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What happens after a foreclosure sale in Michigan

In Michigan, a sheriff's sale is not the end. For most homes you have six months to redeem, meaning buy the home back, and you can keep living there during that time. If you do not redeem, the buyer must go to court to evict you. Any extra money from the sale belongs to you, and the lender may sue for a shortfall.

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

What happens after the sale in Michigan, in order

  1. Find your redemption date and amount

    Right after the sale

    The sheriff's deed and the buyer's affidavit are recorded with the county register of deeds. They show the date your redemption period ends and the exact amount needed to redeem, including daily interest.

    MCL 600.3240(1), (2)

  2. Redemption period

    6 months for most homes; 1 year in some cases

    To redeem, pay the winning bid, interest from the sale date at your mortgage rate, the sheriff's fee and certain costs the buyer paid, such as taxes and insurance. You pay the buyer or the county register of deeds. Redeeming cancels the sheriff's deed.

    MCL 600.3240

  3. Living in the home during redemption

    Until the redemption period ends

    You can stay and do not have to make mortgage payments. The buyer may inspect the home after giving at least 72 hours' notice. You can be held responsible for damage to the home during this time, and damage can lead to an early eviction case.

    MCL 600.3238, 600.3212(1)(g)

  4. Shortened redemption for abandoned homes

    1 month, or 30 days after the sale or after a 15-day notice period, whichever is later

    If the lender follows the abandonment rules and you do not respond in time, your period can shrink sharply. If you still live there, respond to any abandonment notice in writing within 15 days.

    MCL 600.3240(9), (10), 600.3241, 600.3241a

  5. Eviction after redemption ends

    After the redemption period; usually 10 days after an eviction judgment

    The buyer must file a summary proceeding in court and you will get a summons and complaint. Go to the court date. Michigan Legal Help says that if the court orders eviction you usually have 10 days to leave, and you can ask the new owner for more time.

    MCL 600.5714(1)(g), 600.5744

  6. Surplus money

    After the sale; ask in writing

    If the sale brought in more than the mortgage debt and costs, the sheriff or person who made the sale must pay the surplus to you on demand. If a later lienholder files a sworn claim, the money goes to the circuit court clerk and a judge decides who gets it.

    MCL 600.3252

  7. Deficiency

    After the sale

    If the sale price was less than what you owe, the lender can sue you for the difference. If the lender bought the home itself, you can argue the home was worth the debt or the bid was well below its true value.

    MCL 600.3280

The three questions that matter after a sale

Can I get the home back in Michigan?

Redemption period

You can redeem after the sheriff's sale by paying the amount bid, interest from the sale date at your mortgage rate, the sheriff's fee and certain costs the buyer paid, such as taxes and insurance. The period is six months for a home with four or fewer units when more than two-thirds of the original loan is still owed. It is one year for farm property and for cases not covered by another rule, which includes homes where two-thirds or less of the original loan is still owed. It can drop to one month or 30 days if the home is treated as abandoned. For a home with up to four units, one way this happens is if the lender inspects, posts a notice on the home and mails you a certified notice, and you do not send the lender a written notice by first-class mail within 15 days saying the home is not abandoned. Under the other route, which needs certified notices before the foreclosure starts, you can block it by giving the lender a written affidavit, and recording a copy in the county, saying you live in or intend to live in the home before the redemption period ends. The exact date is on the sheriff's deed at the county register of deeds.

MCL 600.3240, 600.3241, 600.3241a

Can the lender come after me for the rest?

Deficiency judgments allowed

If the sale price is less than what you owe, the lender can sue you for the difference. If the lender itself bought the home at the sale, you can defend by showing the home was fairly worth the debt, or that the bid was well below its true value. That defense can cancel the deficiency in whole or in part.

MCL 600.3280

What if the home sold for more than I owed?

If the sale brings in more than the mortgage debt and the foreclosure costs, the sheriff or other person who made the sale must pay the surplus to you on demand. If someone with a later mortgage or lien files a sworn written claim, the money goes to the circuit court clerk and a judge decides who gets it. Ask the sheriff's office that held the sale, in writing, whether there is a surplus.

MCL 600.3252

Common questions in Michigan

Do I have to keep paying the mortgage during the Michigan redemption period?

No. Michigan Legal Help says you can live in the home and do not have to pay the mortgage during the redemption period. But you must not damage the home, and the buyer may inspect it with at least 72 hours' notice (MCL 600.3238). Many people use this time to save money, refinance or plan a move.

Who do I pay to redeem my Michigan home after the sheriff's sale?

You pay the buyer, the buyer's representative, or the county register of deeds where the sheriff's deed is held (MCL 600.3240(1)). The register charges a $5 custody fee when you pay there. The buyer's recorded affidavit states the exact amount, and you can get a copy from the register of deeds.

Can I get the extra money after a Michigan tax foreclosure sale?

Yes, under a 2020 law that followed the Michigan Supreme Court's Rafaeli v Oakland County decision. A former owner must send the foreclosing governmental unit a notice of intention to claim, on the Treasury form, by the July 1 right after the foreclosure takes effect, and then file a motion in circuit court between February 1 and May 15 after the sale (MCL 211.78t). The county keeps a 5 percent sales commission and its costs.

Will I owe money after a Michigan foreclosure sale?

You might. Michigan allows the lender to sue for the difference between the sale price and what you owe. If the lender bought the home at its own sale, MCL 600.3280 lets you defend by showing the home was fairly worth the debt or the bid was substantially less than its true value. If you are sued, contact legal aid quickly.

Step by step

More on foreclosure in Michigan

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. MCL 600.3216, Sale; time and place
  2. MCL 600.3241, Abandonment of premises; presumption
  3. MCL 600.3241a, Abandoned residential property; notice
  4. MCL 600.5714, Summary proceedings to recover possession
  5. MCL 600.5744, Writ of restitution; timing
  6. MCL 211.78g, Tax delinquency; forfeiture to county treasurer
  7. MCL 211.78k, Tax foreclosure judgment; redemption
  8. MCL 211.78t, Claims for remaining proceeds after tax foreclosure
  9. MCL 600.3204, Foreclosure by advertisement; circumstances
  10. MCL 600.3205a to 600.3205d, Repealed
  11. MCL 600.3208, Notice of foreclosure; publication; posting
  12. MCL 600.3212, Notice of foreclosure by advertisement; contents
  13. MCL 600.3220, Sale; adjournment
  14. MCL 600.3238, Inspection of property during redemption
  15. MCL 600.3240, Redemption of premises
  16. MCL 600.3252, Disposition of surplus money
  17. MCL 600.3280, Foreclosure by advertisement; deficiency; defenses
  18. MCL 445.1822, Credit Services Protection Act, definitions
  19. MCL 445.1823, Credit Services Protection Act, prohibited conduct
  20. Michigan Legal Help, Foreclosure and Eviction for Homeowners
  21. MSHDA, Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund application period to end December 8, 2023