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Foreclosure sale date set in Wisconsin: what you can still do

If a sheriff's sale is set on your Wisconsin home, your redemption period has run out, but you may still have options until the court confirms the sale. Start by confirming the date, because sales can be adjourned. Then work down this list with your servicer, the lender's attorney, the clerk of court, a counselor or a lawyer. Do not wait for the last day.

Free HUD counselor: (800) 569-4287

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

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Options still open before a sale in Wisconsin

  • Confirm whether the sale is still on

    Now, and again the day before the sale

    Call the sheriff's office or the referee named in the notice. Sale notices are published in a county newspaper and posted in a public place, and on the county website if it has one. You can also follow your case through Wisconsin Circuit Court Access.

    Wis. Stat. §§ 815.31, 846.16(1)

  • Redeem by paying the judgment

    Before the sale, and at the latest before the confirmation hearing begins

    Pay the judgment, interest, costs and any taxes the lender paid after judgment, to the clerk of court or the lender. Ask the lender's attorney for an exact written figure.

    Wis. Stat. § 846.13

  • Ask the lender to postpone the sale

    Before the sale; adjournments are capped at 3 months in total

    If you have a loan modification under review or a buyer lined up, ask your servicer and the lender's attorney to postpone. The sheriff can adjourn a sale, but all adjournments together cannot exceed 3 months. Get any agreement in writing.

    Wis. Stat. § 815.31

  • Pay the past-due installments

    Before the sale

    If the foreclosure was for missed installments, paying the past-due principal, interest and costs after judgment stays the proceedings. Whether this applies once the whole loan has been accelerated is a question for a lawyer.

    Wis. Stat. § 846.05

  • Bankruptcy stay

    Before the sale

    A bankruptcy filing stops the sale while the stay lasts. Talk to a licensed bankruptcy attorney or legal aid before filing.

    11 U.S.C. § 362(a)

  • Be heard at the confirmation hearing

    At the hearing; you get at least 5 days' notice if you appeared

    If the sale price seems far below the home's value, you can ask the court not to confirm it. The court must be satisfied the home's fair value has been credited before it confirms a sale for less than the debt.

    Wis. Stat. §§ 846.16(2m), 846.165

Call today, not tomorrow

With a sale on the calendar, every option above has a cutoff. A free HUD-approved housing counselor can call your servicer with you today: (800) 569-4287. For legal aid and court help, see free foreclosure help in Wisconsin.

Common questions in Wisconsin

When and where are Wisconsin sheriff's sales held?

An in-person sale is an auction held between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the time and place in the notice (Wis. Stat. § 815.31). If your county has adopted an ordinance for online sales, every foreclosure sale in that county is held online, and the notice must give the auction website and bidding period (Wis. Stat. § 846.16).

Will I get a personal notice of my Wisconsin sheriff's sale?

Often not. The law requires the notice to be published once a week for 3 weeks and posted in public places (Wis. Stat. § 815.31), and Wisconsin Law Help says you often will not receive it yourself. Call the sheriff's office or check the county website instead of waiting for a letter.

Can my Wisconsin sale happen before my redemption period ends?

Not for an owner-occupied home of one to four units, unless the parties agree in writing or the court finds the home abandoned. The sale cannot be held until the period in your judgment has run (Wis. Stat. §§ 846.10(2), 846.101(2)). For an abandoned home, the sale can be held 5 weeks after judgment (Wis. Stat. § 846.102).

Step by step

More on foreclosure in Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin overview

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Sources for this page

  1. Wis. Stat. § 846.05, Foreclosure for nonpayment of installment
  2. Wis. Stat. § 846.10, Judgment; sale timing
  3. Wis. Stat. § 846.101, Foreclosure with deficiency waiver
  4. Wis. Stat. § 846.102, Abandoned premises
  5. Wis. Stat. § 846.13, Redemption from and satisfaction of judgment (with annotations)
  6. Wis. Stat. § 846.16, Notice of sale; sale; confirmation; transfer
  7. Wis. Stat. § 846.162, Disposition of surplus
  8. Wis. Stat. § 846.165, Notice of confirmation hearing
  9. Wis. Stat. § 815.31, Notice of execution sale of real property
  10. Wis. Stat. § 801.09, Summons; time to answer
  11. Dane County Clerk of Courts: Foreclosure (mediation program ended)
  12. WHEDA: Homeowners (servicing contact)
  13. Legal Action of Wisconsin (services and intake)
  14. Wisconsin Court System: Case search (Wisconsin Circuit Court Access)
  15. Wis. Stat. Chapter 846: Real Estate Foreclosure
  16. Wis. Stat. Chapter 846 (PDF, updated through 2025 Wis. Act 247, published October 1, 2026)
  17. Wisconsin Law Help: Foreclosure Procedure
  18. Wisconsin State Law Library: Foreclosure
  19. Wisconsin Department of Administration: Wisconsin Help for Homeowners