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How to Avoid
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Free foreclosure help in Vermont

Free legal help for Vermont homeowners in foreclosure comes mainly through Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont, which run VTLawHelp. The court also has self-help forms, and state agencies take complaints. Start with the organization that matches your situation. You never have to pay a company to get a modification or to ask for mediation.

Free HUD counselor: (800) 569-4287

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

Ask for help in Vermont

Free. A person replies with the options and official help that fit. Messages about a scheduled sale are answered first.

For example: a sale date, what your servicer has told you, or what changed in your income. Please do not include your loan number, Social Security number or bank details.

Free, and there is nothing to buy. A person reads your message and replies by email, or by phone if you leave a number. We never ask for a fee and we do not sell your details. See the privacy policy.

Who to call first, by situation

  • You are not behind yet but expect trouble

    Before you miss a payment

    Call your servicer about hardship options and a HUD-approved housing counselor for a free budget review. The Vermont Housing Finance Agency says its Homeowner Assistance Program is closed, so do not wait for that money. Vermont Attorney General: Foreclosures lists state contacts for homeowners.

  • You are behind or got a notice of default

    Within days of the notice

    VTLawHelp: Foreclosure in Vermont offers quick advice or a referral for homeowners with low incomes at 800-889-2047 or through its online form. A HUD-approved housing counselor can help you apply for a modification for free.

  • You were served with a foreclosure complaint

    Immediately; about 21 days to answer

    Call VTLawHelp: Foreclosure in Vermont at 800-889-2047 the same day. Vermont Judiciary: Eviction and Foreclosure links the Verified Answer form and the Certificate of Service form. VTLawHelp: Foreclosure Mediation explains how to file the mediation request that came with your papers.

    12 V.S.A. § 4632

  • A sale date has been set

    The same day you learn of it

    Call VTLawHelp: Foreclosure in Vermont or a lawyer from Vermont Bar Association: Find a Lawyer about redeeming, an agreement with the lender, or asking the court for more time. Call the lender's attorney named on the notice for a written payoff figure.

    12 V.S.A. § 4949

  • Your servicer is not following the rules

    As soon as the problem happens

    If the problem is in mediation, tell your mediator, and if that does not help, file a motion with the court. You can also file with Vermont Department of Financial Regulation: File a Complaint, which takes complaints about lenders and servicers the state regulates.

    12 V.S.A. § 4635

  • A rescue company or home buyer contacted you

    Before you sign or pay anything

    VTLawHelp warns about mailings asking Vermonters in foreclosure to pay a law group for modification help, and says the only way to get a modification is through your lender. Never sign over your deed for a promise. Report it to Vermont Attorney General: Foreclosures.

Official and nonprofit help in Vermont

None of these charge homeowners for foreclosure help.

Vermont Homeowner Assistance Program (VHAP)

The Vermont Housing Finance Agency states that the Vermont Homeowner Assistance Program is closed. The Vermont Attorney General's foreclosure page lists a Department of Financial Regulation mortgage assistance line at 802-828-3307 or 888-568-4547 for homeowners with questions.

Check the program’s current status

Common questions in Vermont

How do I get a free foreclosure lawyer in Vermont?

Call Legal Services Vermont at 800-889-2047 or fill out the intake form on VTLawHelp. The court's self-help page gives the same number. They can give quick advice or possibly refer you to a lawyer, and they focus on homeowners with low incomes facing foreclosure on their main home.

Is the Vermont Homeowner Assistance Program still open?

No. The Vermont Housing Finance Agency says the program is closed, and the federal HAF period ended on September 30, 2026. The Vermont Attorney General's foreclosure page lists a Department of Financial Regulation mortgage assistance line at 802-828-3307 or 888-568-4547 for questions.

Can I get court forms for a Vermont foreclosure without a lawyer?

Yes. The Vermont Judiciary's Eviction and Foreclosure self-help page links the Verified Answer, Foreclosure Case form and a Certificate of Service form. The court's Access and Resource Center can be reached at 802-879-1185 if you cannot find what you need.

Step by step

More on foreclosure in Vermont

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.

Back to the Vermont overview

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Sources for this page

  1. 12 V.S.A. § 4854, Judgment for plaintiff; writ of possession
  2. Vermont Supreme Court, Order amending V.R.C.P. 80.1(b)(3), effective January 1, 2025
  3. VTLawHelp: Foreclosure in Vermont
  4. VTLawHelp: More Foreclosure Help
  5. 12 V.S.A. Chapter 172: Foreclosure of Mortgages
  6. 12 V.S.A. Chapter 163 (includes §§ 4631 to 4637, foreclosure mediation)
  7. VTLawHelp: Foreclosure Process in Vermont
  8. VTLawHelp: Foreclosure Mediation
  9. Vermont Attorney General: Foreclosures
  10. Vermont Housing Finance Agency: COVID Homeowner Assistance Program
  11. Vermont Judiciary: Eviction and Foreclosure