Real court decisions about the problems people face with foreclosure, property taxes, HOA liens and bankruptcy. Each one shows what happened, what the court decided, why it may matter — and why it might not.
General reference, not legal advice. Every summary was written by a research pass from the court's own opinion and is waiting for review by a licensed attorney. Courts decide each case on its own facts.
Every figure here comes from a public source you can open. None of it predicts your case — it shows that rules are enforced and help exists.
Federal and state authorities ordered Ocwen, then the largest non-bank mortgage servicer, to provide $2 billion in principal reduction to underwater borrowers and $125 million in refunds to people already foreclosed on, over servicing misconduct.
Source: Consumer Financial Protection BureauA federal court order in the CFPB's case against Nationstar (Mr. Cooper) required about $73 million in redress to more than 40,000 harmed borrowers, including distressed homeowners.
Source: Consumer Financial Protection BureauThe federal Homeowner Assistance Fund provided $9.961 billion, distributed through states, territories and tribes, to help homeowners facing hardship. Programs and deadlines vary by state; ask your state housing agency what is still open.
Source: U.S. Department of the TreasuryHUD-approved housing counseling agencies can give independent advice, often at little or no cost. The CFPB keeps a searchable list of counselors near you.
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau68 cases
268 S.W.3d 135 · Decided 2008
The Saucedas fell behind on their Robstown home loan while, they said, they were working with the servicer in a "home retention program." The house was sold at foreclosure for about $88,800. They sued for wrongful foreclosure and the trial court threw the case out before trial.
Read the case722 F.3d 249 · Decided 2013
Mr. Martins refinanced his Texas home, later fell behind, and the servicer foreclosed. He argued the servicer could not foreclose without holding the original note, that he never got notice of the sale, and that the servicer had orally agreed to modify his loan.
Read the case801 S.W.2d 890 · Decided 1991
The Shumways defaulted on a note and the holder demanded the entire balance. The holder argued the note's waiver language meant it did not have to warn them first.
Read the case640 S.W.2d 232 · Decided 1982
Mr. Ogden owned a house in Corpus Christi. After he fell behind, the savings association posted a trustee's sale and sold the house. He sued for wrongful foreclosure and lost in the lower courts.
Read the case44 S.W.3d 562 · Decided 2001
A church's note was accelerated, but years passed before the note holder tried to foreclose. The church asked a court to declare that the time to foreclose had run out.
Read the case807 F.3d 99 · Decided 2015
The Borens argued their bank waited too long — more than four years after accelerating — to foreclose. The bank pointed to later notices asking for less than the full balance.
Read the case505 S.W.3d 542 · Decided 2016
The Woods took a home-equity loan on their Texas homestead that, they said, did not follow the Texas Constitution's rules. They sued years later to quiet title, and the lender said they were too late.
Read the case708 F.3d 667 · Decided 2013
The Priesters' home-equity loan was signed at their house, which the Texas Constitution did not allow. Almost five years later they sued to void the lien.
Read the case497 S.W.3d 474 · Decided 2016
Ms. Garofolo paid off her home-equity loan, but the servicer did not deliver a release of lien. She sued for forfeiture of all principal and interest under the constitution.
Read the case418 S.W.3d 566 · Decided 2013
Homeowners challenged state agency interpretations of the home-equity rules, including what counts toward the 3% cap on fees.
Read the case49 S.W.3d 342 · Decided 2001
Ameriquest charged closing costs over the 3% limit on the Doodys' home-equity loan, then refunded the overcharge. The Doodys argued the lien was invalid anyway.
Read the case440 S.W.3d 10 · Decided 2014
The Simses' home-equity loan was restructured: past-due amounts were added to principal and the payments changed. They argued the restructuring was a new loan that broke the constitution's home-equity rules.
Read the case458 S.W.3d 912 · Decided 2015
The Murphys filed their own lawsuit, which automatically stopped the lender's expedited Rule 736 home-equity foreclosure. They lost, and the lender asked for its attorney's fees.
Read the case359 S.W.3d 679 · Decided 2011
U.S. Bank filed a Rule 736 application to foreclose the Hustons' home-equity loan. The Hustons filed a counterclaim inside that expedited case, and the court dismissed it.
Read the case781 S.W.2d 368 · Decided 1989
Mr. Stevens' commercial property was sold at foreclosure. Evidence showed the bank's actions discouraged a buyer who was ready to bid. A jury awarded him $54,315.
Read the case644 S.W.2d 705 · Decided 1982
A substitute trustee conducted the foreclosure sale, but his appointment had not been recorded. The owner sued for wrongful foreclosure.
Read the case390 S.W.2d 473 · Decided 1965
After a foreclosure sale brought only $1,200, the lender sued the borrowers for the remaining debt. The borrowers asked to set the sale aside because the price was so low.
Read the case121 S.W.3d 811 · Decided 2003
The Stanleys sued to cancel a trustee's deed, saying they did not get the foreclosure notices.
