Is it true that I can't get help from the bank because my name is not on the title?

The deed reflects the title. If you are on the deed, you are on the title. If it was in joint tenancy, you should file an affidavit to get it in your name. Maybe the bank means that you are not on the loan.

"Title" is another name for the "deed." The person whose name appears on the deed is called the legal owner. The documents you should have are (1) Deed (usually a "Grant Deed" but maybe a "Quitclaim Deed"); (2) Promissory Note; (3) Deed of Trust. In California, Deed of Trust is synonymous with Mortgage. It is the instrument that secures the promissory note by directing the trustee to convey title to the borrower when the loan is paid off or to the bank in the event of a default. The holder of legal title is identified on a Grant Deed as the "Grantee." If it is a quitclaim did, it will say that the previous owner "quitclaims to" the new owner. Who is the person who signed the Promissory Note and the Deed of Trust? What sort of help are you asking from the bank? Under the federal home loan modification program, the home must be owner-occupied. So, if your name is not on the deed, you would not qualify for this program. You don't say whether you and your late husband had a living trust or whether he had a will. Even if he had neither, as the surviving spouse, legal title to the home should go to you. The first thing you should be doing is consulting a probate lawyer to find out how to accomplish this. It may be necessary to file a petition in the Probate Court.

Probably. Ask to talk to the lender's legal counsel. You may need to obtain a court order authorizing you to act on behalf of your husband's estate. Much of this turns on the state where you live. Consider hiring a probate attorney.

If the property was in his name only and you are not a beneficiary and there is no will, you may have to open a probate in the court. This will get your name on title.