HomEq Servicing Review
Author: Rob K. Blake | Date: August 26, 2008 | Filed In: Mortgage Servicing
HomEq Servicing is a mortgage servicer of subprime loans and home equity mortgages. We discovered two phone numbers, their website, and some egregious customer complaints as well.
HomEq Servicing Website and Phone Contacts
HomEq Servicing Website: www.homeq.com
HomEq Servicing Phone:
(877) 867-7378
(877) 867-7378
Fax: (916) 339-6974
Address: P.O. Box 79230 City of Industry, CA 91716-9230
HomEq Servicing Review
Since HomEq Servicing services mainly subprime loans, you may find them unable to modify your loan since they may or may not be the actual lender. You can get the name of the lender from HomeEq and contact them directly for loan modification questions.
If you are facing foreclosure, you need information on just how to deal with these “uncooperative” servicing companies to get your loan modification, click the link to learn more, Stop Your Foreclosure Now!.
It appears when I search for complaints against HomEq Servicing , there are some truly bad complaints against them. Click here to see all the HomEq Servicing complaints listed in Google.
BBB Activity on HomEq Servicing
“Based on BBB files, this company has a satisfactory record with the BBB.
The BBB processed a total of 138 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 138 complaints closed in 36 months, 51 were closed in the last year.”
See Comments Below to Add/Read Customer Opinions On HomEq Servicing
We would really like to hear your experience with HomEq Servicing , so put your comments in the section below.
Thanks
Author: Rob K. Blake
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We did a short sale of our home in June 2008. We were totally current on our payments when the home sold, never had a late pay. However, HomEq has been completely negligent and is still reporting the remaining balance of our short sale (which they agreed to 10/99 us the principal balance!) as being 90 days past due!
We have copies verifying all of this, including; declining credit scores as a direct result of their carelessness (because we are in good standing with ALL of our other creditors and have been for a long time), loan denials for our new house directly because of HomEq’s false reporting, credit limit reductions from our other credit card companies because of our plummeting credit scores, paperwork showing directly from HomEq with the “CANCELLED” loan stamp across it, proof of our transfer of house title in June of 2008, bills from them still asking for the remaining short sale balance of us owing $31,000.00, numerous phone calls as well as written correspondence initiated by us asking them to get this off of our credit, with no response other than a “don’t worry about it you don’t owe this balance it will be 10/99 to you at the end of the year.”
Problem #1) we are living in a run down 900 square foot,1930’s home and a camp trailer because we cannot get a construction that we were counting on before all of this false reporting happened. Literally, the house we are living in is falling apart from dry-rot, sliding away because of it’s inferior foundation, and sub-flooring with no carpet.
Problem #2) our other credit lines are being shut down because of declining credit scores.
Problems #3) we have no way of resolving this problem because we continue to get the “runaround” from from HomEq, therefore, we have absolutely no way of having peace of mind that this issue is going to get resolved quickly and amicably.
Problem #4) the hours that we have taken out of our life to get this fixed.
Problem #5) the money that we’re out from hiring a credit specialist to try and rectify this problem. Problem #6) they are in violation of Federal Law and there’s no accountability for it.
Problem #7) no one else is helping us; the Attorney General’s Office, Fare Trade Commission, HUD, etc…
HomEq needs to stop reporting us as past due IMMEDIATELY and notify the credit companies that this is not a valid debt and that it’s been misreported since June 2008. I would also like to see them be held accountable for their misdeeds and have someone look into their business practices. They have too much power.
Any punitive damages would be welcomed for the negative impact their actions have had on our lives.
I can echo Cynthia’s problems with these Pirates.
We have been battling with this “Servicing” company for a year and a half now. They’ve consistently exhibited predatory behavior such as attempting to place high-rate Homeowner’s Insurance (we’ve never had a lapse in our existing coverage with our existing insurance company), mis-management of Escrow with failure to divulge how they are calculating balances necessary (as of June - our last tax payment, we had a balance in our escrow account that covered the remainder of the year - which they mis-appropriated from our P&I Payments on the loan…a far cry higher than the 2 month cushion allowed by RESPA). Drafting payments from the wrong account electronically when paid on-line, and miscellaneous and unidentified “adjustments” and “preservation” charges that they refuse justifying or documenting. Their most recent mis-management includes not adequately responding to a RESPA Qualified Written Statement (basically telling me it is what it is, and pay it or you’ll be foreclosed on) and wilful violations of the FDCPA by continuing to harass for balances not due (and which are being disputed through a Debt Validation letter).
