How to Stop Foreclosure in Pennsylvania

What to do today

1. Identify the paper and deadline. Gather the mortgage statement, Act 6/Act 91 notice, complaint and Notice to Defend, default warning, and any sheriff-sale notice. Record the property county, case number, service date, and sale date. Take an Act 91 notice and its envelope to a designated counselor promptly.
2. Call the number on your mortgage statement. Say: “I want to avoid foreclosure. Is a sale scheduled? Send a dated reinstatement quote, full payoff statement, and loss mitigation application. What documents are missing? Who owns, insures, or guarantees this loan?” Ask what specific action would stop the sale and how the lender’s lawyer and sheriff will be notified.
3. If there is a case or auction, check both offices. Ask the county civil filing office for the complaint, judgment, execution papers, and latest orders. Ask the sheriff’s sale office and lender’s attorney whether the sale is proceeding, continued, or cancelled. Request written confirmation and the replacement date. Use the county court directory to find the local civil office and official county contacts.
4. Get free counseling and legal screening. Call PHFA at 800-342-2397 for HEMAP routing or HUD at 800-569-4287. If served with a complaint, seek legal help now: a response is generally due 20 days after service when a Notice to Defend is included. A workout conversation does not extend that deadline. Rule 1026.
5. Compare an affordable payment with a realistic sale net. Gather income, expenses, hardship evidence, bank statements, and tax documents. Obtain price estimates and a title/payoff review if selling may be necessary. Keep a log of names, dates, upload receipts, and promises.

Which option fits my situation?

What does my Pennsylvania foreclosure notice mean?

Act 6 Notice of Intention to Foreclose

For a covered residential mortgage, Act 6 generally requires notice at least 30 days before acceleration or foreclosure action. It explains the default, cure amount, and consequences. Coverage depends on the loan’s original principal amount and other statutory criteria; do not assume every mortgage qualifies. Act 6, §§ 101 and 403.

Act 91 notice: a HEMAP opportunity

An Act 91 Notice explains Pennsylvania’s Homeowners’ Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program and names approved counseling agencies. It may also satisfy applicable Act 6 notice requirements. For the timely HEMAP route, meet a designated counselor within 33 days of the notice date or envelope postmark, whichever is later. An in-person meeting or video meeting with both audio and visual communication can qualify. Scheduling a future appointment alone is insufficient. PHFA factsheet; 12 Pa. Code § 31.203.

Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint and Notice to Defend

These mean a lawsuit has been filed. Check the case number with the county civil Prothonotary / Department of Court Records. Generally, a responsive pleading is due within 20 days after service; exceptions and extensions require legal review. A later 10-day notice of intent to enter default judgment warns that judgment may be requested for failing to respond. Do not wait for that warning. Rule 1026; Rule 237.1.

Judgment, Writ of Execution, and Notice of Sheriff’s Sale

A judgment determines the foreclosure claim; a Writ of Execution directs enforcement, and the sale notice supplies the auction details. Verify them with the county docket, sheriff, and lender’s attorney. A statewide case-search result alone may not include Common Pleas civil mortgage cases. Recorded mortgages and deeds are at the county Recorder of Deeds. Judgment liens appear in civil court records; tax and municipal claims may require other county or local records. A title professional can search them. The Recorder of Deeds cannot confirm a live sale postponement.

Pennsylvania foreclosure timeline

There is no single guaranteed statewide countdown from a missed payment to an auction. These stages can overlap with loan review or county diversion procedures. A notice deadline is a reason to act now.

Ways to keep your Pennsylvania home

Catch up through reinstatement

For an Act 6-covered mortgage, proper tender of arrears and permitted charges can cure the default at least one hour before bidding begins, up to three times in a calendar year. Cure generally does not require paying the accelerated full balance. Ask a lawyer to verify coverage and get payment instructions well in advance; an ordinary monthly payment may not cure the default. Act 6 § 404.

Repayment, forbearance, modification, or deferral

A repayment plan adds catch-up payments to the regular payment. Forbearance temporarily reduces or suspends payments; ask how missed amounts will be repaid. A modification changes loan terms, and a deferral may move eligible arrears to a later obligation. Availability depends on the loan and investor/insurer. Ask about FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac options applicable to your mortgage; get the full payment schedule and foreclosure terms in writing.

Send all requested documents and keep proof of delivery. A servicer-confirmed complete application is different from a started application. For many covered loans, timely completion requires a written evaluation; the servicer does not have to offer every borrower a particular workout. CFPB application guidance.

HEMAP: Pennsylvania’s emergency mortgage loan

HEMAP is a repayable loan, secured by a lien, not a grant. It can bring an eligible mortgage current and may provide continuing help. Eligibility generally requires an owner-occupied Pennsylvania one- or two-family home, hardship beyond your control, and a reasonable prospect of resuming payments. FHA Title II mortgages are excluded. USDA/Rural Housing borrowers may have a route without an Act 91 notice; ask PHFA. A HUD counselor must also be HEMAP-designated to handle this application. PHFA eligibility and counselor directory.

After the timely counseling meeting, the counselor must send the application to PHFA within 30 days; PHFA has 60 days after receipt to decide. Confirm lender notification and deadline compliance. If denied, the written appeal request must be postmarked within 15 days of the denial letter, but the appeal alone does not stop foreclosure. PHFA application and appeal instructions.

