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Maine · Weigh your options

How to stop a foreclosure in Maine

In Maine you have several real chances to stop a foreclosure: the 35-day cure period, a loss mitigation application, court mediation, your answer in court and the 90-day redemption period. Most families who keep their homes do it through mediation or a loan workout. Act early, because each option has a cutoff.

Ask for help in Maine Free HUD counselor: (800) 569-4287

Reviewed against Maine law and official sources on October 12, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Ways to stop or delay a foreclosure in Maine

  • Cure the default after the notice

    Within 35 days of the notice of right to cure

    If the home is your primary residence and the loan is for personal use, you can stop the process by paying only the past due amounts listed in the notice. After the 35 days, catching up is up to the lender.

    14 M.R.S. § 6111

  • Apply for a loan modification or other workout

    As early as possible; more than 37 days before any sale

    Send your servicer a complete loss mitigation application. Under federal rules a complete application sent in time limits the servicer from moving for judgment or sale while it is reviewed. A free counselor through the Foreclosure Prevention Hotline can help you put it together.

    12 C.F.R. § 1024.41(g)

  • Ask for mediation in the Foreclosure Diversion Program

    Within 20 days of getting the court papers (late requests are still accepted when possible)

    If you live in the home and it has four units or fewer, the court must send your case to mediation when you ask or appear. The lender must attend with authority to settle and mediate in good faith, or the court can sanction it. About 60 percent of mediated cases have ended without a foreclosure, the court reports.

    14 M.R.S. § 6321-A

  • Answer the complaint and make the lender prove its case

    Within 20 days of service, and through trial

    The lender must prove it owns the note and that it strictly followed every step of the notice of right to cure. If it cannot, the court should not enter judgment. A free legal aid lawyer can tell you whether your notice or the paperwork has problems.

    14 M.R.S. §§ 6111, 6321

  • Agree to a payment plan with the case on hold

    Any time before judgment

    Maine law lets you and the lender agree that you will catch up while the foreclosure is stayed. Get the plan in writing and keep to it, because the lender can restart the case after notice if you miss payments.

    14 M.R.S. § 6321

  • Redeem by paying the judgment

    Within 90 days after the judgment

    You can stop the sale by paying the full amount in the judgment with interest. The lender must then discharge the mortgage and dismiss the case. Some people use a refinance or a sale of the home to do this.

    14 M.R.S. § 6322

  • Bankruptcy

    Before the public sale

    Filing bankruptcy creates an automatic stay that pauses the foreclosure, and Chapter 13 can let you catch up over time. Talk to a bankruptcy lawyer first, since the site's national guide covers the risks.

    11 U.S.C. § 362(a)

What Maine law gives you

The right to catch up and stop the sale

Limited right

You have a firm right to cure by paying only the past due amounts, without the whole loan being called due, during the 35 days after the notice of right to cure. This applies when you live in the home as your primary residence and the loan is for personal, family or household use. After that, catching up is by agreement: the law lets you and the lender agree to a payment plan while the case is paused, and after the 90-day redemption period ends but before the public sale, the lender may choose, at its sole discretion, to let you pay off the loan or reinstate it. If the lender accepts money on the debt after the case starts and before redemption ends, the foreclosure is waived unless you signed an agreement saying otherwise or the money is returned within 10 days.

14 M.R.S. §§ 6111, 6321, 6323

Foreclosure mediation

Program available

The Maine Judicial Branch runs the Foreclosure Diversion Program statewide. It is for homeowners who live in the property as their primary home, with four units or fewer. To ask for mediation, fill out and return the Response to Complaint and Request for Mediation form that comes with the court papers, or send a written request to the clerk, within 20 days of receiving the papers. If you miss the deadline, the court says to send a written request anyway because you may still be able to take part.

Detailed notice of right to cure

Before suing, the lender must send a notice that itemizes the past due amounts, names who can modify the loan, lists HUD-approved counselors in Maine, tells you mediation may be available, and carries a scam warning. The lender must prove strict compliance when it files the case.

14 M.R.S. §§ 6111(1-A), 6321

State outreach after a default notice

The lender must report each notice of right to cure to the Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection within three days, and the Bureau then mails you a notice about help that is available.

14 M.R.S. § 6111(3-A), (4-A)

The lender must prove it owns the loan

The foreclosure complaint must certify proof of ownership of the mortgage note and produce the note, the mortgage and all assignments.

14 M.R.S. § 6321

No judgment until mediation is reported

In cases scheduled for mediation, the court cannot enter a final foreclosure judgment until the mediator's report is completed.

14 M.R.S. § 6321-A

The options your servicer can offer

Common questions in Maine

What should I bring to Maine foreclosure mediation?

The court says you do not have to bring anything to the first session, but it helps to gather lender letters (even unopened ones), your court papers, recent pay stubs or other proof of income, the last two months of bank statements and last year's tax return. A free HUD-certified housing counselor can help you get ready.

Can I take a payment to my lender after the Maine foreclosure starts?

If the lender accepts money on the debt after the case starts and before redemption ends, Maine law says the foreclosure is waived. The exceptions are a written agreement you signed saying otherwise, or the lender returning the money within 10 days. Lenders often ask you to sign such an agreement, so read anything they send.

What if I missed the 20-day deadline to ask for mediation in Maine?

The Maine Judicial Branch says to send a written request for mediation to the clerk anyway, because you may still be able to take part. The statute also says the court must refer you to mediation if you make an appearance in the case. Do it as soon as possible.

Can a Maine lender be punished for not negotiating in mediation?

Yes. Both sides must make a good faith effort to mediate, and the lender must send someone with authority to settle. The mediator can report a failure to negotiate in good faith, and the court may impose sanctions.

Step by step

More on foreclosure in Maine

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.

Get help now

Who to call, and what to do when a sale is scheduled.

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Sources for this page

  1. 14 M.R.S. § 6111, Notice of mortgagor's right to cure
  2. 14 M.R.S. § 6321, Commencement of foreclosure by civil action
  3. 14 M.R.S. § 6321-A, Foreclosure mediation program
  4. 14 M.R.S. § 6322, Hearing and judgment (redemption period)
  5. 14 M.R.S. § 6323, Sale following expiration of period of redemption
  6. 14 M.R.S. § 6324, Proceeds of sale
  7. 32 M.R.S. ch. 80-B, Foreclosure Purchasers
  8. 32 M.R.S. § 6195, Cancellation
  9. 32 M.R.S. § 6198, Prohibited practices
  10. Maine Judicial Branch, Foreclosure Diversion Program
  11. Maine Judicial Branch, Foreclosure help
  12. Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection, Foreclosure Resources
  13. MaineHousing, After Helping Thousands, Maine HAF Program Draws To A Close