A Santa Clarita realtor who has been working with a Saugus family facing foreclosure since May claims that despite being granted a trial period for a loan modification by Carrington Mortgage Services, the family is now being “punished” by the bank for sharing their story.

In July, Richard Szerman of Alta Realty Group and his client, Kelly Kinney, made a last-ditch attempt to save the Kinney family’s home by talking about the long list of alleged misconduct by Carrington Mortgage with the KHTS Features team.

The Kinney family’s home in Saugus.

Following the publication of the story, the Kinneys were finally granted a trial period for a loan modification, which requires them to make three payments to the mortgage holder before being granted the permanent loan modification, according to Szerman.

Related: Saugus Family At Risk Of Foreclosure Due To ‘Immoral, Outrageous’ Behavior By Carrington Mortgage

While this would typically mean that the foreclosure date that had been looming over the Kinneys for months would be officially cancelled, it seemed the family’s nightmare was far from over.

“My clients, the Kinney family, have continued to be harassed and publicly embarrassed by their lender, Carrington Mortgage,” Szerman said. “In my opinion, this is an obvious attempt to punish the Kinneys for publicly exposing Carrington’s prior bad acts.”

Instead of cancelling foreclosure activity once the trial period contract was signed, Szerman claims Carrington Mortgage officials have continued to advance the foreclosure process, citing a company policy Szerman says he’s never heard of before.

“This is a blatant violation of the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, which reads, ‘Mortgage servicers are restricted from advancing the foreclosure process if the homeowner is working on securing a loan modification,’” Szerman explained. “What is a trial period if not working on securing a loan modification?”

Rich Szerman talks with Kelly Kinney.

A request for comment from Carrington Mortgage officials made Tuesday was not returned as of the publication of this story.

Related: Santa Clarita Realtor Accusing Wells Fargo Mortgage Of Misconduct Ahead Of Planned Foreclosure

Szerman noted that the Kinneys have made two of their trial period payments and are about to make their third, and at no time have defaulted on their agreement with Carrington Mortgage.

“Despite this, Carrington Mortgage refuses to cancel the foreclosure sales date,” he said. “Instead, as officials have told us repeatedly, ‘Carrington pushes it back 30 days at a time as an incentive for the clients to pay,’ and they only push it back on the day of the sale — this takes the foreclosure to the brink, and at the last minute, they stop it and push it back 30 days.”

This policy is not only cruel, Szerman noted, but dangerous, because it forces the homeowners to trust that the bank will do as it says and implement the 30-day delay at the last minute three separate times.

“It pushes them to the edge of the cliff every month and then pulls them back at the last moment,” he said. “It’s like economic waterboarding.”

In addition, because the Kinneys’ home looks like it is continually about to be sold at foreclosure auction, Szerman claims the family has been harassed by investors and potential buyers.

“The Kinneys have had multiple strangers look through their windows, take pictures with slow drive-bys, peer over their fence and I believe a few have even gone right up and knocked on the door,” Szerman said. “This constitutes harassment.”

As of the publication of this story, it remains unknown whether the foreclosure will be rescheduled once again after the Kinneys make their final trial period payment.

Szerman continued, “This is cruel and punitive behavior that serves no purpose except to publicly embarrass, harass and damage the Kinney family and the quiet enjoyment of their lives that we all want, and the Kinneys deserve.”

To contact Richard Szerman of Alta Realty Group for free loan modification and foreclosure defense services, call 661-714-1400, email richszerman@gmail.com or click here.