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Rhode Island · What this letter means

Rhode Island foreclosure letters and notices

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

  1. Step 1

    Notice of Mediation Conference

    Before a Rhode Island lender can start a foreclosure sale on the home you live in, it must mail you a notice that it may not foreclose without first taking part in a mediation conference. A coordinator from a HUD-approved counseling agency then sets a free conference, which must happen within 60 days after the notice is mailed. If you do not respond, the lender can go ahead.

    What it means
  2. Step 2

    Mediation Certificate (certificate to proceed, good faith certificate, or Certificate of Eligible Workout Agreement)

    When Rhode Island foreclosure mediation ends, the coordinator issues a certificate. If there was no deal, or you did not respond, the certificate lets the lender go ahead with the sale and must be recorded with the foreclosure deed. If you reached a workout that helps you, the coordinator issues a Certificate of Eligible Workout Agreement instead.

    What it means
  3. Step 3

    Notice of Foreclosure Sale (certified mail notice of the time and place of sale)

    In Rhode Island, a power of sale foreclosure notice is not valid unless you were mailed written notice of the time and place of sale by certified mail at least 30 days before the first newspaper ad. The ad then runs weekly for 3 weeks, starting at least 21 days before the auction. The letter must also explain extra rights for servicemembers.

    What it means
  4. Step 4

    Notice of Termination of Tenancy (notice to leave after a foreclosure sale)

    After a Rhode Island foreclosure sale, a foreclosing owner that wants to remove a former owner must follow the rules for ending a month-to-month tenancy. That means a written notice delivered at least 30 days before the date in it. If you have not left by then, the owner must file an eviction case and win before you can be removed.

    What it means

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