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Foreclosure sale date set in Maryland: what you can still do

If your Maryland foreclosure sale is scheduled, you still have options, but the window is short. You can cure the default up to 1 business day before the sale, ask the court to stay it, or ask the trustee and lender to postpone. Start by confirming the date, then work through the options below. None of them is guaranteed.

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

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Options still open before a sale in Maryland

  • Confirm the sale is still on

    Today, and again the day before the sale

    You must be mailed the time, place and terms 10 to 30 days before the sale, and it is advertised in a local newspaper for 3 weeks. Call the trustee or lender's attorney named on the notice and check your file with the circuit court clerk. If the sale is postponed or canceled, the trustee must mail you a notice within 14 days.

    Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 7-105.1(o), 7-105.4(c), (d)

  • Cure the default and reinstate

    Up to 1 business day before the sale

    Ask the lender's attorney in writing for the reinstatement amount and payment instructions good through the sale date. Paying all past due payments, penalties and fees reinstates the loan.

    Md. Code, Real Prop. § 7-105.1(p)

  • Ask the court to stay the sale

    As early as possible; there is a 15-day filing window

    File a motion to stay the sale and dismiss the case if you have a real defense or should have been offered loss mitigation. If the filing window has passed, the motion must explain why. The Maryland Court Help Center can help you prepare it.

    Md. Code, Real Prop. § 7-105.1(m)(2); Md. Rule 14-211

  • Ask the trustee and servicer to postpone

    As soon as you have a reason

    Postponing is up to the trustee. If you have a complete application under review, a refinance or a buyer, send it in writing to the servicer and the lender's attorney and ask for a postponement. Get any agreement in writing.

    Md. Code, Real Prop. § 7-105.4(d)

  • File bankruptcy

    Before the auction starts

    A bankruptcy filing stops the sale under the federal automatic stay. Make sure the trustee gets proof of the filing before the sale, and talk to a lawyer first.

    11 U.S.C. § 362(a)

Call today, not tomorrow

With a sale on the calendar, every option above has a cutoff. A free HUD-approved housing counselor can call your servicer with you today: (800) 569-4287. For legal aid and court help, see free foreclosure help in Maryland.

Common questions in Maryland

Will I be told if my Maryland foreclosure sale is postponed?

Yes. Maryland law lets the trustee postpone or cancel the sale, but the trustee must mail you a notice by first-class mail within 14 days after doing so. No new occupant notice is required when a sale is postponed, so keep checking with the trustee.

Does a new loan modification application stop a Maryland sale?

Not by itself. The People's Law Library says a lender may, but does not have to, review a new application and pause the sale. It also notes you might seek a stay if your complete application reached the lender at least 37 days before the sale and has not been decided.

Who runs the foreclosure auction in Maryland?

The person authorized to make the sale, usually a trustee or the lender's attorney, holds a public auction. That person's name and phone number appear on the notices you receive. The local government must also be told of the sale at least 15 days ahead.

Step by step

More on foreclosure in Maryland

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.

Back to the Maryland overview

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Sources for this page

  1. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.4 (notice of sale to record owner; postponement)
  2. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.3 (notice of sale to county)
  3. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.8 (tenants after foreclosure)
  4. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.11 (occupant and eviction notices)
  5. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-113 (no lockouts or utility shutoffs)
  6. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-314 (foreclosure surplus acquisition contracts)
  7. Maryland Office of Financial Regulation, Foreclosure Surplus Acquisitions
  8. The Maryland People's Law Library, Foreclosure Mediation
  9. The Maryland People's Law Library, Foreclosure of Residential Property
  10. Appellate Court of Maryland, unreported opinion No. 2404, Sept. Term 2018 (Rule 14-211 timing)
  11. Appellate Court of Maryland, Wonder City, LLC v. Ward, unreported opinion No. 0056, Sept. Term 2024 (Rule 14-216 surplus)
  12. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.1
  13. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-105.2
  14. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-305
  15. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-307
  16. Md. Code, Real Property § 7-320
  17. Maryland Office of Financial Regulation, Maryland's Mortgage Foreclosure Process
  18. Maryland Office of Financial Regulation, Foreclosure Help for Homeowners
  19. Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation, Advisory: Termination of the Homeowner Assistance Fund (October 25, 2023)
  20. Maryland DHCD, Foreclosure Prevention
  21. The Maryland People's Law Library, Foreclosure Steps and Timeline