Alabama · Weigh your options
How to stop a foreclosure in Alabama
Because Alabama foreclosures move quickly and outside of court, the most realistic ways to stop one are to act with your servicer before the sale or to get a court involved yourself. Alabama gives no statutory right to catch up before the sale that we could confirm, so your mortgage contract matters. Alabama does give you a right to buy the home back after the sale.
Reviewed against Alabama law and official sources on October 11, 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Ways to stop or delay a foreclosure in Alabama
Apply for loss mitigation
Best before the sale notice runs; a complete application more than 37 days before the sale gets the most federal protection
Send your servicer a complete application for a loan modification, repayment plan or other option. Keep proof of what you sent and when.
12 C.F.R. § 1024.41
Reinstate under your mortgage contract
The deadline in your mortgage or default letter
Many mortgages let you stop the sale by paying the past due amount plus costs. Ask the servicer or the foreclosing attorney for a written reinstatement amount and the last day they will accept it.
Voluntary mediation
Before the sale, and only if both sides agree
The Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution lists a voluntary foreclosure and mortgage modification mediation program for homeowners who qualify. It does not stop the sale by itself.
Challenge a sale that breaks the notice rules
Before the sale if you can
A sale made contrary to Alabama's power of sale article is null and void under the statute. Because there is no court case, you would have to file a lawsuit to raise this, so see a lawyer or legal aid as soon as you see a problem with the notice.
Ala. Code §§ 35-10-9, 35-10-13
File bankruptcy
Before the sale is completed
Filing a bankruptcy case triggers an automatic stay that stops a foreclosure while it is in effect. The U.S. Courts warn that you can still lose the home if the sale is completed under state law before you file. Talk to a bankruptcy attorney first.
11 U.S.C. § 362
Redeem after the sale
180 days after the sale for homestead property, 1 year for other property
If the sale happens, you can still get the home back by paying the sale price, interest and lawful charges. You must also move out within 10 days of a written demand for possession to keep this right.
Ala. Code §§ 6-5-248, 6-5-251, 6-5-253
What Alabama law gives you
The right to catch up and stop the sale
Limited rightWe did not find an Alabama statute that gives you a right to catch up and stop a power of sale foreclosure. Your right to reinstate usually comes from your mortgage contract, which often lets you pay the past due amount plus costs before the sale. Check the default letter and your mortgage, and ask your servicer for a reinstatement quote in writing.
Foreclosure mediation
No statewide programAlabama has no court ordered or statewide mandatory foreclosure mediation program. The Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution lists a voluntary Foreclosure Prevention and Mortgage Modification Mediation Program. Its page says you must qualify first, both sides must agree to take part, and it tells homeowners to call the Volunteer Lawyers Program at 334-517-2162. Mediation does not stop a sale by itself.
Redemption rights notice for homestead property
If you claimed a homestead exemption, the lender must mail you a notice by certified mail at least 30 days before the sale saying that you may have redemption rights and that programs may exist to help. A missing notice does not undo the sale, but your redemption clock does not start until the notice is given, up to one year after the sale.
Ala. Code § 6-5-248(h)
Right to redeem after the sale
Unlike most states, Alabama lets former owners, spouses, children and heirs buy the home back after a foreclosure sale within the redemption period.
Ala. Code § 6-5-248
Itemized cost of redemption is set by law
The price to redeem is the sale price plus interest and listed lawful charges such as taxes, insurance and permanent improvements. Liens that you owed are revived when you redeem.
Ala. Code § 6-5-253
The options your servicer can offer
Common questions in Alabama
Do I have a right to reinstate my mortgage before a foreclosure sale in Alabama?
We did not find an Alabama statute that gives that right in a power of sale foreclosure. The right usually comes from your mortgage contract. Ask for the reinstatement amount and deadline in writing.
Does Alabama require mediation before foreclosure?
No. Alabama has no court ordered or statewide mandatory foreclosure mediation. The Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution describes a voluntary program, and its page tells homeowners to call the Volunteer Lawyers Program at 334-517-2162 to see if they qualify.
Can I waive my Alabama redemption rights in a workout agreement before the sale?
Ala. Code § 6-5-250 says the statutory right of redemption may not be waived in a mortgage, deed of trust or any agreement made before the foreclosure sale. Be careful with any paper that says otherwise and have a lawyer review it.
Step by step
More on foreclosure in Alabama
Understand the process
What is happening and how much time there is.
Weigh your options
What can stop it, and what happens if it goes ahead.
- How to stop a foreclosure (this page)
- After a foreclosure sale
Get help now
Who to call, and what to do when a sale is scheduled.
Free, official, nationwide
Free help anywhere in the country
HUD-approved housing counselors
Free foreclosure prevention counseling from agencies approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A counselor can review your budget and deal with your servicer alongside you.
(800) 569-4287CFPB: help for struggling homeowners
Plain-language guides from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and a complaint form if your mortgage servicer is not following the rules.
Legal Services Corporation: find legal aid
Find the free civil legal aid office for your county if you have been served with a foreclosure lawsuit or given a sale date and cannot afford a lawyer.
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If a sale is days away, do not wait for an email. Call a free HUD-approved housing counselor now at (800) 569-4287.
Sources for this page
- U.S. Courts: Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Basics (automatic stay)
- Code of Alabama (Alabama Legislature, ALISON): §§ 35-10-8, 35-10-12, 35-10-13, 35-10-14
- U.S. Treasury: Homeowner Assistance Fund (program ended September 30, 2026)
- CFPB: 12 C.F.R. § 1024.41 Loss mitigation procedures
- Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution: Foreclosure Prevention Mortgage Modification Mediation Program
- Alabama Attorney General: Consumer Complaint
- Alabama State Banking Department: File a Complaint
- AlabamaLegalHelp.org: Foreclosure