Read the case735 F.3d 220 · Decided 2013
The Reinagels said the assignments that gave Deutsche Bank their loan were "robo-signed" and void, so the bank could not foreclose.
Read the case508 F. App'x 326 · Decided 2013
Mr. Milton applied for a HAMP modification. Servicer staff told him different things — that the sale was stopped, or that it had happened. His home was sold.
Read the case594 F. App'x 833 · Decided 2014
The Whittiers sued the bank and servicers after foreclosure, raising RESPA, Texas Debt Collection Act, DTPA and contract claims.
Read the case642 F. App'x 355 · Decided 2016
Mr. Gresham claimed his servicer violated the federal "dual tracking" rule by moving toward foreclosure while he sought help.
Read the case736 S.W.2d 632 · Decided 1987
Homeowners fell behind on neighborhood assessments. The HOA sued and asked to foreclose its lien on their homes; the homeowners said Texas homestead law protected them.
Read the case141 S.W.3d 158 · Decided 2004
Property owners challenged their HOA's attempt to raise and accumulate annual assessments and add late fees.
Read the case51 S.W.3d 705 · Decided 2001
After a foreclosure, the buyer sued the Rices for possession in justice court while their wrongful-foreclosure suit was pending in district court. They argued the eviction court had no power to act.
Read the case464 F.3d 524 · Decided 2006
A lawyer handled repossession of Mr. Kaltenbach's mobile home for the lender and sent him letters. Mr. Kaltenbach sued under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act; the trial court dismissed.
Read the case212 F.3d 277 · Decided 2000
Mr. Bartee filed Chapter 13. His home was worth less than the first mortgage, so the HOA's junior lien had no value behind it. The lower courts would not let him treat it as unsecured.
Read the case536 F.3d 512 · Decided 2008
After Mr. Repine filed bankruptcy, a lawyer kept pursuing collection against him in state court. The bankruptcy court found a willful stay violation and awarded damages and fees.
Read the case598 U.S. 631 · Decided 2023
Geraldine Tyler, 94 years old, owed about $15,000 in property taxes on her Minneapolis condo. The county seized it, sold it for $40,000, and kept all of it.
Read the caseNo. 25-95 (U.S. June 23, 2026) · Decided 2026
The Pung family owed about $2,242 in property taxes. Isabella County, Michigan, sold their home — assessed at $194,400 — for $76,008 at auction. Their representative argued they were owed the home's fair market value, not just the auction surplus.
Read the case547 U.S. 220 · Decided 2006
Gary Jones moved out of his Arkansas house but kept paying the mortgage. When taxes went unpaid, the state mailed notice by certified mail; it came back unclaimed, and the state sold the house anyway.
Read the case462 U.S. 791 · Decided 1983
An Indiana county sold property for unpaid taxes after notice only by posting and publication. The mortgage holder, whose name and address were on public record, was not mailed notice.
Read the case574 U.S. 259 · Decided 2015
The Jesinoskis refinanced their home and, within three years, sent the lender a letter rescinding the loan for missing Truth in Lending disclosures. The lower courts said they also had to file a lawsuit within three years.
Read the case523 U.S. 410 · Decided 1998
Facing foreclosure, the Beaches tried to rescind their loan as a defense, more than three years after it closed.
Read the case586 U.S. 466 · Decided 2019
Mr. Obduskey disputed his debt with the law firm hired to foreclose his Colorado home non-judicially. The firm went ahead without verifying the debt, and he sued under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Read the case514 U.S. 291 · Decided 1995
A lawyer collecting a car-loan debt sent Ms. Jenkins a letter demanding charges she said were not owed. The lawyer argued lawyers who litigate are not "debt collectors."
Read the case559 U.S. 573 · Decided 2010
A law firm filed a foreclosure against Ms. Jerman and sent a notice saying she had to dispute the debt in writing. She sued, and the firm said its mistake was an honest legal error.
Read the case581 U.S. 224 · Decided 2017
In Ms. Johnson's Chapter 13 case, a debt buyer filed a claim for a debt that was obviously too old to collect. She sued under the FDCPA.
Read the case511 U.S. 531 · Decided 1994
After a California home sold at foreclosure for far below its claimed value, the owner filed bankruptcy and tried to undo the sale as a fraudulent transfer.
Read the case541 U.S. 465 · Decided 2004
The Tills proposed a Chapter 13 plan paying their truck lender at 9.5% — the prime rate plus a risk adjustment. The lender wanted its 21% contract rate.
Read the case508 U.S. 324 · Decided 1993
The Nobelmans owed more on the loan for their Dallas, Texas condominium than it was worth and asked to reduce the mortgage to the home's value in Chapter 13.
Read the case502 U.S. 410 · Decided 1992
Ms. Dewsnup, in Chapter 7, asked to "strip down" a lien on her land to the land's current, lower value.
Read the case575 U.S. 790 · Decided 2015
Chapter 7 debtors owed more on their first mortgages than their homes were worth and asked to void the wholly underwater second mortgages.
