What this letter means
Got a letter about your mortgage? Find out what it means.
Each foreclosure letter or court paper starts a different clock. Find the one you are holding to see what it means, the deadline it sets, and what to do this week.
When you first fall behind
Letters from your servicer in the first months, and notices that can change your payment.
Late notice and early intervention letter
This letter is a warning, not a foreclosure. Federal rules make your servicer reach out early and tell you about help. In most cases a foreclosure cannot start until you are more than 120 days behind, so this is the best time to act.
What it meansEscrow shortage or deficiency notice
Your servicer reviewed the account it uses to pay your property taxes and insurance and found it will not have enough money. That usually raises your monthly payment. It is not a foreclosure, but a higher payment you cannot afford is worth dealing with now, before you fall behind.
What it meansForce-placed insurance notice
Your servicer thinks your homeowners insurance has lapsed or is not enough, and it plans to buy a policy and bill you for it. This insurance usually costs much more and covers less. Sending proof of your own coverage in time stops the charge, and proof sent later gets you a refund for any overlap.
What it meansServicing transfer notice
A servicing transfer means a new company will collect your payments. Your loan terms do not change. For 60 days, a payment you send on time to the old servicer cannot be treated as late. If you are behind or applying for help, your protections carry over to the new servicer.
What it means
While you apply for help
What your servicer sends while it reviews you, and the numbers you need to catch up.
Loss mitigation letters
After you apply for help, federal rules say what your servicer must send you and when. Each letter has its own deadline for you, too: send missing papers by the date given, accept an offer in time, or appeal a denial within 14 days.
What it meansPayoff statement and reinstatement quote
A payoff statement is the amount to pay off the whole loan. A reinstatement quote is the amount to catch up and keep the loan. Federal rules require a payoff statement within 7 business days of a written request in most cases. No single federal rule covers reinstatement quotes, so your loan papers and state law decide.
What it means
Before a foreclosure starts
The warning letters that start the legal clock.
Breach letter (demand or notice of intent to accelerate)
A breach letter says you are in default and gives you a date to catch up. If you do not, the lender can call the whole loan due and move toward foreclosure. Many standard mortgages and deeds of trust require at least 30 days to cure.
What it meansNotice of intent to foreclose
Many states make the lender send a warning letter before it can start a foreclosure. These letters often give you a set number of days, a cure amount and a list of free counselors. The deadline in the letter matters, so act on it now.
What it meansNotice of default
In many states that foreclose without a court, a recorded notice of default is the official start of the foreclosure. It is not a sale and not an eviction. It starts a waiting period before a sale can be set, and you can usually still catch up or apply for help.
What it meansSubstitution of trustee or assignment of mortgage
These recorded papers say who now has the power to run a foreclosure sale, or who now holds your mortgage on paper. They are not a sale notice and not an eviction. But a new trustee is often named just before a sale is set, so treat this as a warning to act now.
What it meansForeclosure mediation notice
A mediation or settlement conference notice is an invitation to sit down with your lender, often with a neutral mediator and a free counselor, to look for a way to avoid foreclosure. Many programs have a short sign-up deadline, so respond right away.
What it means
Court papers
In states where the lender has to sue, these are the papers that move the case.
Foreclosure summons and complaint
A summons and complaint means the lender has sued to foreclose. You have a short, firm deadline to respond in writing, often 20 to 30 days from the day you were served. Missing it can let the lender win without your side being heard.
What it meansLis pendens (notice of pendency)
A lis pendens is a public notice, filed in the land records, that a lawsuit or foreclosure affecting your home is pending. It does not mean the home is sold or that you must move. It usually means the court papers are coming or have already been served.
What it meansMotion for default or summary judgment
These motions ask the judge to decide your foreclosure case without a trial. A default motion says you never answered. A summary judgment motion says there is nothing for a trial to decide. Either one can lead quickly to a judgment and a sale, so respond by the deadline and get legal help now.
What it meansJudgment of foreclosure and sale
A foreclosure judgment means the court has ruled for the lender, set how much you owe and ordered the home sold. It is not the sale itself and it is not an eviction. It starts short clocks, such as time to appeal, to ask for a delay or to redeem, so read it the day you get it.
What it means
The sale
Notices that set, postpone and complete a foreclosure sale.
Notice of trustee's sale
A notice of sale sets the date, time and place your home will be auctioned. It is serious, but it is not the end. You may still be able to catch up, get a review, use mediation or file bankruptcy, and each of those has its own cutoff.
What it meansNotice of sheriff's sale
A notice of sheriff's sale means a court has ordered your home sold and a date is set. It is late in the process but not over. You may still be able to catch up, ask the court to delay the sale, get a review or file bankruptcy before the sale happens.
What it meansTrustee's deed or sheriff's deed
A trustee's deed or sheriff's deed passes ownership of your home to the buyer at the foreclosure sale. In most states it ends your right to catch up or buy the home back. In a few states a certificate comes first and the deed waits until a redemption period ends. It still is not an eviction order.
What it means
After the sale
Moving out, money you may be owed, and tax forms.
Notice to vacate or quit
After a foreclosure sale, the new owner usually has to give you written notice before going to court to remove you. A notice to vacate is not an eviction order. In most states only a court order carried out by a sheriff or other officer can remove you.
What it meansWrit of possession, assistance or restitution
A writ is the court's final order telling the sheriff or another officer to put the new owner in possession of the home. Once it is served, the time left is short, sometimes only 24 hours. Use it to plan your move right away and call legal aid today.
What it meansCash for keys offer
A cash for keys offer is money to move out by a set date and leave the home in a set condition. It can help you move with less stress. But it is a contract, and it can ask you to give up rights. Read every line, never pay anything to get it, and talk to legal aid before you sign.
What it meansSurplus funds notice
If your home sold for more than the debt, costs and other liens, the extra money may belong to you. You can usually claim it yourself for free. Deadlines can be short, and in some states a company that offers to collect it for you is limited in what it may charge.
What it meansForms 1099-A and 1099-C
These IRS forms report that your lender took the home or canceled debt. They can mean you owe tax, but not always. The main home exclusion has expired for most 2026 cases, while the insolvency and bankruptcy exclusions still apply.
What it means
Property taxes and reverse mortgages
Other ways a home can be lost, with their own letters.
Property tax sale notice
Unpaid property taxes can cost you your home even if your mortgage is paid off. These notices come from your tax office or from someone who bought your tax debt, not from your mortgage company. In most states you can still keep the home by paying what is owed before a deadline, so find that date today.
What it meansReverse mortgage (HECM) due and payable letter
A due and payable letter means the reverse mortgage must now be repaid, usually because the last borrower died, moved out, or did not pay property taxes or insurance. You get 30 days to choose a path, and more time is possible. Neither you nor your heirs personally owe more than the home can repay.
What it means
Scams and solicitations
Mail that is not from your lender or the court.
Ask a question
Not sure what to do next? Ask.
Tell us where things stand. A person reads every message and writes back with the options that fit your situation and the free, official help available in your state.
- Free. There is nothing to buy and no fee, ever.
- No loan number, Social Security number or documents needed.
- We are not your lender, a law firm or a government agency.
If a sale is days away, do not wait for an email. Call a free HUD-approved housing counselor now at (800) 569-4287.