Dear Mr. George Soros,

My mortgage company used to be IndyMac Bank, which was seized by the government in 2008 because of ongoing financial problems. Then you, John Paulson and Michael Dell bought it from the FDIC in a sweetheart of a deal. The name became OneWest Bank, and it remains the financial institution that owns my home.

Like a lot of people, I felt the results of the economic crisis and fell behind on my mortgage payments. I contacted your bank about applying for a mortgage modification, which I received in 2009. I was able to make my payments for some time, but because of underemployment, I fell behind again. I contacted the bank and told representatives about my ongoing financial problems. The bank immediately offered me another modification. Frankly, I was shocked that it was offered, but I was told that I had an excellent chance for another modification. Of course, I accepted the offer. Who wouldn’t?

At first, the process seemed to be moving along at a reasonable pace, considering the fact that so many people were being encouraged to file for modifications. According to your bank, once my application was received by OneWest, I would be notified within 30 days about whether I would qualify. I never received that information. After 90 days, my application was considered outdated, and I had to update all the information I had previously submitted. This is where the deliberate slow-down of the process began. It took me a while, but I finally figured out what was going on.

Then the excuse was that the bank never received certain documents, by fax or mail. Phone calls were never returned. I received letters saying the bank never even received my application. Dealing with your bank became a full-time job. Every day for almost two years, I would sit down in front of my computer next to the phone and wage the battle of lies, insults, mortification and false accusations by your employers at OneWest Bank, customers service agents, loss mitigation representatives and supervisors.

The final insult for me happened on Sept. 28, 2010. After months of being strung along and lied to time and time again, I reached my own breaking point. I had been told that your bank hadn’t received another document needed to process my application. I have documented proof that I had faxed it to your bank and that your bank received it. In tears of frustration, I called your bank again. After speaking with people who were of no help to me whatsoever, I asked to speak to a supervisor in loss mitigation. I told him of my dilemma, and he gave me his “own, private fax number.” He claimed that if I would fax him my 19 pages of documents, he would personally sit down with other officers in that department and give me a response on whether I would qualify for the modification. He also asked me to call him the next day if I hadn’t heard from him by 2 p.m.

He thought I had hung up, but before he did, I heard him say to a fellow co-worker, “Wait ’til you hear this sob story.”

On the cover page of my fax to him that afternoon, I wrote, “Thank you so very much for taking the time and patience to speak with me this morning. This is a difficult time for so many, and we find basic consideration and human kindness so rarely anymore. Thank you for being the exception.”

I slept better that night than I had in many months and thought I had finally found an “angel” at OneWest Bank. The next day, I found out he was not in and had left for a five-day vacation! All along, he was deliberately lying to me and knew that no decision on my file would be made that day.

I was outraged and finally found another supervisor. I told her what happened. She then gave me her private fax number, told me to fax the documents to her and said she would call me the next day. After not hearing from her, I called and found out she had left for the day.

That was when I decided to take my story to the media. I appeared on “Fox & Friends” on Oct. 21, 2010. My house had been scheduled to be auctioned by your bank that morning. But when your bank saw me on TV, it called into the show and suspended the sale.

And here we are today. On Jan. 13 of this year, your bank notified me that it would sell my home on Feb. 2.

I speak for millions of people who have been bullied by all of the banks and forced from their homes. Children are homeless, and they have been forced to surrender their beloved pets to the SPCA and other animal rescues because they couldn’t take them to shelters. Families have lost everything, when all the banks could have worked out any number of arrangements to help us keep our homes.

Last year, banks paid $2.8 billion for the upkeep of empty homes lost to foreclosure. People are downtrodden today because they can’t find employment and support their families. They feel as if they no longer have any value. I felt that way many times during these last years.

Why can’t some of the homeless live in these empty homes? Rather than pay contractors you don’t know in so many cites for upkeep of all the homes sitting empty, couldn’t your banks start programs where people who have lost their homes can occupy some of these properties for a reasonable rental rate while they keep those homes in proper living condition? I know the “devil is in the details,” but doesn’t it make sense to you? If nothing else, maybe you can start redeeming yourself by helping your fellow man. Think about it.

Mr. Soros, I’m not looking for a “hand-out.” I’m looking for a “work-out.” Millions of us are asking for your help.

Kind regards,

Kathleen Willey

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