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Action 9 investigates mortgage escrow nightmare

ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orange County family claims they're trapped in a water-damaged home and they blame a mortgage escrow nightmare.

The family discovered their lender didn't pay the insurance company, so they weren't covered.

The wood floors and cabinets were badly damaged, and the walls were poisoned with black mold. That's what Denise Cruz and her husband uncovered after a massive plumbing leak.

But the real shocker came when they filed an insurance claim.

"I have no insurance," said Cruz. "My mortgage company did not pay for my insurance."

Cruz said she and her husband learned their mortgage servicer, Ocwen Financial Services in Orlando, had not paid their insurance premium out of their escrow account.

Cruz claims trying to get answers and coverage restored has been a nightmare.

"I call them day after day after day, five, six, seven times a day," said Cruz.

According to Cruz, Ocwen finally said there was a problem so it would have another insurance company handle the claim. But it's a bare bones policy that does not cover mold remediation, and damage this severe can cost thousands of dollars.

Cruz's original policy would have paid for that.

Ocwen has an F rating at the Better Business Bureau and close to 2,000 complaints.

Many complaints involved problems with escrow accounts, fees and loan modification problems.

"These are very extreme complaints we have against Ocwen and two-thirds of the complaints we don't even get a response from the company," said BBB president Judy Pepper.

Ocwen Financial has not returned Action 9's calls. In the past, the company said it can't comment on BBB complaints.

"I want Ocwen to give me apples to apples to repair my house to what it was before this occurred," said Cruz.

Action 9 found public insurance adjustors who claim Ocwen can't change the terms of coverage.

Cruz just hired an adjustor to make her case.