Menu
Login
I have owned my own home since 1988 and never missed a payment. I have asthma and a sensitivity to perfumes and chemicals and other toxins. In 2003, my then employer ignored my needs. As a result, I breathed in some toxins sprayed at work. I could not breathe and catch my breath. I was left writhing in pain on the floor for 45 minutes in front of a room full of people before an ambulance was called. By the time I got to the hospital, my stomach had perforated resulting in emergency surgery and a $15,000 bill, which the employer or its insurance company refused to pay. I also lost my job for reporting the situation and tried to obtain worker's compensation to cover the income losses and get help with the bills. As a result of the outstanding hospital bills, I could not get treatment to be able to heal from my surgery properly. My former employee threatened me for reporting them.
I was deep in debt from the medical bills and credit card debt. At the same time, I became fodder for identity theft. While I was on pain killers. A telemarketer from a software company, Smart Certify billed me for $3,000 for a web design course I did not authorize on an MBNA credit card. Smart Certify and MBNA would not remove the debt and it went on my credit report. Before the surgery, my FICO score was 710.
To avoid bankruptcy, I attended a seminar with others in Cedar Rapids, sponsored by Financial Rescue Services and the National Consumer Council for debt settlement. My debts were settled for pennies on the dollar. I filed for financial assistance for payment of the hospital bills. I was told the application was approved and the debt was cleared. Yet, the 3 credit reports (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) and still are reporting the medical as collection accounts, when they are not and the MBNA does not have the fraud disclaimer I requested. I was trying to heal from my surgery and the terminal illness of my mother from colon cancer.
Household Finance was paid off as part of the settlement, yet I am still hounded and harassed by collectors. My home mortgage was refinanced to clear off the debt by Financial Rescue Services. My mortgage loan was sold in 2005. I was living on income from bonds I had inherited. An ex-friend, which a substance abuse problem broke into my home and stole the bonds. Even though he couldn't cash the bonds, it took 2 months to replace them. I was never notified that they were taking over my loan.
At the same time, my youngest brother was injured in a fall down some stairs, sustaining a serious brain injury. I explained the situation to Homeq Servicing Corporation, the company who took over my loan. They seemed to understand, yet many things happened. They took advantage of my situation and that's when the hassle began.
Thanks to Homeq:
1. They canceled my home owner's insurance (which I had had since 1988) for $500/year and replaced it with a policy for $989/year and told me I couldn't have other insurance. (this is a practice called “forced insurance.
2. My payments were increased from $500 to $800/mo which violates my mortgage, without legal notification.
3. Payments have not been applied even though I have shown proof of payment of checks cleared through my bank. So I am being told I am behind and in breach, when I am not. It is now on my credit report and I have been accessed late fees. They have destroyed my credit by reporting late payments, which have been made.
4. Still continue to charge me for an escrow account, when my interest and taxes are included in my mortgage payments, according to my mortgage deed.
5. I have been called a deadbeat and profane names by collectors even at 10:00 pm as well as “f—ing [censored]” and that because I am a low-life deadbeat, I do not deserve to be treated fairly and that they can do as they please and there's nothing I can do about the situation. I even sent Homeq a cease and desist letter and they still call.
6. An "attorney" called telling me that if I didn't make payment and if I reported them to anyone-I wouldn't have my home and job and I needed to pay in full by July 1st or face foreclosure. He wasn't an attorney but posing as one, which is illegal.
In my research on predatory lending, I learned that my current mortgage which was financed by Financial Rescue Services through their bank, First Financial Bank NLC in California contains illegal items:
1. The HUD settlement statement has illegal fees charged by the bank they cannot charge.
2. I was promised a fixed rate but got an adjustable rate mortgage.
3. My truth in lending and good faith estimates have 2 different rates, which is illegal.
4. My interest and taxes were financed as part of the loan and yet appear not to be part of the loan, which is illegal.
5. Did the loan you got at closing turn out to be very different from what you were promised? Is the rate much higher than the lender led you to expect? Did you think you were getting a fixed rate loan, and end up with a variable rate loan which can only go up from where it started? Were large fees financed into the loan? Were you looking for lower payments only to find that you now have to pay your taxes and insurance on your own, outside of the loan? Yes
I learned that in 2004, Financial Rescue Services and the National Consumer Council were shut down by the FTC for fraud and failure of full disclosure. (Court Closes National Consumer Council )
Because I don't have the money, I cannot obtain adequate legal representation. The Iowa Attorney General has referred my case to the Office of the US Currency, who are slow to act even after 2 referrals by the Attorney General's office. People are losing their homes because of this fraud and I don't want to lose mine. I have home repairs that need to be made (leaky faucets and gutter cleaning to clear out trees that have grown) and haven't the money to do so. The stress has been ungodly because of the harassment and red tape. My loan is owned by Wells Fargo who is known for predatory lending practices (Links and Information. )
I am asking for help in stopping the practices by Homeq and that my credit report is cleared of all negative information, restoring my FICO score and the negation of my mortgage and being paid in full due to fraud. Just because I am lower-income, does not mean I am beneath anyone and deserve to be treated fairly.
Cynthia J Koehler
1119B Avenue NW
CedarRapids, Iowa 52405
Phone:[protected] Cell Phone: [protected]
Email: [protected]@aol.com
Lisa Hall, there's little you said that was true, but what was true was pertinent: You can't cheat an honest person. Lots of people tried to get houses using cheap terms, and that was obviously going to end badly. Cindy Koehler did it, and that greatly indicates how dishonest she's being herself. Also, who actually checks the BBB before doing any business with companies listed therein? I've never seen people do it, but they sure as anything complain to the BBB after they've been defrauded. So what's the use of the BBB? There isn't one. Shut it down.
My name is Ralph Hial, and I endorse my viewpoint.
Ralph, Denise & Michelle - I pray everyday that we all get back 10 fold what we put out there.
When you are in misery, think of me, praying for you - that you got back 10 fold what you put out there.
WE ALL DESERVE TO GET BACK WHAT WE GIVE. ARE YOU READY FOR YOURS?
1. They canceled my home owner's insurance (which I had had since 1988) for $500/year and replaced it with a policy for $989/year and told me I couldn't have other insurance. (this is a practice called “forced insurance.
HOMEQ CANT CANCEL INSURANCE, THEY ONLY PLACE INSURANCE AFTER YOUR INSURANCE CARRIER CANCELS IT, AND YOU CAN GET YOUR OWN AT ANYTIME AND FAX VERIFICATION TO HOMEQ.
2. My payments were increased from $500 to $800/mo which violates my mortgage, without legal notification.
YOUR PAYMENTS PROBABLY INCREASED TO PAY FOR THE INSURANCE THAT YOU GOT CANCELED BY YOU NOT PAYING YOUR PREMIUM.
3. Payments have not been applied even though I have shown proof of payment of checks cleared through my bank. So I am being told I am behind and in breach, when I am not. It is now on my credit report and I have been accessed late fees. They have destroyed my credit by reporting late payments, which have been made.
IF YOU DIDN'T MAKE A FULL PAYMENT, THEN IT WONT BE APPLIED AS A PAYMENT. IF YOU HAVE PROOF, WHY DON'T YOU FAX IT TO HOMEQ SO THEY CAN FIX IT?
4. Still continue to charge me for an escrow account, when my interest and taxes are included in my mortgage payments, according to my mortgage deed.
YEAH, OBVIOUSLY YOU DIDN'T READ YOUR CONTRACT BECAUSE YOUR PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENT IS DIFFERENT THAN YOUR ESCROW PAYMENT, AND THE BASE PAYMENT YOU AGREE TO IS ONLY YOUR PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENT
5. I have been called a deadbeat and profane names by collectors even at 10:00 pm as well as “f—ing [censored]” and that because I am a low-life deadbeat, I do not deserve to be treated fairly and that they can do as they please and there's nothing I can do about the situation. I even sent Homeq a cease and desist letter and they still call.
HOMEQ DOESN'T CALL AFTER 9PM, SINCE IT'S AGAINST THE LAW. IF A CEASE AND DESIST LETTER WAS RECEIVED THEN THEY CAN NOT LEGALLY CALL OR MAIL YOU. SO THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T RECEIVE IT AND YOU SHOULD SEND ANOTHER ONE
6. An "attorney" called telling me that if I didn't make payment and if I reported them to anyone-I wouldn't have my home and job and I needed to pay in full by July 1st or face foreclosure. He wasn't an attorney but posing as one, which is illegal.
DO YOU EVEN KNOW THAT WAS HOMEQ? YOU OBVIOUSLY DON'T.