They continue to threaten to foreclose on us for being perpetually 2 months in arrears on our payments - this while there’s a credit in suspense on our account, an overage in our Escrow, and repeated attempts by me to show I can validate each and every payment made. I finally began sending payments via bank check and certified mail in an attempt to keep them honest.
They’re either theives or so grossly incompetent and negligent that they have NO business servicing ANYONE’s loans. Either way, they should NOT be in this business.
I think it ludicrous that these culprits are actually affiliated with “Hope Now” and other organizations supposedly in the position to HELP people in the messes they continue to perpetuate. My next step is aggressive litigation after a final attempt to get them to correct our account.
Hi George. You’re not alone with the predatory insurance practices either…
HomEq also tried to arbitrarily add fire/ causality insurance AFTER our home sold! They “assumed” that our insurance died because our house sold (yeah right!). It was all very suspect.
During the time that we owned the house we switched our homeowners from Safeco to Farmers and they did the same thing… even after we notified them of our switch and had never lapsed in our insurance coverage! But they STILL tried to force their coverage down our necks!
They’ve been nothing but a headache to deal with. They’re rude, unprofessional and impossible! I do agree with you that they have NO BUSINESS doing what they’re doing!
It doesn’t seem like we can get away from them- even 3 months AFTER our obligations to them are over! Now their careless mistake is keeping us from building our dream home.
We have secured an attorney and I hope that we can get punitive damages for the needless havoc they’ve caused in our life! Seriously. This whole fiasco could have easily been avoided if someone there would have simply stopped the computer from generating a past due bill immediately after our house sold (like most mortgage companies do!) DUH!
I don’t know if they’re unethical or just incompetent, but they’ve caused a lot of unnecessary stress to a lot of people. I wouldn’t doubt that they’ll end up going under at some point with all of the lawsuits they’re going to lose in the future.
I put complaints into the BBB for Barclays/HomEq for good measure today. Anything I can do to help America know the substandard “services” they offer.
I feel for you. I really, really, do. Good luck.
I also wish my loan had never been sold to HomeEq. I was current with my loan until a spinal surgery put me off work. I called and explained my situation and asked if they refinanced. They told me no. A few weeks later I received a loan mod packet. It was the answer to my prayers. It knocked $150 a month off my payment. I sent them back in the provided fed ex envelope and waited.
When my payment became due I had not received any paperwork. I called and asked about making a payment they told me to hold off and wait because the loan mod hadn’t been completed in the computer.
To make a long story short I got a foreclosure paper in the mail. I called and they had no record of any loan mod being offered. Being the smart girl I am i made copies and has the loan mod ladies number and name. 2 hours later she called me back. They have two offices on different states. She worked in one state and the loan papers were mailed to another state. They were never scanned in as received. They has been there for two months.
In their defense they did take my loan out of foreclosure with the courts.
However I received a bill for $1500 for the courts costs and hastles, when it wasn’t my fault. I know my credit was bad when I got my loan. I don’t think it’s fair to penalize people with higher payments because of their credit. Don’t matter much because I am seeing people with perfect credit going down the crapper because they can’t make their payments and lost their jobs. Who has good/perfect credit anymore?
HomEq is a big pain in the neck. Our loan was sold to them and since then it has been nothing but a problem. December 2007 we paid our loan on Jan 1st…it was our error….we sent in 2 payments. They dinged our credit report.
Our payment is due on the 1st and late if after the 10th. Since we were late that one time they start calling us on the 1st of the month starting at 8am. I have told them it is not late until the 10th. They still call…so now I send it in at the last possible moment….I have caller ID so my only joy is hanging up on them.
We are retired so all of our funds are deposited on the 1st of the month.
Do not mess with Seniors!!!
We had our home built 5 years ago…. Everything was going great….Then… Our loan was sold to HomEq…And we were never never late….Had excellent credit… They would still call on the 1st day of every month….we paid on the 15th of the month because that is when our first mortgage was setup for…. Now that HomEq owned it they wanted to change it…..It still not being late because we have a 16 day grace period….We ask them many many times to Please change it to be due on the 15th But no they could not and would not do it….Very rudlly put I would have to say….Lots of comments about Well if you can’t pay your bills etc….No, it was not that we could not pay our bills this was when we got paid….
