- Who sends it
- The person who bought the home at the foreclosure sale, or its agent, by first-class mail to "all occupants"
- What it starts
- Eviction can happen on any day after the date printed in the notice
- Do this first
- Read the date in capital letters, call the buyer listed, and call legal aid the same day
What this notice is in Maryland
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 7-105.11(d) requires the buyer, after the circuit court enters a judgment awarding possession and before any attempt to carry out the writ of possession, to send a written notice addressed to "all occupants". It must say: "YOU COULD BE EVICTED FROM THE PROPERTY ON ANY DAY AFTER" a date, and list the buyer's or agent's name, address and phone number.
It must be a separate document in at least 12-point type, sent by first-class mail. The envelope must say "IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL OCCUPANTS: EVICTION INFORMATION ENCLOSED. OPEN IMMEDIATELY." The buyer must file an affidavit in the case saying the notice was sent (§ 7-105.11(e)).
What it does and does not mean
- It means a judge has already entered a judgment awarding possession to the buyer. The buyer gets that judgment by filing a motion in the foreclosure case after the sale is ratified (Md. Rule 14-102).
- It is not the removal itself. Only a sheriff or constable carrying out a court writ can remove you. Changing the locks or cutting off utilities on your own is illegal.
- The state regulator says a homeowner can be evicted as soon as 15 days after the sale is ratified.
- If you moved out earlier, you may still be responsible for upkeep and taxes until the buyer is awarded possession.
If you rent the home
- The occupant notices Maryland requires say most renters with a lease for a set term can keep renting until the lease ends, and most month-to-month renters can stay 90 days after a written notice to vacate from the new owner.
- The rules are different if the tenant is the former owner's child, spouse or parent, or pays far below market rent.
- If you got this notice and believe you are a protected renter, call legal aid at once. The buyer's motion for possession should have dealt with who lives in the home.
What to do this week
- Find the date in the notice. Eviction can happen on any day after it, so plan to be out or have a written agreement with the buyer before then.
- Call the buyer or agent listed to ask for more time or a written move-out agreement. Get any cash for keys deal in writing. See our cash for keys page.
- Call Maryland Legal Aid at 888-213-3320 or the Court Help Center at 410-260-1392 if you think the judgment or notice was wrong.
- Call Maryland 211 (1-800-492-0618) for housing, utility and moving help, and DHCD at 877-462-7555.
- Read after a foreclosure sale in Maryland and our national notice to vacate page.
The rest of the Maryland process
See how foreclosure works in Maryland, the timeline, ways to stop it and free help in Maryland, or read the national guide to this letter.
Common questions
How soon after a Maryland foreclosure can I be evicted?
Not until the sale is ratified, the court enters a judgment awarding possession, and the buyer mails the Important Eviction Notice. The state regulator says eviction can happen as soon as 15 days after ratification. The notice gives the first date eviction could legally happen.
Can the buyer change the locks on my Maryland home?
No. Removal must be done by a sheriff or constable under a court writ. Lockouts and utility shutoffs by the buyer are illegal.
What if the buyer never sent the Important Eviction Notice?
Maryland law requires it before any attempt to carry out the writ, and the buyer must file an affidavit saying it was sent. If you got no notice, call legal aid or the Court Help Center right away and check the court file.
Other Maryland letters
- Notice of Intent to ForecloseMaryland 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.
- Order to DocketThe 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.
- Final Loss Mitigation Affidavit and Request for Foreclosure MediationA 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.
- Notice of the time, place and terms of the foreclosure saleBefore 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.
- Notice of Report of SaleAfter 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.