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Maryland · What this letter means

Maryland foreclosure letters and notices

The papers Maryland homeowners receive, in the order they usually arrive. Each page uses the name on the Maryland document, explains the deadline it starts under Maryland law, and lists what to do this week.

  1. Step 1

    Notice of Intent to Foreclose

    Maryland law requires your lender to send a Notice of Intent to Foreclose at least 45 days before it files a foreclosure case. It must state the amount needed to catch up and, if you live in the home, come with a loss mitigation application. It is a warning, not a court case, and it is a good time to apply for help.

    What it means
  2. Step 2

    Order to Docket

    The Order to Docket is the paper that opens a Maryland foreclosure case in the circuit court for your county. There is no trial and no answer deadline like an ordinary lawsuit, so the case moves forward unless you act. What you need to do next depends on whether it came with a preliminary or a final loss mitigation affidavit.

    What it means
  3. Step 3

    Final Loss Mitigation Affidavit and Request for Foreclosure Mediation

    A final loss mitigation affidavit tells the court your lender has finished reviewing you for alternatives to foreclosure and explains any denial. If you live in the home, it comes with a Request for Foreclosure Mediation form. You have 25 days to file that request with the circuit court, and the state says you will not get another chance if you miss it.

    What it means
  4. Step 4

    Notice of the time, place and terms of the foreclosure sale

    Before a Maryland foreclosure auction, the person running the sale must mail you the time, place and terms of the sale 10 to 30 days ahead, and advertise it in a newspaper for 3 weeks. A separate Notice of Impending Foreclosure Sale goes to all occupants. You can still cure the default and reinstate up to 1 business day before the sale.

    What it means
  5. Step 5

    Notice of Report of Sale

    After the auction, the trustee reports the sale to the circuit court and the clerk issues a notice that the sale will be ratified unless someone shows cause within 30 days. Filing exceptions in that window is your way to object to how the sale was done. Until the court ratifies the sale, title does not pass to the buyer.

    What it means
  6. Step 6

    Important Eviction Notice

    After a Maryland foreclosure sale is ratified, the buyer must get a court judgment awarding possession. Before trying to carry out the writ, the buyer must mail an Important Eviction Notice to all occupants giving the first date you could be evicted. Only a sheriff or constable can remove you.

    What it means

Got a letter not listed here? See every foreclosure letter explained, or how foreclosure works in Maryland.