Then… Last November we had financial set back due to our being self employed…..Sent Novembers payment but told them of this problem….We got 3 months behind until we were able to get back to work….. Our payments then were $2100.00 Because of the ARM now going up… Then we setup a forbearance payment plan after talking to them over and over and expaining what had happened to fifty million people no one could tell me what my payment was going to be everyone of them told me a different amount…. Finally they told me to send them $4200.00 So I did that $2100 for the payment and $2100 for down payment…After I sent this I received the forbearance plan but now my payments were going to be $2800 a month for 13 months…Told them I could not afford that….So I listed my home for sale sent them the listing forbearance to 3 different fax numbers just to make sure they got it….Because don’t you know they never get anything….ie…. “Its not here I don’t see it in your notes”!!!!! Oh of course not!!!!So I called them to see if they had received it…. It takes 72 hours so it is not at our department yet! BUT, we will have someone from the Loss midigation department call you and setup your listing forbearance payments and then I asked them to make sure it would not go into foreclsure… Hold on they told me after 30 minutes came back oh no it will not…….. I got off the phone and faxed it again…. just to make sure…. This was (Sept.24) last week no one ever called so on Monday morning was getting ready to call and went to get mail…. I got a letter stating my home had been sold on Oct.3 at auction…..And guess who bought it…..Yes you guessed it….HOMEQ….Letter just told me I had 10 days from the day it sold to move….
There was no foreclosure letter or papers served or anything…So beware of this company when people tell you they don’t want your house, Yes, they do want your house….And when they tell you they are working with people No,they arn’t….Yes, they would have if i would have sent them the $2800 a month that I could not do…. All my dealings with this company was absolutely horrible….And whatever you do don’t trust them….Good luck to all of you and I hope this does not happen to any of you because it is the most devisating thing…To lose your home that you have put your hard earned money and lots of blood,sweat and the lord knows many many tears into… May God Bless!
My experience with HomeEq servicing was a nightmare from the moment they took over my mortgage. They misapplied payments then reported me late, one year didn’t pay my property taxes, the next year paid them twice in one year and billed me for not having enough in esrow. When you would try to talk to someone, you would get the run around and nobody seem to know what they were talking about. I could go on and on with the problems that I had with them but I would like to see something done about this. They should be held accountable for all the screw ups and how they have damaged people’s credit making it impossible for people to get other loans. I eventually sold my home because it was the only way to get away from them. I heard in the news recently that Countrywide were sued and have to pay damages. I would love if HomeEq Servicing was held accountable. Personally, I am not looking for money, I just want them to have reverse the negative credit reporting that they did….which was not justified.
I’m so fed up with Homeq I don’t know what to do. They threatened to foreclose on our home after being two months behind. They didn’t pay our property taxes for the first year dispite my constant calling about the taxes. We got behind trying to pay the insufficient escrow because needless to say Homeq billed us for one year’s worth of taxes at once. We applied for a modification by law there is a ten day review period. The approval letter is dated 10/14/08. We received it 10/23/08 by fax the deadline is 10/24/08. This is the worst company that I have ever dealt with in my life. And they do start calling you for the monthly payment on the first at 8am non stop throughout the day. This is a mess I pray for all the families in danger of losing their homes, and all of the people taking their lives and families lives over a house. God help us all.
I purchased my home in May of 2006 and the loan was sold to HomeQ less than two months later. This is the worst company I have ever had to deal with. I paid my mortgage on time since purchasing my home. In August 2008, I called Homeq to try and get a loan modification. I called the company to let them know that I will have problems paying my mortgage because I was due to have a baby soon and will be on matnerity leave. I warned that I would only be recieving 66% of my paycheck and wanted to work on modifying the loan before it gets behind and out of control. They responded stating that I qualify for a mod. After sending all my paper work and financial info, they then told me that I do not quailify for a loan mod because i was not behind on my mortgage. WHAT?!!! Wait, you are telling me that I do not qualify because I am not behind. What about the fact that I my house is half of what is was worth when I purchased it. What about the fact that I can barely pay my property taxes and is currently behind on that. What about the fact that I will not be able to pay my mortgage next month without assistace.
To make a long story short. I am now 3 months behind on my mortgage.
I have retained a lawyer by using my childrens savings.
They will have to drag me out of my house kicking and screaming. I will fight all the way!!!!
