A Florida retiree faces losing his home after discovering a reverse mortgage taken out by his mother without his knowledge. Bill Tavernier, 67, moved into his mother's house in Volusia County nearly 20 years ago to care for her, believing he had full ownership after her death in 2013.

Tavernier was added to the deed in 2007, and his mother had paid off the original mortgage years earlier. What he didn't know was that she had taken out a reverse mortgage in 2001 for about $70,000. When the house was recently put on the market, the Department of Housing and Urban Development sued him for nearly $190,000 in principal, interest, and fees.

Living on Social Security income, Tavernier cannot afford to pay the balance. An attorney suggested HUD may not have known his mother died until the property was listed for sale. The case highlights how reverse mortgages can create unexpected financial crises when heirs are unaware of existing loans. Without the funds to settle the debt, Tavernier faces potential foreclosure, leaving him and his dog at risk of homelessness.