- Who sends it
- The county sheriff issues it to the buyer and it is recorded with the county; you can get a copy from the sheriff or recorder
- What it starts
- Your redemption period, usually six months from the sale date
- Do this first
- Get the sale price and redemption figure from the sheriff's office and mark the last day to redeem
What this document is in Minnesota
Under Minn. Stat. § 580.12, the officer who runs the sale signs a certificate for the buyer that describes the mortgage and the property, the price paid, the time and place of sale, the buyer's name, the interest rate on the sale date, and the time allowed to redeem.
It must be recorded within 20 days after the sale, or within 10 days if the redemption period is five weeks. When the redemption period ends without a redemption, the recorded certificate works as a deed to the buyer with no other paperwork.
If there was a surplus of $100 or more, the sheriff must mail a notice to the property address saying a surplus exists, to call the sheriff's office about how to claim it, and to call the Minnesota Homeownership Center about redemption and surplus (Minn. Stat. § 580.10, subd. 2).
What it does and does not mean
- You still own the home and can live in it during the redemption period.
- To redeem, you pay the sale price plus interest at the rate in the certificate (6 percent a year if none is stated), plus allowed costs such as taxes and insurance the buyer paid (Minn. Stat. §§ 580.23, 582.03). That can be less than your old loan balance.
- The buyer must file an affidavit listing those costs with the sheriff before the redemption period ends (§ 582.03, subd. 2). If you later prove costs were claimed but not paid, you can recover three times that amount within one year (subd. 3).
- The sheriff can accept less than the full amount if the certificate holder agrees in writing before the period ends (§ 580.23, subd. 1(c)).
- In most home foreclosures by advertisement with a six-month redemption period, the lender cannot get a deficiency judgment (Minn. Stat. § 582.30, subd. 2). See deficiency judgments in Minnesota.
The redemption deadline and how to count it
- Count six months from the date of the sheriff's sale, not from when the certificate was recorded (§ 580.23, subd. 1). The certificate states the period that applies: 12 months in listed cases, or five weeks after a homeowner postponement or a court order for an abandoned home.
- Money and papers must be delivered at the recipient's normal place of business on a weekday that is not a legal holiday, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (§ 580.23, subd. 1(b)). Plan to pay well before the last day.
- During your redemption period you can send the sheriff a written request to apply any surplus to your redemption amount (§ 580.10, subd. 3).
- If you do not redeem, junior lienholders may redeem in turn, each with 14 days, for redemptions after January 1, 2026 (Minn. Stat. § 580.24). That does not extend your own time.
What to do this week
- Call the sheriff's office in the county of the sale. Ask for the sale price, a copy of the certificate, the exact last day to redeem, and whether it is holding a surplus.
- Mark the last weekday before your redemption period ends on your calendar.
- If there is a surplus and you want to redeem, ask the sheriff in writing to apply it to the redemption amount.
- Talk with a foreclosure advisor about refinancing, selling during redemption, or a short sale.
- If you will not redeem, plan your move before the move-out date in your notice of sale, at 11:59 p.m.
Scam warnings after the sale
The state's redemption rights notice warns that after the sale, "people may approach you to buy your house or ask you to transfer your house to them for little or no money." Learn what the house sold for before you sign anything.
- You do not need a company to claim a surplus. The sheriff's notice tells you to call the sheriff's office directly.
- Minnesota foreclosure consultants cannot be paid until they have done everything they promised (Minn. Stat. § 325N.04).
- Report problems to the Minnesota Attorney General at (651) 296-3353 or (800) 657-3787.
The rest of the Minnesota process
See how foreclosure works in Minnesota, the timeline, ways to stop it and free help in Minnesota, or read the national guide to this letter.
Common questions
How much do I need to redeem my Minnesota home after a sheriff's sale?
The sale price on the certificate, plus interest at the certificate's rate from the sale date, plus allowed costs the buyer proves by affidavit (Minn. Stat. §§ 580.23, 582.03). Ask the sheriff's office for the full figure in writing.
Can I stay in my Minnesota home after the sheriff's sale?
Yes, during the redemption period, usually six months. The buyer can start an eviction case only after the redemption period ends without a redemption (Minn. Stat. § 504B.285, subd. 1).
I got a letter from the sheriff about a surplus. What is it?
Since 2025, when a sale brings in $100 or more over the mortgage, interest, taxes paid and sale costs, the sheriff holds it through the redemption period and mails you a notice (Minn. Stat. § 580.10). If no one redeems, junior lienholders who demanded it are paid first, then the owner of record.
When does the Minnesota buyer actually own my home?
When the redemption period ends without a redemption. The recorded certificate then operates as a conveyance to the buyer (Minn. Stat. § 580.12).
Other Minnesota letters
- Preforeclosure Notice: Foreclosure Prevention CounselingIn Minnesota, before a foreclosure is recorded on the home you live in, the lender must send this notice on colored paper. It names a free, government-approved counseling agency that the lender has already given your contact details to. No sale date is set yet, so this is the time to get help and apply for a workout.
- Notice of Mortgage Foreclosure SaleThis is the notice that sets the date of the sheriff's sale in a Minnesota foreclosure by advertisement. It is published for six weeks and handed to whoever lives in the home at least four weeks before the sale. The move-out date it lists is the end of the redemption period after the sale, not a date to leave before the sale.
- Help For Homeowners in Foreclosure and What Happens After the Foreclosure SaleThese two colored pages come with the Minnesota notice of sale on an owner-occupied home. The first, Help For Homeowners in Foreclosure, gives the amount to catch up as of a set date and the sale date. The second, What Happens After the Foreclosure Sale, explains your right to redeem and warns about scams.
- Summons and complaint to reduce the redemption period to five weeks (abandoned property)Minnesota lets the foreclosing lender, the holder of the sheriff's certificate, or the city or county ask a court to cut your redemption period to five weeks by claiming the home is abandoned. If no one shows up to oppose it and there is evidence, the court enters the order. If you still live there or plan to redeem, go to the hearing.
- Eviction summons and complaint after the redemption periodIf no one redeems and you are still in the home after the redemption period, the buyer can file an eviction case in district court. The summons sets a hearing 7 to 14 days after it is issued. Only a court order can make you leave, and you can answer at that first hearing.
Sources
- Minn. Stat. § 580.12 (certificate of sale)
- Minn. Stat. § 580.23 (redemption by mortgagor)
- Minn. Stat. § 582.03 (allowable costs on redemption)
- Minn. Stat. § 580.10 (surplus)
- Minn. Stat. § 580.24 (redemption by creditor)
- Minn. Stat. § 582.30 (deficiency judgments)
- Minn. Stat. § 580.041 (redemption rights notice)