How to Stop or Postpone a Foreclosure Sale Date

Foreclosure is a legal process in which a lender attempts to recover the balance of a loan from a borrower who has stopped making payments to the lender by forcing the sale of the asset used as the collateral for the loan.

Formally, a mortgage lender, or another lienholder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower’s equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law.

When looking to stop a foreclosure sale date, the first course of action is to remain calm and realize there are many options available.

• Contact the lender for mortgage statements and ask for forbearance.
• Decide if you want to pay the balance or refinance.
• Challenge the foreclosure with a lawsuit.
• File for bankruptcy.
• Offer the house up for a short sale.

These are just a few approaches that require more detail and activity to achieve the goal of stopping a foreclosure. However, it gives you an idea of the variety of possibilities available for keeping your home despite receiving a notice of default letter.

Ask for a postponement

This is a logical step to getting your sale date postponed. Call your mortgage company and ask them to postpone the sale date.

Filing Bankruptcy

Once you declare bankruptcy, federal law prohibits any lender from continuing with the collection activities. Typically, bankruptcy buys you more time to recover financially.

Litigation

When you choose to sue a lender, the judge will issue a preliminary injunction. This prevents any lender from foreclosing your property while the lawsuit is one.

Short Sale

A short sale happens when the lender allows you to sell the house for less than the outstanding loan amount, takes the proceeds, and forgives any remaining debt.