I lost my job about a year ago and fell far behind in my mortgage payments. The bank recently started a foreclosure on my home. I was out of town for a while and came home to find I was locked out of my house. What should I do? Do I have to find a new place to live already?
No, you don't have to find a new place to live yet. The bank has the legal right to change the locks, but only if you've abandoned (that is, permanently moved out of) the home.
Because you still live in the property, the bank can't legally do that. You have the right to stay in your home during the entire foreclosure process.
You legally own the home until the bank (or a third party) gets title to the property after buying it at the foreclosure sale. So, you don't have to move out until the foreclosure is over.
In fact, you might even be able to stay in the home for a while after the foreclosure sale. Your state might have a law that gives you some time to buy back or "redeem" the property after the foreclosure sale and, depending on state law, you might be able to live in the home during the redemption period.
The mortgage contract you signed when you took out the loan most likely gives the bank the right to protect its interest in the home. If you permanently move out of the house, the bank will want to maintain and secure the property to preserve the home's value. As part of this process, the bank will probably change the locks.
Typically, the bank finds out if a home is abandoned by hiring someone to do a drive-by inspection to see if anyone lives there. In your case, it's possible that the inspector mistakenly thought the home was vacant because you've been out of town.
The first thing you should do is call your loan servicer. Let the servicer know that you still live in the home and that it must give you access to the property immediately. If the servicer doesn't arrange to let you back into the home, contact an attorney who can help you enforce your rights.