Pennsylvania Foreclosure Law
In Pennsylvania, foreclosures are carried out through the
court system. The foreclosure process takes about 10 months, not
including the pre-foreclosure period.
Pre-foreclosure Period
Before the foreclosure process can begin, the borrower must
be at least 60 days late on payments. The lender usually sends
the borrower two letters before starting the foreclosure. These
letters notify the borrower of the impending foreclosure and
give the borrower options to prevent the foreclosure. The owner
has a period of 2-4 months to find a way to prevent the
foreclosure before the lender takes further action. If the
borrower does find a way to prevent the foreclosure, the lender
files suit against the borrower for the amount due. The borrower
is notified of the foreclosure action in person or by
publication and mailing if necessary. After the borrower is
notified of the foreclosure action, they have about one month to
respond before the court directs the property to be sold to
recover the amount due. The borrower can still prevent the sale
at any time up to one hour before the sale by paying the full
amount owed.
Notice of Sale / Auction
At least 30 days prior to the sale, the county sheriff gives
notice of the sale by putting a handbill on the property as well
as delivering a copy of the notice to the borrower. The sale is
advertised at least once a week for three consecutive weeks in
both a local general-interest newspaper and a local legal
newspaper. The sale is a public auction overseen by the county
sheriff and takes place 1-2 months following the court's order.
The property is sold to the highest bidder and the sheriff
completes the necessary documents to transfer ownership. The
sale may be postponed once up to 100 days by announcement at the
sale. The court must approve any further postponements. There is
no right of redemption for borrowers following the sale.
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