In the owner-occupied housing market, a fall in the market value of a mortgaged house or apartment/flat is the usual cause of negative equity. It may occur when the property owner obtains second-mortgage home equity loans, causing the combined loans to exceed the home value, or simply because the original mortgage was too generous. If the borrower defaults, repossession and sale of the property by the lender will not raise enough cash to repay the amount outstanding, and the borrower will still be in debt as well as having lost the property. Some US states like California require lenders to choose between legal actions (such as wage garnishment) against the borrower or taking repossession, but not both.