There are few nightmare scenarios worse than a foreclosure. You lose your home, your finances are in ruin, and it takes a decade for the bad news to be removed from your credit report. What’s even worse, however, is when a bank forecloses on a home that you own outright and mortgage free.

A family arrived at their desert home near Twentynine Palms, California, not far from Palm Springs, to find their home broken into and all of their possessions gone.

It turns out that the thief was not a typical burglar. The home had been listed as foreclosed by Wells Fargo bank and had instructed a crew to secure the home. The family’s possessions were removed and not recoverable. The owner had built the home with his father years earlier and has many fond memories at the home with his parents, wife, and children. The home is owned without a mortgage.

A Wells Fargo spokesman apologized for the error and promised to rectify the family’s losses, but heirlooms and family treasures are impossible to replace.

“We are deeply sorry for the very personal losses the Tjosaas family suffered as a result of their home being mistakenly secured,” said Alfredo Padilla. “We are moving quickly to reach out to the family to resolve this unfortunate situation in an attempt to right this wrong.”

Read more at CBS Los Angeles.