Foreclosed Elderly Cancer Patient, Wife Locked Out Of Home Without Eviction Hearing; Lender Denies Having Locks Changed

In Bronson, Michigan, WWMT-TV Channel 3 reports:

• An elderly couple that lost their home say that was bad enough, but now they've told Newschannel 3 that they have been locked out of their home and can't get their belongings, including medical equipment. Nobody seems to know why, and that's when [Henry and Ruthie Leaf] contacted [Newschannel 3] for help.

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• Henry Leaf has the end of his life staring him in the face, so it's not the greatest time for the terminal cancer patient to be locked out of his home, but that's what he and his wife say happened. [...] Ruthie says that after being in and out of hospitals in late 2008, they finally came home in December to new locks, and all their stuff still inside. An attorney that has worked with them says the locks were changed in November.

• The company that foreclosed their home says it doesn't know who changed the locks. "I don't know what's going on to be honest," said Tom Maleski from Bond Corporation, "why the locks would be changed in November. If the locks were changed in November, nobody called me and told me that." Maleski also said no home-owner would be locked out until an eviction hearing. The Leaf's have their hearing on January 23rd.

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• Branch County lists Northpointe Bank as the new owners of the home, but in a statement to Newschannel 3, Northpointe said they would have never ordered the locks to be changed. Meanwhile, the Leaf's tell us they never received any eviction or lock-out notification and are willing to let the house go, but they do want their stuff back.

For the story, see Locked out of their own home (read story) (watch video).

For story update, see A happy ending, after being locked out of their home.

Go here for other posts on improper foreclosure lock-outs and other lender screw ups. ForeclosureLockOuts