A foreclosure hardship is an unexpected and sometimes unavoidable circumstance that creates either a financial situation that causes the homeowner to default on their scheduled mortgage payments as well as other consumer payments. Some common examples of a hardship are: unemployment, job lay off/cut backs, medical expenses, sickness, accident that prevents one from going to work, divorce, family issues, military call up, emergency expenses, stolen property, and many others. The US Department of Housing And Urban Development (HUD) issued official federally santioned guidelines mandating that a lender must allow a homeowner the opportunity to prevent the foreclosure of their home if the hardship that caused their default is now over or ending, and they now have the necessary capacity or income to pay their regular mortgage payments from this point forward. The number of delinquent payments, penalties, damaged credit ratings, other payments due, or even a recent bankruptcy will not affect your basic rights to end your foreclosure caused by a hardship as long as you are able to show that you have regained financial stability and have the capacity to maintain your mortgage payments again. Here is a list of most common acceptable causes of hardships. 1.  Payment Increase or Mortgage Adjustment 2.  Loss of Job. 3.  Business Failure 4.  Damage to Property 5.  Death of a Spouse 6.  Death of Family Members 7.  Severe Illness 8.  Inheritance 9.  Divorce 10.  Separation 11.  Relocation 12.  Military Service 13.  Insurance or Tax Increase 14.  Reduced Income 15.  Too much debt 16.  Incarceration While many of these causes seem obvious it is important to know that any one of these hardships can come at any time.  It is estimated that most American Families can only maintain their current living expenses for 60 days or less when income is interrupted for any reason.