Sweet Victory!!

**Thevail** · 05-05-2010, 08:37 PM

Bwahahaahhaaa... take that Bank of America....

So.. we're going through this home loan modification process.. ostensibly through the new Making Home Affordable Act..

Except a couple of days ago, I tried to make my house payment online as I always do, and I kept getting an error message, that said I needed to call customer service.

So I did, and the telephone system wouldn't recognize my loan # and would switch me to the checking/savings account dept. which wouldn't recognize the number, but would switch me back to the home loan dept.

10 minutes... finally I just kept pushing zero over and over again until I got a human.. who said it wasn't his department.. and put me back into the telephone system.. repeat section one...

So I went to the Bank of America Home Loan center in my town. The guy pulls up my account.. and tells me he only handles new loans.. and can't do anything about this.. it's not his department. He kindly gives me the same 1-800 # that I had already tried.

Finally I took my mortgage paperwork and CASH to the actual Bank of America branch in my town...

The teller says, I can't access your account.. sorry..
I yelled loud enough to stop everyone in the bank..

"So.. either you give me a ZERO dollars left owing receipt for this mortgage.. or you give me a signed letter stating that you REFUSE PAYMENT on this debt!"

I was attended to by a bank manager immediately.. acting like a bull in a china shop may not always be the best plan.. but sometimes, it's what you've got left after all else has failed..

I asked her what the hell was going on.. and she said that it is standard procedure to freeze access to mortgages that are undergoing a modification.

I asked her what happens then, she admitted that generally the home owner ends up in default, and then the modification is denied unless the home owner can come up with all of the cash for the missing payments AND any late fees, fines etc. within 3 days.

Many times, they just deny the modification AND ask for the payments that are in arrears, or generously offer to move them to the end of the loan... and if you are EVER late again.. you're instantly in default, no wait.

I told her to wait just one moment while I called my attorney..

The bank manager then called some super secret number (she turned the phone away, seriously) and got my payment electronically processed in about 5 minutes with a confirmation number!

**Palooka** · 05-05-2010, 08:45 PM

Haha, I hate dealing with Bank of Hell and their 1-800 number. What a huge pain you had to go through!

**Russ** · 05-05-2010, 09:00 PM

Awesome! Way to stick to your guns!

**Thevail** · 05-05-2010, 09:41 PM

I just can't believe that this isn't somehow illegal. I mean, doesn't it seem a bit odd?

Why on earth would they freeze the customer's access to the account?

**frugalfranny** · 05-06-2010, 01:02 AM

OMG....that is bad news.

Sorry, had to chuckle while reading this thevail but I DO feel for you. It sounds like something I would do which is why I chuckled.

that absolutely sucks............how can they do that....legally??? I mean, they won't take your money, they hold up your account and then YOU are the one in default??!!

I am glad you did this.........nothing serves a better purpose sometimes than a HISSY FIT!!!

Have you thought about investigating this further to see if it is legal?

**pollypurebred39** · 05-06-2010, 01:53 AM

Wow, just wow! Like FF said, "I am glad you did this.........nothing serves a better purpose sometimes than a HISSY FIT!!!" Great Hissy Fit!!! So glad you didn't back down.

**Dutchie** · 05-06-2010, 02:45 AM

Isn't it funny how the 'attorney' word can get quick results?

**Nada.Leona** · 05-06-2010, 04:50 AM

Everyone should have a balls-to-the-wall reaction plan. Yours seemed to suit the situation perfectly. Go you!

**TheRootedNomad** · 05-06-2010, 07:08 AM

My MIL is starting the same process. I'll be passing the info along. Thanks!

**Darlene** · 05-06-2010, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by LadyNada

Everyone should have a balls-to-the-wall reaction plan. Yours seemed to suit the situation perfectly. Go you!

Go you for sure!

**mek42** · 05-06-2010, 08:40 AM

Wow. "Our system is designed to force the debtor into default through no fault of their own." You just might have the beginning of a hefty class action suit if you decide to go that way.

Glad to hear you were able to be assertive without getting put in jail. Hearing things like this really anger me. Thank you for sharing what happened and how you resolved it.

**stinkbug** · 05-06-2010, 09:19 AM

There's been all kinds of stories in our local paper about this. People getting sucked into the *loan modification* trap, only to lose their home in the end - while doing exactly what they were instructed to do. I don't know how this can be legal.....

**StanleyJohnson** · 05-06-2010, 11:11 AM

It's stories like this that made me look at a credit union.

**frugalfranny** · 05-06-2010, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Thevail

or generously offer to move them to the end of the loan... and if you are EVER late again.. you're instantly in default, no wait.

which, once again means, they are making even more money, at your expense, of course. SO CROOKED!!

The SLIME BALLS are still at it I guess. But being BofA doesn't surprise me! I don't call them 'just' bank of hell......I call them bank of a**h****.........the big banks suck!