Harrassment

[Gardenwezel]

I live in Florida, my mortgage company is Homeq/Money store in California.

Payment due date is 1st of the month and they start calling on the 2nd, grace period ends on the 11th. I admit almost every month I'm unable to make the payment by the 1st, but I usually get it in by the 11th or a few days after. I asked for a new due date but they agreed only if I did automatic payment and they would extend it to the 6th. No checking account so the due date is still the same. I got a letter from the loss mitigation dept months ago because I fell behind 2 months (I got caught up the next month) I found out their idea of "working" with me was suggesting that selling my house is the only solution. Anyway, they start calling on the 2nd and call at least 3x a day until payment is made. A few times I've counted 10 calls in a day. I usually don't answer the phone until I've mailed off the payment because even when I tell them the date I will make the payment they still call. They also hound me about WHY the payment is late and it really bugs me because it doesn't matter to them why it's late. How many calls a day are considered harrassment? And is it still harrassment if I don't answer the calls? I checked with the BBB and in 3 years they've had over 248 complaints about them, half are from phone calls like this.

 

[JasonRT]

Dear Gardenwezel,

You are supposed to pay your mortgage by the due date, not after the due date. This is why they are calling. Remember, they didn't force this on you, you agreed to this when you contracted with them for the loan. Why don't you get a checking account?

The mortgage company shouldn't be expected to wait two months for your payment and if you were unable to offer payment when they called and wrote you, selling your house was the only option at that time. What did you perceive the other options to be?

They work from an autodialer which will continue to call you until you answer the telephone. This is not illegal. If you would be an adult and face your problems - they wouldn't call so many times each day. They also have every right to know WHY the payment is late. They have an expectation of receiving payment from you by a certain date that YOU agreed to - why shouldn't they be entitled to an explanation as to why you're not honoring your agreements?

Maybe instead of spending your time calling the BBB you should consider getting a second part-time job so you can pay your mortgage on time.


[email protected]

 

[Gardenwezel]

mmmhmmm

anyone else who understands what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck have any words of wisdom?

This obviously excludes you Jason.

 

[bigun]

Let's look at it like this. If you can't make a mortgage payment on yime, there are probably some other bills not being paid on time either.
Selling the house is not an unreasonable alternative. Somehow, you have a lifestyle you can't afford. In this case, it sounds as if you bought a house before you could truely afford it. Sell the house, find less expensive digs, get a budget setup that allows you to pay your other bills comfortably and then, start saving money and in a few years, prehaps you'll be in better shape to be a homeowner.
I'm not trying to be harse here but, as a former banker i've seen your story a million times. You leveraged yourself to the hilt then, unexpected expenses hit, and you got something you can't afford.

 

[Gardenwezel]

What are you people not understanding?

I can afford the payment, it gets paid every month. The 2 months I got behind were when my husband got laid off and we caught it up. Selling is not an option, the payment amount is less than the rent on a cramped apartment slum. My husband's new job doesn't pay as much as his old one and I have explained to Homeq about it and requested a later due date that would be easier to pay, but they refused. All I was asking in my original post was if 10 calls a day on the 3rd of the month seemed a bit excessive to anyone else. Sheesh! Never mind! You don't want to answer a legitimate question, you just want to rip apart a person's character on this board because you're bill collectors banging out your frustrations from all the people who hang up on you.

 

[ccarter]

Gardenwezel,

Don't take JasonRT's harshness to heart....I have read several posts where he tells people they disgust him for not paying their bills, but low and behold tonight I run across a post where it seems our righteous JasonRT is trying to figure out how to avoid paying speeding tickets.

 

[Gardenwezel]

Gardenwezel,

Don't take JasonRT's harshness to heart....I have read several posts where he tells people they disgust him for not paying their bills, but low and behold tonight I run across a post where it seems our righteous JasonRT is trying to figure out how to avoid paying speeding tickets.

LOL!!!!

Let me guess.........he was speeding through a school zone to mow down the tykes who haven't paid their overdue library fines?

 

[ccarter]

Gardenwezel,

LMAO...I wouldn't doubt it for a minute!! It must be nice to be as perfect as JasonRT thinks he is!

 

[bigun]

Gardenwezel,

Your circumstances have changed. You have less income. Your only choices are more income and/or lower expenses. If your credit is so poor you can't get a checking account, I'd be nervous too if I were your lender. Expect your lender to keep a close eye on your credit file. Be certain you don't default on any other obligations. If you do, expect the lender to one day not accept the late payment.
AS I posted before, I've seen your situation too many times. The outcome is usually disappointing.