Good Luck and God help us all
I purchased my home in July 2006, and after the first payment in September, the mortgage was sold to Homeq. I didn’t find out until December after fishing through the fake calls. Homeq did not send any paperwork informing me of who they are… nothing. I made 2 payments in December and come January, some idiot at that company told me that I was 3 months late on my mortgage. They put payments in the wrong accounts and charged me the late fees. Hell, I got the (two seperate western union reciepts with different account numbers) and for 2 years, this has been happening. Nobody there is held accountable for mismanaging my accounts and I refuse to pay late fees due to incompetent employees and supervisors.
I’ve been battling Homeq and the credit reporting agencies for Homeq’s payment history reporting for 4 years now. Luckily I was able to purchase another house between the time I sold my last one and now (slightly higher interest, thank you Homeq). I sold my house in November of 2004 and Homeq reported me current in November of 2004 and 120 days late in December of 2004 and 30 days late in October 2004 (I was in fact 60 days late effective Nov 2004 due to divorce proceeding’s). So some how I became 120 days late a month after I sold the house which really should be a 90 day late if they wanted to count December as a month. Neither Homeq or the credit bureaus will even accept my proof of sale of the home as evidence that I was never late in December of 2004.
Is there a class action suit aginst these guys? I need to know. please keep me informed if there is one in the planning stages.
thanks
I too ask - is there a class action suit against these people? I have had nothing but grief from these people and just the thought of dealing with them brings me to tears! They are rude and seek no offer of resolution. They unilaterally placed an escrow account on us, which meant an additional $250 per month. We disputed under RESPA, but this gives them 60 BUSINESS days to respond. In the interim, we refused to pay the escrow amount, but continued to pay our P&I. Well, that’s when the trouble began and HomEq decided to do whatever was in their best interest and to hell with us!
Per Section 2 of my Deed of Trust, recorded as Document No. 20061146772 in the Official Records of Maricopa County, AZ, the application of my monthly payment shall be applied in the following priority order: (a) Interest; (b) Principal; (c) escrow items; (d) late fees; (e) any other fees; and (f) principal balance. A payment for the interest and principal, and some escrow funds, have been made each month in 2008 while disputing a forced escrow account. Our payments were not applied per the Deed of Trust. Rather HomEq placed the funds in a suspense account and then drew from it their late fees and advance fees, as well as the escrow funds being disputed. Per HomEq, payments received on the account from December 1, 2007 through October 17, 2008 have not been sufficient to satisfy the monthly payment due. The payments submitted did not include the total escrow payment; therefore, the parties payments were posted to suspense until the additional funds required to complete a full payment were received. HomEq failed to advance the monthly mortgage payment for the principal and interest each month, thereby placing our account into a continual delinquent status. This delinquency has now been reported to all credit bureaus as of September 2008.
We wrote a letter in September 2008 asking why the payments were not applied in a manner to advance the monthly payment date. We received a reply from HomEq on September 26, 2008 that stated as follows: “We have reviewed your account and found that the funds you intended to be applied as a mortgage payment to advance your due date were applied towards fees. We have reapplied these funds as a full payment per your request, and advanced the due date accordingly. You will receive an account billing statement under separate cover reflecting the updated status of your account. We have taken steps to correct any negative credit bureau reporting as a result of this error. We have also waived any fees that may have been assessed as a result of this error.”
However, a letter dated November 12, 2008 from HomEq contradicts the letter of September 26, 2008. The November 12th letter states that “our research finds that funds posted to the account have been applied accurately and the credit bureau reporting is accurate. Your account is currently past due for your October and November 2008 payments.”
As of result of this delinquency, we continue to receive default notices for failure to pay the required installments when due. This is not the case. We have made a payment every month, and all accounting from HomEq confirms this fact. In review of their accounting, our payment on December 31, 2007, in the amount of $1,972.56, was placed into a suspense account because it was short the amount of $154.10, the amount of escrow being disputed under RESPA. This amount of $1,972.56 was enough to pay the P&I Payments of $1771.56. However, HomEq left this amount in their suspense account. This was the same pattern for every month during 2008. HomEq decided that they would deduct their fees from this account held in suspense, not applied to the P&I pursuant to the Deed of Trust. There were enough funds on January 31, 2008, February 15, 2008 and March 2008 to pay the P&I and advance the due dates. Yet, HomEq placed the funds in suspense and took what fees they felt they were owed from the suspense funds until the suspense fund was deleted to nothing, which happened about August 2008. For example, on August 12, 2008, HomEq took $481.99 from the suspense account $175.03 as an escrow advance, $265.74 late charges, and $41.22 for advance fees. On August 19, 2008, HomEq again took from the suspense account a sum of $436.97 for escrow advance fees and late charges, $7.48 for advance fees on September 4,2008, and $203.61 on September 25, 2008 for late charges. What was intended for a montly mortgage payment has been placed into a suspense account for HomEq to use as it sees fit!
