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Problems with your reverse mortgage servicer, and where to complain
Quick answer
If your reverse mortgage servicer makes a mistake or won't answer you, put it in writing first: send a "notice of error" or a "request for information" to the servicer's special address. Federal rules give servicers deadlines to answer, generally 30 business days. If that doesn't fix it, you can file a complaint with the CFPB, contact HUD (for a HECM), or contact California's Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI). I'll be honest with you: a calm, dated letter with copies does more than ten angry phone calls.
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Key points
- Write it down. A written notice of error or request for information starts federal deadlines. A phone call alone doesn't.
- Use the right address. Many servicers name a special address for these letters. It's on your statement, a notice or the servicer's website.
- Deadlines apply. The servicer must confirm it got your letter within 5 business days and generally answer within 30 business days (it can add 15 with written notice). Payoff figure errors get 7 business days.
- Some federal rules don't apply to reverse mortgages. The loss mitigation, early intervention and continuity-of-contact rules for regular mortgages don't. HUD's own rules give HECM borrowers other protections.
- Then escalate. The CFPB sends your complaint to the company, and most companies answer within 15 days. HUD can step in if a HECM servicer fails to pay you. DFPI handles California-licensed companies.
- Keep paying what's yours. While you wait, keep paying property taxes, insurance and HOA dues, and answer every occupancy letter.
Common problems
These are the kinds of reverse mortgage complaints people send to the CFPB, from the public complaint database:
- trouble reaching the servicer or getting a straight answer;
- problems after the loan moved to a new servicer;
- property taxes or insurance paid twice, paid late, or paid for you when you'd already paid;
- line of credit draws or monthly payments that came late or in the wrong amount;
- fees or charges you don't recognize;
- repayment plan paperwork that keeps getting rejected;
- foreclosure notices, or heirs who can't get answers after a death.
Rather talk it over than read? Call Tom, no pressure: (909) 869-6588 →
Step 1: Call, then write
Here's how I'd start. Call the servicer using the number on your statement. Write down the date, the person's name and what they said. If the call doesn't fix it, send a letter.
What to include (from Regulation X, 12 CFR 1024.35 and 1024.36):
- the borrower's name, as it appears on the loan;
- the property address and loan number;
- exactly what you think went wrong (a notice of error), or exactly what information you want (a request for information);
- copies, not originals, of anything that helps, such as an insurance renewal page or a county tax receipt;
- your phone number and the date.
Don't write on a payment coupon; the servicer doesn't have to treat that as a notice. Send it to the special address if your servicer has one, by a method that shows delivery, and keep a copy.
If you're writing for a parent, include a signed authorization from them, or a copy of your power of attorney or conservatorship papers. HUD requires the servicer to have proof of your authority before it can discuss the loan with you. See power of attorney and conservatorship.
The deadlines a servicer must meet
| Step | Notice of error | Request for information |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm it got your letter | Within 5 business days | Within 5 business days |
| Answer | Generally within 30 business days; an error in a payoff figure, within 7 | Generally within 30 business days; the name and address of the loan's owner, within 10 |
| Extension | Up to 15 more business days, with written notice to you (not for payoff errors) | Up to 15 more business days, with written notice (not for the owner's name) |
| What the answer must say | It fixed the error, or it investigated and found none, with its reasons and your right to the documents it relied on | The information, or why it isn't available |
| Fees | It can't charge a fee or require a payment to answer | Same |
"Business days" here leaves out weekends and federal holidays. A servicer can skip answering a letter that repeats one it already answered (unless you add new facts), one that's too vague to tell what's wrong, or one sent more than a year after the loan was paid off or moved to another servicer.
Questions about your own situation?
Talk with Tom Jarboe. He's been helping families with home loans since 1986. You'll get plain answers, and he'll tell you if a reverse mortgage isn't the right fit.
Do these rules apply to reverse mortgages?
Mostly, yes, with limits. The short version: some rules apply and some don't. Here's what the federal rules say:
- Apply: Regulation X's rules on notices of error (1024.35), requests for information (1024.36), servicing transfer notices (1024.33) and force-placed insurance (1024.37). The CFPB's July 2026 exam procedures for reverse mortgage servicers check servicers against each of these.
- Don't apply: the rules on servicer policies and procedures, early intervention, continuity of contact and loss mitigation (1024.38 to 1024.41). Regulation X exempts reverse mortgages from those (1024.30(b)(2)). The monthly statement rule for regular mortgages in Regulation Z doesn't apply either; HUD's own statement rule does for HECMs.
