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Washington · What this letter means

Washington foreclosure letters and notices

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

  1. Step 1

    Notice of Pre-Foreclosure Options

    In Washington, your lender must send this letter before it can issue a notice of default. If you respond within 30 days, you get 60 more days and a meeting with someone who can approve a workout. It is not a foreclosure yet, and it is your earliest chance to slow the process down.

    What it means
  2. Step 2

    Notice of Default

    In Washington, the notice of default is the formal first step of a trustee foreclosure. It lists what you owe to catch up and warns that a notice of sale can follow in as little as 30 days. It also opens your window to be referred to state foreclosure mediation.

    What it means
  3. Step 3

    Notice that you have been referred to mediation

    After a housing counselor or attorney refers you, the Washington Department of Commerce sends everyone a notice that you have been referred to foreclosure mediation and picks a mediator. The notice starts your 23 days to send your financial papers. While mediation runs, the trustee must wait for the mediator's certification.

    What it means
  4. Step 4

    Notice of Trustee's Sale (with Notice of Foreclosure)

    The Notice of Trustee's Sale sets the date, time and place of the auction. For most homes it says "THIS NOTICE IS THE FINAL STEP BEFORE THE FORECLOSURE SALE OF YOUR HOME." Your copy comes with a Notice of Foreclosure that lists the cure amount and the last day to cure, 11 days before the sale.

    What it means
  5. Step 5

    Unlawful detainer (eviction) summons after a trustee's sale

    In Washington, the buyer at a trustee's sale is entitled to possession on the 20th day after the sale. If you are still in the home, the buyer must file an unlawful detainer case. The summons gives a return date 7 to 30 days after you are served, and only a court order can remove you.

    What it means
  6. Step 6

    Trustee's notice of surplus

    If your home sold for more than the loan and sale costs, Washington law makes the trustee deposit the extra with the superior court clerk and mail you notice. The court, not the trustee, pays it out. You file a motion in that court, and junior liens are paid in priority order.

    What it means

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