what they should have or what I was told that they would do. Your attorneys knew I sent the remodification papers initially in April and addressed the problem and they obviously let the foreclosure continue because it is revenue in their pockets! $2,675 worth of revenue.
I called Ms. Brown the following day but we played phone tag for at least another few days and I did not speak to her until August 23rd. I asked her why I was paying for legal fees that I should have never been hit with. She stated that she couldn't do anything and I had to speak to the attorneys. I begged her to speak with someone higher than she and she said she would but it was an empty promise just like the others. I left a message with Mr. Siegel but it was never returned.
I then called the Ohio Attorney General's office using the pull of my local councilman, Dan Horrigan. I faxed the documents to a representative assistant at the Attorney Generals office and they stated that if I paid any of the legal fees until it was thoroughly investigated, there would be no legal recourse after the fact. I left that message for Ms. Brown and told her that I would fill out all the papers but would not be sending a check until this was resolved. I placed a similar letter as this one to the documents that were UPS'd back to CitiMortgage and requested that someone in a more authoritative role review my whole case.
Why wasn't I informed at that time that a person like you existed?
Why wasn't my dispute forwarded to your office? Why? Why? Why?
I called CitiMortgage and received a number of call backs from a person where I could not even understand what he said, what his name was, or what the number was (I saved the messages). I left another message with Ms. Brown in late September and nothing was done. I spoke to a number of local attorneys but I did not have the resources to secure them to fight what was going on at CitiMortgage.
Again - Why wasn't I informed that I could dispute the foreclosure?
The house went to auction and I found a couple of different financial companies to secure another loan. I was down to my last six days by state law and needed a payoff so I could retain my home and that brings me to you.
I believe I did everything I possibly could. I followed the protocol given to me by CitiMortgage and Lerner, Sampson, & Rothfuss.
PLEASE review everything I sent. I beg you. PLEASE.
Thank you,
Gerard xxx
& 2nd Letter
Ms. Kemper never reviewed the information and it was passed on to a Ms. April Lowe
Here is my correspondence with Ms. Lowe after I forward over 150 pages of documents and phone bills that lend complete credibility to my accusations. I was given phone numbers by CitiMortgage's attornies that were not the people I was supposed to speak to and never got any call backs.
Here is the 2nd letter:
Ms. April Lowe,
I would like to thank you personally for being the first person to actually read my complaints and look deeper into the problems that occurred with my loan. Even though I struggled through two tough years of unemployment (prior to CitiMortgage), I still maintained contract work and sold most of my valuables to make my mortgage payments and keep my home. I basically completed a major renovation of the home to increase its value from the beginning. When CitiMortgage retained my loan, I was just getting back on my feet and the loan remodification would have been perfect if it was executed in April as I was told it would. There are two things in my notes that I have to correct. The initial overnight package was sent by FedEx on March 31st for delivery to your Frederick Maryland address. The package would have been delivered on Friday, April 1st (a very sad joke that it was delivered on April Fools day). The first call I received reviewing the package was on Friday, July 29th and not July 31st. Friday, July 29th was also the day that I received the final documentation by Lerner, Sampson & Rothfuss and the Akron courts.
I have forwarded the PDF files that show my phone records from February through September. The following list of phone numbers are numbers I either initially found when I was trying to track down who retained my loan in February and/or numbers given to me by CitiMortgage or your legal representation.
CitiMortgage / Numerous people
1.) 1-800-374-8814
2.) 1-866-272-4749
3.) 1-301-696-5237
4.) 1-301-696-4275
5.) 1-301-696-4000
6.) 1-301-696-4811
Lerner, Sampson & Rothfuss
1-513-241-3100
You will be able to see exactly how many calls I made to CitiMortgage as well as to your legal representation, Lerner, Sampson & Rothfuss and how many calls were returned. There was only one span of about 10 days where I did not call and that is when I heard the voice message by Ms. Banks stating that more one call would slow my processing and/or call back.
This has been a mess from the start. It is obvious that I could not afford legal representation from the beginning and had to trust the protocol given to me by CitiMortgage and Lerner, Sampson & Rothfuss.
Please continue to review all my documents thoroughly. The details speak for themselves.
I understand that each of your conversations are recorded and my initial conversation with Dicole Brown verified that July 29th was the first time that my package, which was sent in April, was ever reviewed. She even apologized that it took so long to review my information and stated that they were overwhelmed. If those recordings are still present, it will verify everything I stated from the beginning.
I will be faxing this letter with the overnight receipt from FedEx.
Thank you again for all of your help.
Gerard xxx
&
CitiMortgage denied any wrong doing in the foreclosure and openly admitted in a letter dated April 13th that they did not review my remodification for 4 months (I over nighted paperwork on April 1st 2005 and did not receive my first foreclosur letter from the courts until the 3rd week of May) and still held no responsibility for filing foreclosure. I overnighted the documents on April 1st (at my expense) to expedite the remodification as a CitiMortgage representative told me they would.
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