Can anyone help? I have filed a complaint with the BBB and am in the process of drafting a complaint to the AZ Department of Financial Institutions.
I fail to see how this company has not been investigated?
They “bought” insurance on my behalf for 4 weeks and it cost 1000 (Due to a mix up with Allstate and and royal palm)
I got hammered by them.
they got nasty on the phone and would not listen to reason.
This is one mortgatge company I would actually like to see go down the toilet.
I’m trying to buy a home that lists HomEq as the seller. Does anyone have any experience with that?
Concerned Kay
Let this be a warning…do not have any dealings with them.
They are a debt collection company. Our loan was sold to them. All they is but loans.
First of all we can’t call you on the 1st. The first would be you “contractual” due date. Now, what is the definition of a due date? YES! There is a “grace period”, definition of a grace period? Answers: Due Date - Date your payment is DUE. Grace Period - period of time in which you have to make your payment until a late charge is assessed.
Why do we call on the 2nd? HomEq works with Subprime mortgages. Yes. You either have or had horrible credit, owned a business and only had “stated” income or took out a home equity loan, thats #1. #2 is your “behavior score” is high. This means that even if you pay your mortgage on time, you are running late on other bills. Another reason is you’ve made a payment outside 30 days. This will always ALWAYS make you start to get calls on the 2nd. Fax a cease and desist to Account Research (call HomEq at 1-800-795-5125 and request the fax #) to stop the calls before the 16th. Thing is by LAW HomEq can and will call you on the 2nd. We can also call you every hour every day until you answer the phone. Here is the trick… ANSWER THE PHONE and set up the payment, make the payment on homeq.com, set up and automatic payment plan OR let us read the disclosure and then hang up! By letting us read the disclosure we are legally obligated to document we spoke to you and you wont get a call for 4-5 days.
The agents aren’t “mean” people, we want to help. If a Modification is available to you then we’ll tell you. We don’t like getting yelled at because a loan mod isn’t avail. and your arm is adjusting up. We do thousands of mods a month. Be PATIENT. It might be hard to make the payment. But do so. Getting behind isn’t going to help the situation and you get more calls!
Look at reality. If you know you just can’t afford the property or your current lifestyle. Sit down and write out all of your NET INCOME (thats your take home after taxes, etc) for the home and then ALL expenses food/groceries, other mortgages, car payments, credit cards, cell phone, cable, internet, electric, water, natural gas, tuition, home insurance/tax (if not escrow), car insurance, medical etc. And see if you’re spending more than you make. If you spend more than you make… you NEED to cut things out. The economy is bad.. you know it we know I’m sorry. We aren’t going to lower your principle balance b/c the home isn’t worth what you bought it at.. well neither is your car! When the economy is great and your home is worth more can we charge you more? I bet you just said NO!
The thing w/ the ARM loans is they weren’t meant to really last the whole life of the loan. The economy just got bad and nobody really is doing refinancing for subprime borrowers.. I’m sorry. You got subprime b/c you have/had poor credit or filed a bankruptcy. Also, ARM loans needed to be made on time. If you didn’t make the initial payment w/ the initial interest rate. We CANT go lower (unless Barclays owns your loan, but still not a guarantee). That initial is the LOWEST rate you could be qualified for.. yes the LOWEST. If you can’t afford the home w/ the low initial rate (range between 5.5% and 9%) you can’t afford the home. Sell it! Wake up… you’re NOT entitled to the home! If you have a great payment history with a $1500 payment. the arm will adjust and your payment goes to $2000. We look at your income vs. expenses and see you are already $1000 in the negative. If we took the payment to $0 that would give you $500 for the month. With that you still cant afford the home!
And for the escrow. Open your mail. Everything we send isn’t a bill. We send insurance request forms, tax request forms we send at least 3 notices. CHECK YOUR MAIL. All you have to do is sent proof you paid for what we don’t have proof you paid. Yes, if you lapse on your insurance which you are required to have at ALL times.. yes OUR insurance will cover your lapse… 1 month or a year. Yes its expensive so… get insurance and keep it!If you don’t pay your taxes.. guess what… we will pay them so your city wont forclose on you and kick you out. Yes. Its not only for HomEqs protection but yours as well. You can scream fuss and holler about escrow.. but unless you show proof you paid it.. its staying and yes it will increase your payment and unless the full payment amount + escrow isn’t sent in, it wont post to your account!
