Lost mortgage payments leave homeowner in a bind

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KGO) -- A San Rafael homeowner began receiving late notices for mortgage payments she said she had already paid.

Complaints of lost documents are common for people in disputes with mortgage companies, especially during the height of the foreclosure crisis, but this may be the first complaint we received about lost payments.

Lisa Rose tried to escape from her troubles by relaxing in her home in San Rafael.

She described it as a nerve wracking experience with her mortgage company- Nationstar which recently changed its name to Mr. Cooper.

She had been paying her mortgage using money orders from Western Union.

But since Western Union capped money orders at a thousand dollars, she had to send in multiple payments-payments which she said Mr. Cooper lost.

"They had been in the habit of losing one or more of them because of the way they process when the checks are received they weren't processing accurately," said Lisa.

She said this happened two months in a row.

Lisa described unwinding the mistake as a big time consuming hassle.

"I kept saying to them, look. I've done my part. I've paid on time and my credit is at stake here."

Lisa felt she was not getting the right support. So she reached out to 7 On Your Side for help and we got the attention of one of Mr. Cooper's top managers.

" He calls me back very quickly. He's been very apologetic. He's been responsive. "

Mr. Cooper told us "We are committed to keeping the dream of homeownership alive for our customers, and we're glad we were able to help resolve this issue."

The late payment notices have been rescinded and Lisa said the company has put in writing its promise that her credit will not be adversely affected.

We've also reached out to Western Union which has refunded her for the lost money orders.

She's happy she contacted us for help.

"I think it's how it resolved so quickly. I wasn't getting anywhere on my own."

Written and produced by Randall Yip