MAKE YOUR PAYMENTS AND HOMEQ WONT CALL. DON'T BE LATE AND YOUR CREDIT WON'T BE SCREWED UP. PAY YOUR TAXES AND YOUR INSURANCE AND YOUR PAYMENT WON'T GO UP DUE TO ESCROW. READ YOUR MORTGAGE CONTRACT BEFORE YOU SIGN IT AND THEN YOU DON'T GET INTO SITUATIONS YOU CAN'T CONTROL.
NOW THAT MY COMMON SENSE CLASS IS OVER... if you did all of these things, would you have a problem with homeq? No, you wouldn't. So quit blaming someone else for the problems you have caused yourself.
If you need to voice your complaints and get something done, you must call the COO of the company. His number is listed below. I am in a situation with HomeQ where my home is going to foreclose because we are short $2800. They will not approve a shortage of $2800. So instead of getting 140,000 they want the full $142,800. We of course cannot come up with the money, so it will foreclosure. So please, do me a favor, call the piss out of this man and let him know just how you feel! Oh, and if you get his voicemail, press 0 then # to get his assistant. Good luck everyone!
Keith Becker COO - HomeQ Servicing
[protected].
Press 0# to get his assistant, she actually answers the phone.
apparently you are an a- hole Raulph. Are you related to Hitler. Homeq has a "F" rating at the BBB for their tactics. Don't you have any empathy for other people regardless of their IQ that get screwed with unethical tactics. I have been in business for a long time and know when your getting screwed. I also know that people that work for the company that has complaints against it regularly post comment such as yours to cover the illegal practices. If indeed you do work for Homeq and you must. You need to look for a new honest job, because you are going down just like Ameriquest. How do you live with yourself. You must be a psychopath. You just don't care. Go back to kindergarten dude. You need to know the basic rules of society.
Wildcat
that ralph guy must be one of those fraud guys he is the idiot cindy just sue them all
Dear Cindy Koehler,
Ralph Hial the predator is either a total idiot his self OR like the lawyer he works for HomEq. Keep your focus on the solution not the problem, that will keep you strong.
Beth.
Still continue to charge me for an escrow account, when my interest and taxes are included in my mortgage payments, according to my mortgage deed. "
Dear, when taxes and property insurance are included in your mortgage payments, they get deposited into an escrow account. That's just how it works. Nothing fishy is happening here.
I'm ready to give your complaint the benefit of a doubt, but you are especially showing your ignorance in item #4 here, and it makes me wonder what else you may be ignorant about.
What you need to do is get yourself a very basic financial education. Go to the library and find a book on personal finance. Your local library might also have a bulletin board with pointers towards local organizations that offer financial counseling and legal aid.
Ranting like this on the Internet may make you feel better, but it's also going to attract a lot of trolls. I sure hope that isn't your real contact information at the bottom of your post. If it is, I suggest not hooking up with anyone who contacts you thru this post. What you've said so far identifies you as an easy mark to all the predators out there. Please go out and find someone IRL (In Real Life) to help you.
Dear Cindy Koehler,
I wish there was a solution to this problem, but there isn't. There are two root causes here:
1. You are an idiot and in real life, idiots get robbed, raped and killed with some regularity. For example, you had bonds in your home yet didn't secure them in a safe attached to a wall. No one can protect you when you are either too stupid or too trusting (and in today's predatory environment, being too trusting is... stupid).
2. The people you deal with on a daily basis are out to hurt you. Drop them like bad habits. Get rid of all the family who are hurting you... yes, even that brain-damaged guy. Stop answering creditors. Stop arranging finances that you obviously don't understand. Etc.
The truth is that you're going to lose your home from your stupidity, from your insistence on hanging around predators, and from not learning to avoid bad decisions after having made so many IN A ROW. The truth is that by the principle of #1 above, you're getting what you deserve since REALITY ITSELF does terrible and unstoppable things to stupid people like you.
I really don't know why I bothered to reply to you. If you're as stupid as your testimonial indicates, nothing I've said will have any impact to you. You'll still hang around predators; you'll still answer phone calls from collectors (have you ever heard of Caller ID?); you'll still whine and cry about health problems (which no employer wants to deal with); and you're obviously concerned about your credit rating since you have every intention of buying (i.e. borrowing a lot of money for) another house. Chances are, you're hopeless.