Thousands of American homeowners are losing this houses to foreclosure proceedings because they have been late by several months on their mortgages. But Sonya Capri Ramos, a resident of Salt Lake City, lost her home because of an unpaid $68 dentist fee.

Ramos' three-bedroom home was sold by the sheriff in 1996 to Jarmacc Properties for $1,550, court documents said. The amount represented the unpaid bill, penalties and interest.

A lawsuit was filed against Ramos by the North American Recovery collection agency. By then the fee had grown to over $950. Ramos claimed she never received any notice of the lawsuit, reported ABC.

But Ramos is not giving up her battle that easily, specially since she was even up to date on her mortgage. She has taken the case to the Utah Supreme Court.

It was definitely a double whammy for Ramos, who lost the roof over her head for a tiny debt and in view of the appreciation of home values in the state amid a nationwide slump in house prices. For the first quarter of 2008, home prices appreciated by 5.6 percent in Utah, which has the second highest increase across the U.S. First placer was Wyoming with a 6.3 percent gain, while third place was Montana, with a 4.9 percent increase.