- One technical limit: Regulation X's servicing rules don't cover open-end lines of credit, and some reverse mortgages are set up as open-end credit. For open-end loans, Regulation Z's billing error rules can apply instead. If a servicer says the deadlines don't apply to your loan, send your letter anyway, ask it in writing which rule it follows, and keep the record for a complaint.
For a HECM, HUD's rules add their own protections: the servicer must answer questions and arrange a consultation on request, pay you a late charge if your money is late, and follow HUD's steps before calling the loan due.
Private (proprietary) loans, such as HomeSafe and HomeSafe Second, set their own loan terms; ask the servicer for its rules in writing.
Step 2: Where to complain
| Where | Use it for | How |
|---|---|---|
| CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) | Any servicer problem not fixed in writing | consumerfinance.gov/complaint or (855) 411-2372, Mon to Fri, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. Most companies respond within 15 days. |
| HUD National Servicing Center (HECMs) | A HECM servicer that doesn't pay you money you're owed, or that you can't reach | 1-800-CALLFHA (1-800-225-5342), [email protected], or HUD National Servicing Center, 110 West 7th Street, Suite 1110, Tulsa, OK 74119. Have your FHA case number ready. |
| California DFPI | A company licensed in California | File online with DFPI or call 1-866-275-2677 for help with the form |
| OCC | A national bank | 1-800-613-6743 |
| California Department of Insurance | An insurance company problem, such as a nonrenewal | 1-800-927-4357 or insurance.ca.gov |
You can check which state license your servicer holds on NMLS Consumer Access. A family member can file a CFPB complaint for a parent as an authorized representative; the company may ask for signed proof of permission.
HUD's notice to HECM borrowers says that if you don't get a payment, contact the servicer right away, and if it can't help, contact HUD. If HUD finds you're owed the money and the servicer hasn't paid it, FHA will pay you, including an amount for late charges.
The reverse mortgage is still a loan with rules. There's no required monthly mortgage payment (property taxes, insurance, HOA dues and upkeep are still yours), but the balance grows with interest, mortgage insurance and fees, and the loan comes due when the last borrower dies, sells, moves out for good (or is away more than 12 months in a row because of illness), or doesn't meet the loan terms.
The FHA insurance on a HECM protects the lender, not you. New American Funding is not acting for HUD, FHA or any government agency.
Help at little or no cost
- A HUD-approved housing counselor can help you read servicer letters and plan what to ask. Search on HUD's site or call (800) 569-4287.
- Legal aid. If a foreclosure date is set, contact a local legal aid office or an attorney right away. Don't pay anyone upfront who promises to stop a foreclosure.
Made-up example: Vivian, 77, of West Covina, saw a charge on her statement for homeowners insurance the servicer bought for her, though she had renewed her own policy. She called and was told someone would look into it. Two weeks later, nothing had changed.
Her son helped her write a notice of error: her name, address and loan number, the charge, and a copy of her renewal declarations page. They mailed it to the error-notice address on her statement with delivery tracking. A confirmation letter came within a week.
Under the force-placed insurance rule, once the servicer had proof she was insured, it had to cancel the policy it bought and refund the overlapping charges; its answer said it had done so. If it hadn't, her next step was a CFPB complaint with copies of everything. A made-up example. Vivian is not a real person.
Do and don't
My advice: stay calm, write it down, and get it in writing.
Do
- Do keep a log of every call: date, name, what was said.
- Do send problems in writing to the servicer's special address, and keep copies and delivery proof.
- Do include your loan number and exactly what's wrong or what you want.
- Do keep paying property taxes, insurance and HOA dues, and answer the yearly occupancy check while you wait.
- Do file a CFPB complaint if the written answer doesn't fix it.
Don’t
- Don't send original documents.
- Don't pay a company that promises to fix your servicer problem or stop a foreclosure for an upfront fee.
- Don't wait if you get a foreclosure notice. Call the servicer, a counselor and legal aid the same day.
Questions so far? Tom is glad to walk you through it. Call Tom: (909) 869-6588 →
Questions families ask
How do I file a complaint with my reverse mortgage servicer?
First, send the servicer a written notice of error to its special address. If its answer doesn't fix the problem, file a complaint with the CFPB online or at (855) 411-2372. For a HECM servicer that doesn't pay you what's owed, contact HUD at 1-800-CALLFHA. For a California-licensed company, you can also file with DFPI.
Who do I call if my reverse mortgage servicer won't help?
Write to the servicer first, so deadlines start. Then the CFPB for most problems, HUD for a HECM payment problem, and a HUD-approved counselor for help reading letters (ask about any fee).
The servicer keeps rejecting our documents for Mom's repayment plan. What can we do?
