It all started back in May of 2010 when I submitted my COMPLETED modification packet to Chase.  After weeks of re-faxing “missing” W-2’s  and mysteriously “disappearing” check stubs I had a verbal CONFIRMATION ( Julie M. ext 26951) that my modification packet was complete and it was sent to underwriting on June 8^th.  It seemed too good to be true.  A few days later I was contacted by Ugenia Kight; she stated that she worked for Chase and she was my “new” relationship manager assigned to my account.  She then told me that I was 49 days past due and was quickly approaching 60 days and if I did not make a payment in the full amount it would be considered a “plan break.”  I told her that I had just spoken with Julie (Chase rep initially handling my mod) a few days prior and she told me that everything was done, and Chase was waiting to hear back from the underwriter so I can be given my new payment.  Keep in mind that I  had not received any trial modification payment of any kind in regards to my loan.  I then asked Ms. Kight what plan was she referring too? If there was going to be a plan break then what was the plan?  She could not give me a straight answer, she kept insisting that I needed to speak with collections in order to set up payment.  I told her that collections has nothing to do with the modification process and she insisted that they did.  I explained to her that I was told by Julie (who works for Chase) that collections cannot set up any type of payment plan, that can only be done through Loss Litigation (which happens to be her dept).  Ms. Kight became upset and told me that she was my relationship manager now, not Julie and if I wanted help I would have to go through her.  I immediately contacted Julie and told her everything that Ms. Kight had said.  Julie assured me that my mod was sent to underwriting on the 6^th of June and was in review and no to worry because she was going to send an email to Ms. Kight who was located out of Florida and her Supervisor to see what is going on.

Julie told me to give her a day to respond and then call her back.  The next day I contacted Julie and she told me that MS. Kight was in fact my relationship manager and she was the one handling my case.  I thought great! She’s clearly upset with me and now you’re telling me that she is the one who can deny my mod.  Julie said  “No.” she can’t do that your mod is already in underwriting that would be against the law for her to do that. Julie explained to me that Ms. Kight was handling my case now because my loan is a HELOC attached to the property as a 2^nd lien and Ms. Kight is part of the “2MP Team” from Chase Home Mortgage out of Florida.

A few days later I was contacted by Ms. Kight again asking me why I have not made a payment, I explained to her that I was having financial difficulties and that is why I am requesting the loan modification.  She insisted that I make a payment in the original amount due and continue to make these payments until I hear otherwise from her.  That is totally absurd, I told Ms. Kight that I am requesting a modification BECAUSE I cannot afford the minimum amount due; if I was able to make the minimum monthly payments I would not be requesting a modification in the first place.  Ms. Kight insisted that I needed to speak with collections and make a payment.  I AGAIN contact Julie at Chase and asked her to be honest with me, I needed to know what was going on.  Julie told me that my account was pending under review in underwriting.  Julie told me that I should hear back from underwriting soon, two weeks max.

On July 7^th 2010 one month later I contacted Chase to inquire about my modification, one month had already gone by without any type of resolution.  The representative at Chase told me that my account was “INACTIVE” and that I owed a minimum balance of $4200.  She did not know anything about my modification, it seemed to have never existed.  Frustrated and confused I contacted the HOPE Hotline and spoke with a counselor, I explained the entire situation to her so she transferred me to the Escalation Department.  A file was opened and I was advised to call back tomorrow so we could conduct a conference call with Chase.  The next day I contacted HOPE and spoke with Mrs. Debora Powers.  A conference call was conducted on July 8^th 2010 with Chase, myself and Ms. Powers.

We contacted Ms. Kight who by the way was not happy at all to speak with Ms. Powers.  Ms. Kight made every attempt to not speak with us despite my verbal authorization.  After jumping through several of her hoops Ms. Kight stated that I needed to make a payment in order to “Activate” my account and thus move forward in my modification process.  Ms. Powers asked Ms. Kight why was it that I needed to speak with collections if my modification has nothing to do with them, they are two separate entities. Ms. Powers asked Ms. Kight if my modification was currently in underwriting and Ms. Kight did not answer the question she said “I do not know.”  I then asked her how is it possible that she did not know the status of my loan if she was my relationship manager.

Her function is to serve as a liaison between myself and the underwriter.  Ms. Kight again became very upset and did not want to speak with us anymore.  Frustrated and not getting anywhere Ms. Powers then asked Ms. Kight what can he do in order to move forward, her answer was speak with collections they will help you, so we were transferred.  Myself and Ms. Powers were transferred to collections and spoke with a gentleman by the name of “Boyd” out of Arizona.  Boyd told me that he would be able to set up payments for a “STIP MOD” with payments that I can afford on a monthly basis.  Boyd asked me for ALL my financial information and even asked me to fax over my ENTIRE packet all over again, which I did.  In the presence of Ms. Powers, Boyd asked me how much can I afford to pay on a monthly basis, I told him $500.

We agreed on the amount of $500 due on the 9^th day of the next three months: July, August, and September.  After September according to Boyd, I was to receive the final loan mod agreement. This seemed to satisfy all parties,  It seemed to good to be true.  Well it was.   The very next day July 9,2010 I called the number that Boyd gave me, so that I could make my first $500 payment.  I might have been speaking a foreign language because  the rep from Chase did not have a clue about ANYTHING that I was talking about! She said it never happened, Boyd is not real and the entire conversation was a figment of my and Ms. Powers’ imagination.(How do they get away with this if all call are allegedly recorded?)  How does DAVID LOWMAN sleep at night?

I immediately contacted HOPE and tried to reach Ms. Powers but unfortunately she was not working that day.  I just wanted to tell her what Chase had told me because I could not believe it.  I spoke with Ms. Sheila Watson form the HOPE Hotline and had to explain the ENTIRE story,  she couldn’t believe it.  Another conference call was conducted on July 9th, 2010 with Chase but Ms. Kight was unavailable…go figure.  However miraculously my account was all of a sudden “active” again when the day before Ms. Kight stated that I needed to make a payment in order to activate my account.   Later that same day July 9^th 2010 I was able to borrow some money from family members and I did make a payment with another “relationship manager” Liz R. ext 322181.  Liz also was able to tell me that my account was active and under review, she said that I should hear from Chase soon in regards to my new modification payment.

Today (7/19/10) I contacted Julie again and asked her what was going on with my account?  Julie is the only person at Chase who knows what I am talking about in regards to my modification.  I told her that I can never get a hold of Ms. Kight, that is unacceptable if she is supposed to be my relationship manager.  I left Ms. Kight a message during normal business hours EST but I have not heard back from her.  In my opinion she is holding my modification hostage and that is a crime!  If I had the funds to do so I think a jury would agree.

I want to know how this is possible? Why do these people lie so much and why are they so greedy? The Federal Government has given them Billions of dollars and they still want more!  How can any human being be this ignorant?  David Lowman head of home lending for Chase said “ The 2MP makes it easier to coordinate modifications with other servicers because of constant standards.” Please explain to me Mr. Lowman what are the constant standards? Because if you call what I described above as “constant standards” then this process is hopeless.  I am an American Citizen who wants to make payments on a loan that I can afford, If someone out there can help please don’t sit around and let this injustice go unnoticed.