How to Get a Mortgage Modification When Your Servicer Stalls

Take an example family. Their mortgage payment is $2,100 a month, including taxes and insurance. One parent lost overtime pay, and they missed three payments. They are now $6,300 behind.

They have called their servicer, the company that collects their payment, four times. They sent the same pay stubs twice. Every call ends the same way: the file is still under review.

That story is common right now. From June to September 2026, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) got 1,510 complaints about trouble fixing a modification, forbearance or foreclosure problem. That is up 83% from 827 in the same months of 2025. Complaints about applying for a modification or forbearance rose 87%, from 441 to 824.

Here is the short answer. Get your application complete, in writing, with proof of everything you sent. A complete application starts federal deadlines your servicer must meet. A free housing counselor can help you push it along.

What are your options if you fall behind?

Your servicer is the company that collects your payment. It may offer several kinds of help. The industry calls these "loss mitigation" options. Here is what each one means in plain words.

• Forbearance. Your payments pause or drop for a set time. You still owe what you skipped.
• Repayment plan. You pay your normal payment plus part of what you missed, for a set number of months. Freddie Mac's plans can run up to 12 months.
• Payment deferral. The missed payments move to the end of the loan. Your monthly payment stays the same.
• Partial claim (FHA and VA loans). The government pays what you missed. You owe it back later, usually when you sell, refinance or pay off the home.
• Loan modification. The loan itself changes, such as a longer term or a new rate. The goal is a payment you can afford for good.

Here is how a repayment plan would work for our example family.

If their income dropped for good, $3,150 a month will not work. That is when a deferral, partial claim or modification makes more sense. Tell the servicer which kind of problem you have: short-term or long-term.

Does it matter who backs your loan?

Yes. The rules for what your servicer can offer depend on who owns or insures your loan. Your servicer must tell you if you ask.

• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Both have free tools that show if they own your loan. Their options include forbearance, repayment plans, payment deferral and modifications.
• FHA loans. FHA rules changed on October 1, 2025. Most FHA borrowers can now get only one long-term fix, such as a modification, every 24 months. You must first make three trial payments on time. A partial claim is a zero-interest second loan owed to HUD, the housing agency.
• VA loans. VA lists six options, from forbearance to a 40-year modification. Its new partial claim pays your missed payments after a three-month trial plan. You repay it when you pay off, refinance or sell. Some servicers may not offer it until November 28, 2026, so ask yours if it does.
• USDA loans. Your servicer handles help under USDA's own rules. Ask it which options apply to your loan.

What does your servicer have to do once you apply?

A federal rule called Regulation X sets the deadlines. The rule is at 12 CFR 1024.41. Most of the deadlines start only when your application is complete. That means the servicer has every document it asked for.

Some deadlines change when a sale date is close. The 5-day notice applies when you apply 45 days or more before a sale. The 30-day decision applies when your complete application arrives more than 37 days before a sale. So apply early.

One more rule matters. If you never caught up on payments after your first complete application, the servicer does not have to review a second one. Make the first one complete.

Are the rules changing in 2026?

Not yet, as of October 8, 2026. In 2024, the CFPB proposed rewriting these loss-mitigation rules. Its 2026 agenda planned a final rule around August 2026. We found no final rule in the Federal Register as of this date. So the deadlines above still apply.

Separately, the CFPB removed its temporary COVID-era servicing protections. That change took effect on July 15, 2025, and is in effect now. For now, nothing above changes for you. We will update this guide if either rule changes.

How do you keep the servicer from losing your file?

Most stalled files come down to paperwork. The servicer says a document never arrived, or it expired. Protect yourself with a simple system.

1. Get the document list in writing. Ask for it by email or letter, not only by phone.
2. Send through a tracked channel. Use the servicer's upload portal and save the confirmation, or mail with tracking.
3. Keep a copy of every page. Save it in one folder with the date you sent it.
4. Log every call. Write the date, time, the person's name and what they said.
5. Watch for the 5-day notice. If it says something is missing, send it fast. Note the new date.
6. Ask why before you resend. Before you send a document again, ask in writing what was wrong with the first one.

Pay stubs and bank statements can get too old for the servicer to use. If your review drags on, the servicer may ask for newer ones. Send them quickly so the file stays complete.

What should you do if you hear nothing?

Put your request in writing. A written request for information gets its own federal deadlines under 12 CFR 1024.36. The servicer must confirm it got your letter within 5 business days. It must answer most requests within 30 business days.

Check your monthly statement or the servicer's website for its special address for these letters. Send your letter there, with tracking. Here is a sample you can adapt. It is a template, not legal advice.

Subject: Request for information about my loss mitigation application

Loan number: [your loan number]

Property address: [your address]

I am writing to request information about my loss mitigation application under 12 CFR 1024.36.

I sent my application and documents on [date] by [upload, mail with tracking number]. Please tell me in writing:

1. The date you received my application.
2. Whether you consider it complete, and if not, every document still missing.
3. The date it became complete, if it is.
4. The options you are reviewing me for and when you expect to decide.
5. The status of any foreclosure activity on my loan.

Please send your answer to [mailing address or email]. Thank you.

[Your name]

[Date]

If the servicer still does not answer, you can file a complaint with the CFPB online. Attach your log and copies of what you sent.

Who can help you for free?

A HUD-approved housing counselor. These counselors give advice on falling behind, forbearance and foreclosure, often at little or no cost. Ask one to check that your file is complete. To find one, call the CFPB at 1-855-411-2372 or use its online counselor search.

Be careful of anyone who asks for an upfront fee to "save your home." Do not sign your deed over to a stranger. A real counselor will not do either.

If you have a VA loan and the servicer will not work with you, call VA at 877-827-3702 and press 6 for a loan technician.

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