Quick reference for “does this look normal?”

This does not decide your case. It helps you see where to ask better questions.

Use this as a one-page note you can keep near your timeline and document folder.

1. Service & Notice – quick checks

• Does the affidavit of service describe:
  • A person or place that doesn’t match your reality?
  • A date/time when you know you weren’t there?
• Did you actually learn about the case another way (family, mail, CFPB, servicer portal)?

If “yes, that’s off,” mark Service as a pattern to discuss with counsel.

2. Assignments & Standing – quick checks

• Have you seen multiple different “owners” named over time?
• Are there assignments dated after the lawsuit was already filed?
• Are some assignments in PDF exhibits but not in public records?
• Do signatures / names repeat in ways that feel mechanical?

If something feels “out of order,” mark Assignments/Standing as a pattern to discuss.

3. Timelines & Time Limits – quick checks

• Is this at least your second foreclosure on the same loan?
• Did years pass between the first full acceleration and this case?
• Were prior cases dismissed without clear explanation to you?
• Have they started and stopped multiple times?

If the story feels like restart after restart, mark Timelines as a pattern to explore.

4. Behavior & Pressure – quick checks

• Have you been repeatedly told:
  • “You’re just delaying”?
  • “Nothing you raise will matter”?
  • “Sign now or lose everything”?
• Do you leave interactions feeling more confused and ashamed than when you walked in?
• Did anyone use your fear (of homelessness, family shame, etc.) to push you into signing something?

If yes, note Behavior/Pressure as a pattern, not a personal failing.

5. How to use this sheet

When you:

• Update your timeline, and
• Add to your document folder

…quickly scan this cheat sheet and mark:

• Service – ☑ or ?
• Assignments/Standing – ☑ or ?
• Timelines – ☑ or ?
• Behavior/Pressure – ☑ or ?

Then, when talking to any attorney or legal aid, you can say:

“I’m not saying I know the law on this, but these are the areas where the story feels off to me—service, assignments, timelines, and behavior. Can we walk through those with the documents I brought?”

That’s exactly the kind of focused, grounded conversation these guides are meant to help you have.