KANSAS CITY, Mo. -
How would you like to come home and find someone changing the locks on your doors? It's happening to renters in Kansas City, even though they pay their rent and haven't been evicted.
Just like many other property owners across Kansas City, some landlords are falling victim to foreclosure. As banks move to seize their real estate, sometimes tenants are caught off-guard.
Stacey Whitesell is packing up her belongings to move even though she still has seven months left on her lease. Whitesell is worried she won't be able to stay because representatives of Bank of America recently knocked on her door wanting to change the locks to her home.
"They didn't think anybody was living here. Nobody notified them that were living here," Whitesell said.
Whitesell said the bank representatives told her the landlord had not been paying the mortgage and as a result the bank is foreclosing on her home. No one told her she needed to leave, but because she's had problems getting her landlord to make repairs, Whitesell fears the worst.
Dee Maples, a housing counselor at Catholic Charities said landlords are supposed to give their tenants written notice whenever ownership of the property changes.
"The landlord would be in error for not notifying her in writing that this property is being foreclosed on. Surely the landlord would have known that," Maples said.
A man who said he's the property manager for the house said he knows Bank of America has posted foreclosure notices and tried to change the locks, but he disputes the claim that the home is in foreclosure. He said the bank is just harassing his tenants.
Housing counselors said tenants should find a lawyer if they're caught in the middle of an ownership dispute and even if a home is in foreclosure, you should continue making rent payments to the landlord. The landlord is still considered the owner during foreclosure proceedings.
In Missouri, it takes a court order to evict someone, so tenants will be notified if that happens.
Just like many other property owners across Kansas City, some landlords are falling victim to foreclosure. As banks move to seize their real estate, sometimes tenants are caught off-guard.
Stacey Whitesell is packing up her belongings to move even though she still has seven months left on her lease. Whitesell is worried she won't be able to stay because representatives of Bank of America recently knocked on her door wanting to change the locks to her home.
"They didn't think anybody was living here. Nobody notified them that were living here," Whitesell said.
Whitesell said the bank representatives told her the landlord had not been paying the mortgage and as a result the bank is foreclosing on her home. No one told her she needed to leave, but because she's had problems getting her landlord to make repairs, Whitesell fears the worst.
Dee Maples, a housing counselor at Catholic Charities said landlords are supposed to give their tenants written notice whenever ownership of the property changes.
"The landlord would be in error for not notifying her in writing that this property is being foreclosed on. Surely the landlord would have known that," Maples said.
A man who said he's the property manager for the house said he knows Bank of America has posted foreclosure notices and tried to change the locks, but he disputes the claim that the home is in foreclosure. He said the bank is just harassing his tenants.
Housing counselors said tenants should find a lawyer if they're caught in the middle of an ownership dispute and even if a home is in foreclosure, you should continue making rent payments to the landlord. The landlord is still considered the owner during foreclosure proceedings.
In Missouri, it takes a court order to evict someone, so tenants will be notified if that happens.