Ask in writing exactly which document is missing or wrong and why, using a request for information. Send copies with a cover letter listing each one. A HUD-approved counselor can help you put the package together. If you're still stuck, file a CFPB complaint and attach your letters. See behind on taxes or insurance.
Are there a lot of complaints about reverse mortgages?
Fair question. The CFPB's public database lists reverse mortgage complaints. The common categories are trouble during the payment process, struggling to pay, closing, and applying. A complaint shows a problem someone reported, not that the company was wrong.
What happens when my reverse mortgage is sold to another company?
Your loan terms stay the same. You should get a written transfer notice with the new servicer's contact information. Problems after transfers are a common complaint, so compare your first statement from the new servicer with the last one from the old servicer, and write right away if anything is off.
Can I complain for my parent?
Yes, as an authorized representative. The servicer needs a signed authorization, power of attorney or other legal papers before it can talk with you about the loan.
Your next step
For anything your servicer has to do, such as fixing an error, a payoff, a repayment plan or a tax or insurance letter, contact the servicer first and put it in writing. You're also welcome to talk with me for a second opinion on what to ask and what your papers mean.
I'm not your servicer and can't change its decisions, but I'll tell you plainly what I see, with no pressure. Call (909) 869-6588 or email [email protected]. About me
If you're still deciding on a reverse mortgage, talk with me first. Before you can apply for a HECM, you'll meet with an independent HUD-approved counselor. It's required, and I'll give you a list of agencies. In California there's also a 7-day wait after counseling before a final application or any fees. Find one on HUD's site or call (800) 569-4287.
Sources (read November 3, 2026)14 sources · show all
- Regulation X, 12 CFR 1024.35 (notices of error: contents, special address, 5-day acknowledgment, 30-day answer, 7 days for payoff errors, 15-day extension, no fee, duplicate, overbroad and late notices): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-12/chapter-X/part-1024/subpart-C/section-1024.35
- Regulation X, 12 CFR 1024.36 (requests for information; 10 days for the owner's identity): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-12/chapter-X/part-1024/subpart-C/section-1024.36
- Regulation X, 12 CFR 1024.30 (scope; 1024.38 to 1024.41 don't apply to reverse mortgages) and 1024.31 (mortgage loan excludes open-end lines of credit): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-12/chapter-X/part-1024/subpart-C
- Regulation X, 12 CFR 1024.37 (force-placed insurance; cancel and refund within 15 days of proof): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-12/chapter-X/part-1024/subpart-C/section-1024.37
- CFPB, Reverse Mortgage Servicing Examination Procedures (July 2026; Regulation X notices of error, information requests, force-placed insurance and transfers apply; loss mitigation rules and Regulation Z periodic statements don't): https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_reverse-mortgage-servicing-procedures_2026-07.pdf
- CFPB, submit a complaint (phone, hours, 15-day response, authorized representatives): https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
- CFPB, "Can I send a QWR, error dispute, or information request to my mortgage servicer no matter what kind of mortgage I have?": https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/can-i-send-a-qwr-error-dispute-or-information-request-to-my-mortgage-servicer-no-matter-what-kind-of-mortgage-i-have-en-208/
- CFPB consumer complaint database (reverse mortgage complaint themes, gathered October 28, 2026): https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/
- HUD, HECM Notice to the Borrower: What to Do in Case of Late or Non-Payment by Your Mortgagee (revised October 31, 2023; National Servicing Center contacts): https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/SFH/documents/HECM%20Notice%20to%20Borrower.pdf
- HUD Handbook 4000.1 (last revised August 12, 2026), Section III.B.1.d (authorized third parties), III.B.1.e (late charges owed to the borrower): https://www.hud.gov/sites/default/files/Housing/documents/40001-hsgh-Update-18.pdf
- 24 CFR 206.203(c) (servicer must answer questions and arrange consultations): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-II/subchapter-B/part-206
- California DFPI, file a complaint: https://dfpi.ca.gov/file-a-complaint/
- California Department of Insurance, consumer help: https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/101-help/index.cfm
- NMLS Consumer Access: https://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org
Free
Reverse Mortgages in California: A Family Guide
I put the key rules from this site into one printable guide for your family: how it works, set-asides, what happens when a parent dies, and the questions to ask. Instant download after you enter your email. No phone number needed.
Tom Jarboe, Regional Sales Manager, New American Funding, NMLS #210600, Diamond Bar.
As a loan officer, I want you to be able to check everything. That's why I give you honest answers on both sides, cite the official rules, and make sure you meet an independent HUD-approved counselor before you apply. My goal is that you make an honest, educated decision. More about me.