Temeculaguy is absolutely right, it’s not criminal to remove fixtures from your own property while you still own it.
If he wanted to push to legal envelope, the owner could dismantle the house and cart it away without repercussions. I’ve heard of some people doing just that.
In related matters, the trustee sale is what it is. It’s a private party transaction on behalf of the beneficiary.
Even if the loan is a recourse loan, the bank has do a court/legal foreclosure to get a deficiency judgment. The trustee can’t give the bank a deficiency judgment only a judge can. So for all practical purposes, nearly all mortgages in California are non-recourse (purchase money or not).
