In April, I wrote about a community meeting that went quite badly with US Bank reps. Afterward, I profiled Gregory and Deborah Matthews, homeowners who keep getting screwed over.

We believe US Bank misapplied payments on the Matthews, then filed foreclosure and made them move out of their house in the middle of January.  Then they realized they’d made a mistake and told her she could move back in — to broken water pipes because US Bank hadn’t secured the property.

At April’s meeting, ESOP demanded US Bank to address the Matthews’ case – and many more like theirs — with a sense of urgency and responsibility. The Matthews were promised a call by the end of the day. To US Bank’s credit, they did call, but with more of the same old. Gregory’s unemployment didn’t qualify them for a loan modification and Deborah’s full-time earnings at a non-profit weren’t enough. A denial letter was sent out.

A foreclosure mediation hearing later that month also went nowhere. According to the Matthews, an attorney for US Bank continually interrupted the court magistrate and said that the Matthews were never told to move out of their home. The magistrate, unimpressed with US Bank’s conduct and lack of communication, told the bank rep to keep looking into the Matthews’ case.

Deborah says that during the mediation hearing she asked for an itemized breakdown from US Bank of her payment history to see how and where her payments had been applied, especially since US Bank now wants another $16,000 in full. That was seven weeks ago and nothing has yet been received.

Given the egregious mishandling of the Matthews’ case, we think US Bank needs to do better for this family. Instead, US Bank is threatening to take their home to auction at sheriff sale within a matter of weeks.

In the words of the ESOP Counselor who works with the Matthews, Leannea Taylor: “US Bank’s accountability to their customers really sucks. I know that not all homes can be saved from foreclosure, but these folks, in my humble opinion, have done everything to try to work with the bank in every possible way to figure out a way to save their home and it’s ridiculous what little they have received in return for their tremendous efforts.”

Now the Matthews are on the verge of declaring bankruptcy and Deborah believes they are closer than ever to losing their home because US Bank won’t bend. The final mediation judgment will arrive within the next two weeks.