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What happens after a foreclosure sale in Pennsylvania

After a Pennsylvania sheriff's sale, there is no right to buy the home back. Your right to cure ended one hour before bidding. What still matters is the short window to challenge the sale before the deed is delivered, how long you can stay until the buyer wins a court case for possession, whether the lender seeks a deficiency within six months, and whether there is surplus money for you.

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

What happens after the sale in Pennsylvania, in order

  1. Petition to set aside the sale

    Before the sheriff's deed is delivered

    Any party can ask the court to set aside the sale for a good legal reason, such as not being properly served with the notice of sale. After the deed is delivered, this option is generally gone, so talk to legal aid right away.

    Pa.R.C.P. 3132

  2. Schedule of distribution

    Filed by the sheriff within 30 days after the sale; exceptions due within 10 days after filing

    The schedule shows how the sale money will be paid out. If you disagree with it, you must file exceptions within 10 days after it is filed.

    Pa.R.C.P. 3136

  3. Sheriff's deed delivered

    After the distribution process

    The buyer, often the lender, becomes the owner once the deed is delivered. You no longer own the home, but you do not have to leave until a court orders it.

    Pa.R.C.P. 3135

  4. Action in ejectment

    Filed by the new owner if you are still in the home; 20 days to respond after service

    The new owner must file a complaint in ejectment in the Court of Common Pleas and serve you. The Notice to Defend gives you 20 days to respond in writing. Only after the court rules can the sheriff remove you, so use this time to plan your move.

    Pa.R.C.P. 1026

  5. Deficiency judgment petition

    Lender must petition within 6 months after the sale

    If the lender bought the home and wants to collect more, it must ask the court to set the home's fair market value, and you get credit for that value. If it misses the 6 months, you can ask the court to mark the judgment satisfied.

    42 Pa.C.S. § 8103

  6. Surplus money

    Shown on the schedule of distribution

    Anything left after liens and costs belongs to the former owner. Call the county sheriff's real estate office to ask whether your sale produced extra money and how to claim it. The Philadelphia Sheriff's Office says you do not need an outside company to do this.

    Pa.R.C.P. 3136

The three questions that matter after a sale

Can I get the home back in Pennsylvania?

No redemption after sale

We found no Pennsylvania law that lets you buy the home back after a mortgage foreclosure sheriff's sale. Your right to cure ends one hour before bidding. After the sale, your remaining option is to ask the court to set the sale aside for a good legal reason before the sheriff's deed is delivered.

41 P.S. § 404; Pa.R.C.P. 3132

Can the lender come after me for the rest?

Limited

If the lender buys the home at the sheriff's sale for less than the judgment and wants to collect the rest, it must petition the court to set the fair market value of the home, and it must do so within six months after the sale. You get credit for the fair market value. If the lender misses the deadline, you can ask the court to mark the judgment satisfied.

42 Pa.C.S. § 8103

What if the home sold for more than I owed?

Within 30 days after the sale the sheriff files a schedule of proposed distribution showing who gets the sale money. Liens and costs are paid in order, and anything left belongs to the former owner. Anyone who disagrees must file exceptions within 10 days after the schedule is filed. Call the county sheriff's real estate office to ask whether your sale produced extra money and how to claim it.

Pa.R.C.P. 3136

Common questions in Pennsylvania

Can I redeem my home after a Pennsylvania mortgage foreclosure sale?

We found no Pennsylvania law that lets you buy the home back after a mortgage foreclosure sheriff's sale. Your right to cure ends one hour before bidding. After the sale, the main option is a petition under Rule 3132 to set the sale aside, filed before the sheriff's deed is delivered.

How long can I stay in my home after a Pennsylvania sheriff's sale?

You cannot be locked out right after the sale. Once the deed is delivered, the new owner must file a complaint in ejectment, serve you, and win in court. You have 20 days after service to respond. How long it all takes depends on the county court.

How do I get surplus money from a Pennsylvania sheriff's sale?

The sheriff's schedule of distribution, filed within 30 days of the sale, shows whether any money is left for you. Contact the county sheriff's real estate office about claiming it. In Philadelphia the sheriff's real estate line is 215-686-3565, and the sheriff warns that you do not need to pay a company to claim surplus funds.

Step by step

More on foreclosure in Pennsylvania

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. 231 Pa. Code Rule 3129.3, Postponement of sale
  2. 231 Pa. Code Rule 1026, Time for filing responsive pleading
  3. Philadelphia Legal Assistance: Emergency Measures for Mortgage Foreclosure
  4. Philadelphia Sheriff's Office
  5. Philadelphia Courts: Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program materials
  6. Philadelphia Courts: Ejectment complaint packet and Notice to Defend
  7. Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network: Local Mortgage Foreclosure Programs in Pennsylvania
  8. PALawHelp: Preventing Mortgage Foreclosure
  9. Act 6 of 1974 (Loan Interest and Protection Law), Article IV, sections 403 to 406
  10. 42 Pa.C.S. § 8103, Deficiency judgments
  11. 231 Pa. Code Rule 3129.2, Notice of sale
  12. 231 Pa. Code Rule 3132, Setting aside sale
  13. 231 Pa. Code Rule 3135, Sheriff's deed
  14. 231 Pa. Code Rule 3136, Distribution of proceeds
  15. PHFA: HEMAP, Act 91
  16. Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund
  17. Philadelphia Courts: Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program
  18. 231 Pa. Code Rule 1141, Mortgage foreclosure; conformity to civil action