Read the case587 U.S. 554 · Decided 2019
After Mr. Taggart's debts were discharged, creditors pursued him for attorney's fees. The lower courts said creditors acting in good faith could not be held in contempt.
Read the case592 U.S. 154 · Decided 2021
Chicago impounded cars for unpaid fines. After the owners filed Chapter 13, the city kept the cars, and the owners said that violated the automatic stay.
Read the case51 F.4th 185 · Decided 2022
Michigan homeowners lost their homes over tax debts much smaller than the homes' value; the county transferred the homes and the owners got nothing for their equity.
Read the case822 F.3d 1241 · Decided 2016
Mrs. Renfroe's payment went up after Nationstar took over her loan. She wrote asking why; Nationstar just said her account was correct. She sued under RESPA, and the trial court dismissed.
Read the case736 F.3d 711 · Decided 2013
Ms. Marais sent Chase a qualified written request; Chase's answer was deficient. The trial court dismissed her RESPA claim.
Read the case704 F.3d 661 · Decided 2012
The Medranos' lawyer sent letters challenging their monthly payment and the loan's terms. They sued when the servicer did not respond as RESPA requires.
Read the case839 F.3d 1003 · Decided 2016
The borrowers submitted a loss-mitigation application two days before a scheduled sale. The sale was later postponed, and they argued the servicer then had to evaluate it.
Read the case708 F.3d 282 · Decided 2013
Ms. Culhane challenged a Massachusetts foreclosure, arguing the MERS assignment to the foreclosing servicer was invalid.
Read the case458 Mass. 637 · Decided 2011
Two banks, as trustees of securitized loan pools, foreclosed on the Ibanez and LaRace homes and bought them back, then asked a court to confirm clear title. Their written assignments came after the sales.
Read the case462 Mass. 569 · Decided 2012
After a foreclosure sale, Fannie Mae tried to evict Henrietta Eaton. The foreclosing company held her mortgage but not her note, and a judge blocked the eviction.
Read the case472 Mass. 226 · Decided 2015
Emigrant foreclosed on the home of Lesley Phillips and Linda Pinti. Its default notice did not track the mortgage's paragraph 22, which spells out what the notice must say.
Read the case62 Cal. 4th 919 · Decided 2016
After her home was sold, Tsvetana Yvanova sued for wrongful foreclosure, alleging the assignment to the foreclosing trust was void. Lower courts said she had no standing to challenge it.
Read the case218 Cal. App. 4th 1079 · Decided 2013
Mr. Glaski alleged his loan was transferred into a securitized trust after the trust's closing date, so the transfer was void and the trust could not foreclose.
Read the case25 N.Y.3d 355 · Decided 2015
Monique Taylor argued Aurora lacked standing to foreclose because its mortgage assignment was defective.
Read the case86 A.D.3d 274 · Decided 2011
The Silverbergs were sued for foreclosure by a bank whose only link to the loan was an assignment from MERS, which had been named just as nominee and never held the note.
Read the case37 N.Y.3d 1 · Decided 2021
In four consolidated cases, lenders had accelerated loans by filing foreclosure suits, then voluntarily dropped them and sued again years later. Borrowers argued the six-year limit had run.
Read the case134 Ohio St. 3d 13 · Decided 2012
Freddie Mac sued the Schwartzwalds for foreclosure before it had been assigned the mortgage, then got the assignment during the case.
Read the case79 So. 3d 170 · Decided 2012
Chase won summary judgment of foreclosure against Robert McLean, but the record did not show when the note was endorsed to Chase.
Read the case211 So. 3d 1009 · Decided 2016
A first foreclosure against Mr. Bartram was dismissed. Years later he argued the five-year limit barred any new foreclosure.
Read the case175 Wash. 2d 83 · Decided 2012
Federal courts asked Washington's high court whether MERS could be a lawful "beneficiary" under the state's deed-of-trust law when it never held the note.
Read the case209 N.J. 449 · Decided 2012
The Guillaumes' notice of intention to foreclose listed the loan servicer instead of the lender. They sought to undo a default judgment.
Read the case398 Md. 705 · Decided 2007
Alan Neal had an FHA-insured loan. He argued Wells Fargo foreclosed without following HUD servicing regulations referenced in his deed of trust.
Read the case2014 IL App (1st) 131252 · Decided 2014
Bank of America foreclosed on the Adeyigas' Illinois home. They argued the bank never sent the grace-period notice Illinois law requires before filing.
Read the case505 Mich. 429 · Decided 2020
Oakland County foreclosed on a property over an $8.41 tax debt (with interest and fees, about $285), sold it for $24,500, and kept everything.
Read the case317 Neb. 391 · Decided 2024
Kevin Fair lost his Nebraska property through a tax deed. The Nebraska Supreme Court first rejected his claims; the U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back to be reconsidered after Tyler.
Read the caseResearch log: every case was looked up at CourtListener, the Caselaw Access Project or the Legal Information Institute on the date shown.