SADLY, the banks just won the first large class-action suit of this kind brought agains them. For illegally foreclosing on people, they only have to pay a $2,000 fine to the former owners for damages, AND the banks get to keep all the money from their resale of the home (at least, to the best I can tell from the many articles I've read on the subject.) If this makes you mad, and you want the details: