Business

Mortgage messes continue

Dear John: I’ve been an avid Post reader since I was in my 20s, and that was over 30 years ago.

I read with great interest the story in your column about the person with the mortgage problem. You got involved, and hopefully she will get a positive result.

I can’t relate it all here, but I could fax you the letter I sent to JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon.

They royally jerked me around for 15 months on a mortgage modification.

And then Chase told me that they decided not to participate in that program anymore.

All the time, they said, “Don’t send any mortgage payments in.”

Now they want to foreclose because I’m 15 months behind on my mortgage — all because I followed their requests to the letter.

To make matters worse, we [consulted] a mortgage-modification company in Miami for help, and I just found out the “director” is a convicted felon.

I’ve written to my congressman, senator and [the] US Comptroller of [the] Currency in Washington. Nothing so far, and I’m afraid of losing my house.

All because of Chase.

This whole saga is so wrong, and we can’t get any help from anybody.

And Hurricane Sandy didn’t help, because we live on the water.

Is this something you’d take on, or is it too big for you? R.T.

Dear R.T. Too big?! I’ve got a plan out there to save the economy. That’s big. With all due respect, your house is nothing.

Anyway, as you know, I have contacted Chase on your behalf, and the bank has told you what documents it needs to fix your problem.

Let’s hope it’ll get done sooner rather than later.

Stay in touch so I know that the bank is helping you.

But still, I have to ask you: Why would you even bother to contact anyone in Washington?

Those people are just way too busy screwing up the US economy right now to even think about starting to fix the country’s mortgage-industry problems in general or your home-loan woes in particular.

Dear John: I work for a certified public accountant who likes to help people wherever he can.

A couple of months ago, one of his clients decided to refinance her mortgage.

She got a broker, and this guy just basically jerked her around (my opinion) for a long time, probably waiting for the mortgage rates to go up.

Then I read your recent column about the guy who has negotiated his own refinancing directly with banks three times. I sent it to her.

Lo and behold, she is now working with a bank and moving ahead with the refinancing at long last.

She was very grateful to us and told us that.

I told her, “Thank John Crudele of The New York Post,” whose column it was that started the whole thing. JR

Dear JR: Thank you for the mention and your note. I just try to do right by my readers.

Dear John: As much financial trouble as our nation is in, the fools in Washington are still petrified at the thought of not getting their grubby hands on the projected tax dollars in our 401(k) accounts, hence the reticence to act on your suggestion [to allow real-estate investments with 401(k) money].

So why not start smaller? Allow us to withdraw any and all monies from our Roth accounts. Taxes have already been paid without the penalty for tapping into it early. Even they [in Washington] could see the jolt to the economy that would provide!

Keep up the battle. M.G.

Dear M.G. My idea would have restrictions. You would be able to use retirement money to make investments in things other than stocks and bonds — e.g., real estate.

Buying a house throws off a lot of other benefits and would trickle down throughout many industries, from bankers to plumbers to furniture makers.

The housing industry is doing a little better, but many of the gains are because investors have entered the distressed-property market.

The truth is that the housing industry is still very much near the bottom it hit following the financial crisis, which occurred five years ago.

I’m not suggesting that people be allowed to withdraw retirement money to spend on other things. So no vacations or cars or ornaments for your front lawn.

Therefore, if you are suggesting people be permitted to use Roth IRAs for investment purposes, I’m with you.

If you are suggesting that this money be frittered away on other purchases, I’m opposed, although allowing “desperate” people to have access to these retirement pools would be beneficial to the economy.

The trouble is, who will decide the definition of desperate?

Send your questions to Dear John, The NY Post, 1211 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, or john.crudele@nypost.com.