This is for everyone, not just Flagstar. Approxmimately 2 years into our mortgage with Flagstar from H**l, my husband filed for bankruptcy. Our account was then moved from the "good boys and girls club" department to the "VERY BAD--LET'S TREAT THEM LIKE DIRT Club" Bankruptcy Dept. Once in Dante's Inferno, we were no longer entitled to a monthly bank statement, online banking (you can have it) and direct payments, payment history, etc.
I was calling in my payments, giving them my banking information and check number, but that turned out to be a total disaster! First I was lucky it I could actually speak to someone. Everyone's voicemail box was always full, including the manager of the department, so forget about lodging a complaint about the staff. I would call in my payments and this one fool that I spoke with took my payments in August of 2005 typed in one else's bank account and they tried to draw my check on someone else's account SO! Flagstar claimed, I had insufficient funds ONLY they didn't tell me anything until I called in September 2005 for the next payment. In September they admitted it was their mistake, thank you very much BUT you can keep it! and promised to FIX their mistake, yeah right! and reverse the late fee for August. I gave them a replacement check for August and the September payment. GUESS WHAT? She, this sorry fool, ended up holding both payments, didn't draw on the checks, and I wasn't aware of what was happening until January 27, 2006, almost 6 months later. They ALMOST took my house away but, I had every receipt including bank letters regarding my correct bank account and I fought like a wild cat, but they ALMOST got away with it. I buried them in good ole paper! I was fighting for my life and that of my family!!!!!
This is what I learned from this experience as far as making my monthly payments and keeping records in order.
1) NEVER PAY ONLINE (I wasn't, but you should know this) and this is what I learned about online banking---this is some scary stuff! LISTEN UP!
Cyberthieves are silently copying as you type. Forget about phishing, that's yesterday's news. This is what's a happn'in now: Cyperthieves are "keylogging now", which means monitoring programs are often hidden inside ordinary software downloads, e-mail attachements or files shared, etc. They can be embedded in Web pages, taking advantage of browser features that allow programs to run automatically, these Trojan horses are selective. Keyloggers monitor the Web access victims make, and start recording info only when the users enters the sites of interest to the fraudster. They'll simply wait for certain web sites to be visited i.e. a banking site, or credit card account online==or for certain keywords to be entered "SSN," for example and then spring to life. Keystrokes are saved to a file, web forms are copied--even snapshots of a user's screen can be silently recorded. The information is then sent back to a Web site or some waiting server where a thief, or a different piece of software, sifts through the data for useful nuggets. With keyloggers, you've literally got someone sitting over your shoulder watching everything that you do.
I would never bank online nor pay my mortgage online. Because it has become increasing dangerous trying to make mortgage payments by sending in your check, they'll claim it arrived 1) late 2) they'll jack you up for late charges and report you to the credit bureaus--ruin your credit so that you never qualify for another loan anywhere and drag their feet in reversing negative information OR MUCH WORSE 3) claim you never sent in any payments, never notify you in writing or by phone, and try to foreclose 4) for those in bankruptcy, they'll petition the court to remove your bankruptcy stay in order to foreclose. All of this Flagstar did to me and attempted to move to foreclose, but were not able to, by the grace of God. This experience has really opened my eyes!
These are the steps I have taken to insure (to the best of my ability) that I will not be set up for a foreclosure.
1) Pay ONLY by Western Union Quick Payment. You can go to any Western Union office or say, a Safeway or Vons that has a Western Union in their supermarket. Ask for an application for W..U. customer card. You'll save maybe a few dollars, but the point is not that so much as that once you fill out their paperwork, you'll be given an account number, ususally 10 digits. Everytime you send your payment, they'll use this number and your Mortgage Lender, along with their city, state, your mortgage account number, the date and time, and amount is printed on that receipt. Safeway will also give you their small receipt which they'll staple to the Western Union receipt. Every mortgage company that offers this service for payment has a city code and state and country code. For Flagstar it's Piston, but always check first.
I've learned a very valuable and important lesson. That is why I now, have a safe deposit box at the bank and keep ALL my payment receipts at the bank for safekeeping. I make copies of my mortgage/Western Unions payments and keep them in my file at home. I will no longer just assume anything.
Oh, by the way, if your lender says they don't use this method for payment, I would check with Western Union. You know you can't believe anything these scum bags subprime lenders say. REMEMBER! they want your homes! and will stop at nothing to get them! They don't care of you or your family dies. It makes me so sick and these filthy dogs are trading on Wall Street. Blood Money!!!!!!
For the government and so called regulatory agencies that are reading these hearbreaking situations, DON'T JUST SIT THERE AT YOU COMPUTER TAKING A BREAK WHILE READING THESE POSTINGS, THIS IS NOT COMEDY CENTRAL, AND IT'S NOT FUNNY!!!!!!!, GET UP AND DO SOMETHING FOR US! PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY DYING BECAUSE OF THESE OUTRAGEOUS TACTICS. WE'RE BEING RAPED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU KNOW, AND GOD KNOWS YOU KNOW!
WE NEED HELP LIKE, YESTERDAY!!!!!!!
Class Action Lawyers and Law Firms, Senators, PLEASE help us!. We're being displaced everyday!!
One last thing, for all the FLAGSTAR Customers, call the FBI, Agent John Gillies is conducting an investigation into mortgage fraud. Call him and lodge a complaint.
Listen, We're all going to have to stick together and help one another with information, sending e-mails to our senators, class action law firms, etc., because it seems, no one is going to come to our rescue and we need to be proactive. Katrina has certainly opened our eyes, right? Need I say more?
They is something I would appreciate if someone could answer. Flagstar claims that because we are in the bankruptcy dept, I am no longer entitled to a monthly statement. This is legal? and if not, how can I make them send me a monthly statement?
One last thing, for those of you in bankruptcy. When only one spouse has claimed bankruptcy, your lender states by law they cannot contact the other spouse regarding any problems regarding payments. Request in writing to your lender, they send you a letter request your spouse's signature giving your lender permission to speak with the spouse not in bankruptcy in order that they can never say they were not able to let you know of any problems. This will protect you and then by law they have to let you know if their are any discrepencies or legal issues pending. It keeps you in the loop.
My best to everyone,
Janet
San Francisco, CA
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