Despite Paying Rent on Time, Family, Including Boy With Cancer, Evicted From Home Without Warning

A family of eight, including a boy with cancer, was evicted from their home in Orange County, Calif., on Thursday despite the fact that they had been paying the rent on time.

“My brothers and sisters thought because they brought lots of cops that we were criminals or something,” 10-year-old Jesus Ramirez, who is battling Lymphoma, told CBS Los Angeles.

He’s already gone through six surgeries for his cancer.

“He and his mother were returning from Children’s Hospital to the home their family rents in Orange only to find sheriff’s deputies serving them an eviction notice,” CBS L.A. reports.

“The family had just minutes to grab what they could before the locks were changed behind them.”

Watch the CBS Los Angeles update:

“The sheriff came and he told us that we had to leave. He gave us 15 minutes. We told him about what happened, the situation we were in, and he said he was just there to do his job and we had to get out,” said Gabriela Ramirez.

“This is all we have right now,” she said, pointing at a hamper and plastic dressers in the family’s car, “that we were able to take out of the house.”

The bank foreclosed on the home in December, 2011, and no one told the occupants -- even though they continued to pay the $2,000 a month for rent.

“The owner never did discuss that with them or give them any notice. They received no notice. And, unfortunately, they received their first notice of the situation last Friday or Thursday. They received a five-day vacate in the name of the owners and occupants — so it didn’t even name them,” said Celia Garcia, a family friend.

Fortunately, the family was able to catch a bit of a break.

“A realtor came to the home later Thursday and told them they could return to the home -- but never said for how long,” CBS L.A. reports.