Government rules say that a lender or loan servicer has to prove that it has exhausted all other avenues before seeking repossession.

To receive an official determination of eligibility, a borrower must contact his or her loan servicer.

Their two primary sources of revenue are from loan origination fees, and loan servicing fees (provided they are a loan servicer).

Claims of wrongdoing by banks and loan servicers triggered a 50-state investigation last year.

Instead, the funds employ loan servicers, also known as 'third-party administrators', to do the work for them and serve as the principal contact for customers.