Hope this helps!
Regarding “HomEq Agent’s” statement, “To tell you the truth and be blunt… I laugh and yell at you in my head… go get an effin job apply for unemp.. Just because you lost your job isn’t a good reason. I mean really, its not.” What part of I am now unemployed and can not find another job do you not get? I had a job working as a paralegal and was laid off July 2008. Law firms, among many industries, are not hiring and umemployment in AZ amounts to $240 a week, the third lowest in the country. So to paint a broad stroak and say I am a bum by not getting a job…I guess there’s a lot of bums out there these days - another 533,000 as of November 2008!
It was reported today that employers slashed 533,000 jobs in November, the most in 34 years, catapulting the unemployment rate to 6.7 percent, the Labor Department said Friday.
All I can hope for is that HomEq is forced out of business and you find yourself without a job! I am working on that very scenario - BBB complaint filed and HomEq’s response was due 12/3/08, as of 12/5/08, HomEq has not responded. Complaint filed with FTC and AZ Attorney General’s office. I am now awaiting responses from HomEq.
What prompts an employee of HomEq to come to the company’s defense? If it was such a great company and the HomEq employees were ethical, such a defense would not be necessary as there would not be so many complaints posted throughout the internet!
My time spent, when not looking for a job, is to find a way to bring down HomEq and to see that all of HomEq “mean” employees find themselves in the unemployment line as well!
Happy Holidays!
Almost forgot… in your income.. don’t add overtime or bonus checks because those aren’t always going to be there. Then look at your savings. If you or your spouse lost your job how long can you survive your current lifestyle? Again, a caller saying “I lost my job what can you do”. To tell you the truth and be blunt… I laugh and yell at you in my head… go get an effin job apply for unemp.. Just because you lost your job isn’t a good reason. I mean really, its not.
Payoff your credit cards and STOP using them. If you have to use them to make payments for bills. You have a problem and your digging yourself deeper.
We aren’t going to hold your hands. We’re not your mom. Sorry to be so blunt but this is life and we all have to deal with it… it such and no its not fair. Take responsibility for the $200,000 you borrowed!
I am an agent that lists properties after HomEq has foreclosed. I am sympathetic to a lot of the complaints. I also hlep my former clients with mortgage problems as well as list properties that need short sale.
But, here are some hard realities. First of all, HomEq handles sub prime loans - which means you had either creidt or income verification issues when you obtained the original loan. More than likely, there was not much history of savings to cover household expenses should there be a problem with income. Many, many Americans are in this boat. I have to be honest, many of these loans should not have been made to begin with. It was a cruel carrot that was offerred to many people.
Historically, many homes have ended up in foreclosure because of job loss, illness, divorce or some tragedy that caused you to not be able to make house payments. Look at it this way, if you were renting, would your landlord likely let you live in his house for free- likely no. You would be evicted. the fact that you cannot pay is not their problem, even it was a tragedy. Sometimes they are sympathetic, but this is business, not counseling. The fact they are rude and inefficient is wrong, however.
Foreclosure happens when the mortgage company asseses they will not be able to collect the money owed to them. There are laws in every state that govern the foreclosure process. Usually, there is a court hearing. If you read the foreclosure papers the information should be there. If you have a dispute (not just a hardship story), then go to that hearing and present your case. If HomEq is as bad as it looks by the comments, a judge should set aside, or delay the foreclosure pending resolution.
On the lockouts, Once the foreclosure papers have been sent, if the house is vacated, the mortgage company has a right to secure the property in an attempt to prevent further damage. This is done by most mortgage companies during any redemption period. Sometimes it is done in error, but usually, you can get the code from the mortgage company.
On the foreclosure - by law, you must be notified of the foreclosure being filed. Your county has a record of notices sent and addresses sent to. If they have not notified you according to law, you have grounds for legal action. Simply listing your house for sale with a real estate broker will not stop a foreclosure. Money will. The best thing is to contact your lender when the problems first arrise. Some are sympathetic and are beginning to realize the on their bottom line, it may pay to deal with people in trouble. On the down side, if they see no future for the loan being made whole, then foreclosure or listing your home for a short sale (with an agent experienced in that) may be your best remedie.
I truly feel for people who lose their homes. but in this country, the bottom line is no pay, no stay.