Similarly, there are cases in which a mortgage company has gone after people who never even had a mortgage with them. I recall a case in which someone came home and found their locks were changed, their pets were gone, their water lines were off and drained, etc. The homeowners had paid cash for their home and didn't have a mortgage at all, let alone with the company that "reposessed" the house. The burden was on them and it was costly. This would break someone like me (although probably my house wouldn't be a prime target).