Current grant availability

PAHAF is closed to new applications. Its existing waitlist depends on remaining funds, and it does not provide forward mortgage assistance for months after June 2025. An old application or portal link is not a confirmed sale hold. Current PAHAF status.

Philadelphia: the City posts a mortgage retention grant of up to $5,000 for eligible homeowners at least three months behind. Income, hardship, sustainability, and other conditions apply. Ask Congreso at 215-763-8870, option 1 then 3, about current funds and eligibility. City grant program; City foreclosure resources.

If bankruptcy is already part of your situation and you are considering a sale, review our guide to selling a house during bankruptcy with your attorney.

Which actions actually pause or stop a sale?

• A completed cure or payoff: properly reinstating a covered loan or paying off the secured debt can resolve the foreclosure. Confirm the lender’s execution/sale instructions were withdrawn.
• A timely HEMAP process: applicable Act 91 protections hold foreclosure during required notice/application review periods when deadlines are met. A late filing or denial appeal alone does not create that hold. Ask the counselor/PHFA to confirm compliance and notify the lender. HEMAP procedure.
• Federal loss mitigation protections: for a covered loan, a complete application received more than 37 days before sale can bar conducting the sale or seeking judgment during required review and applicable appeal/accepted-plan protections. Coverage and repeat-application exceptions matter. A qualifying modification denial generally carries a 14-day appeal window if the complete application arrived 90 days or more before sale or during the protected pre-referral period. At 37 days or fewer, that particular application-based sale bar generally does not attach. Ask for the recorded receipt date, decision, and actual sale status. 12 CFR § 1024.41.
• An effective court stay or lender-approved continuance: check the actual order or written instructions and sheriff’s updated schedule. Enrolling in a county program must produce the applicable protection; requesting an appointment alone is insufficient.
• An effective bankruptcy automatic stay: a qualifying filing before sale ordinarily stops collection temporarily; repeat filings, prior orders, and relief from stay can change this. Chapter 13 may let an eligible homeowner cure arrears through a plan while maintaining ongoing payments. Get a bankruptcy lawyer’s advice before the auction. U.S. Courts guidance.

Calls, partial applications, agent listings, cash offers, purchase contracts, and consumer complaints do not themselves cancel the auction. Even where a legal protection applies, verify the sale is being held with the servicer, lender’s attorney, and sheriff. If they disagree, seek urgent legal help rather than waiting for paperwork to catch up.

Free local help and Pennsylvania offices

Philadelphia diversion: qualifying owner-occupied residential cases receive conciliation and an order preventing entry of judgment until conferences conclude. Attend the scheduled conference and check your case’s order; this is not a blanket indefinite sale freeze. Court diversion program.

Allegheny County: the Save Your Home program describes a 90-day sheriff-sale stay for qualifying participants. Seek enrollment through its counselor and verify the court’s stay in your case. Calling the hotline alone does not pause the auction. Other counties may have their own procedures; ask the local court and counselor.

For an unresolved mortgage-servicing problem, you can submit a complaint to the CFPB. A complaint does not automatically stop or delay foreclosure.

How to avoid foreclosure in Pennsylvania by selling

List with an agent

A listing can expose the home to more buyers and may produce a higher price, but marketing, inspections, buyer financing, repairs, and negotiations take time. Ask for an as-is pricing plan, a realistic closing date, and an itemized net sheet. Close and deliver payoff funds before the auction, or obtain a verified postponement.

Sell directly to a cash buyer

You can sell to a cash buyer such as MyHouseIntoCash.com while foreclosure is pending if you still have authority to sell and can complete closing in time. A cash transaction may reduce financing delays or repair requirements, but compare the actual price, contingencies, costs, and cash to you with a listing. Request proof of funds and a clear written closing commitment. Use an independent title/closing professional to verify ownership, liens, and payoffs.

If all secured debts and closing costs will be paid in full, short-sale approval is generally unnecessary. If they cannot be paid, obtain affected creditors’ approval or supply the shortfall. The buyer cannot cancel the sheriff’s sale merely by offering cash or signing a contract.

Short sale

If proceeds will not pay the mortgage debt, the servicer must approve a reduced payoff; other affected lienholders must also agree. Approval can take time. Obtain a separate sale hold if needed and an explicit written deficiency waiver rather than assuming acceptance of proceeds releases your personal debt. You must leave the home. CFPB short-sale guidance.

Deed in lieu of foreclosure

You voluntarily transfer the property to the lender under an accepted agreement. It may be an option when no sustainable workout or sale is possible, but liens and title problems can block it. Have a lawyer review the written debt release, relocation assistance if offered, and move-out date. Signing a deed alone does not erase your mortgage liability. CFPB deed-in-lieu guidance.

Before deciding, compare our guides to selling a house in foreclosure and selling a house as-is.

The money question: equity, payoff, liens, and remaining debt

The balance on your statement is not necessarily the closing payoff. Request dated figures for every mortgage, including accrued interest, permitted fees, escrow advances, and foreclosure costs. A title review should identify tax claims, judgments, second mortgages, municipal liens, and other encumbrances. Include negotiated commissions, transfer taxes, title/settlement charges, concessions, and any repair costs you will pay.

Sale price − mortgage payoffs − other liens/required charges − selling costs = estimated cash to you.

Example: a $250,000 price minus $180,000 in mortgage payoffs, $12,000 in other liens, and $18,000 in selling costs leaves about $40,000. These are illustrative figures. If the result is negative, closing needs additional funds or written creditor approval for reduced payoffs.

After foreclosure, debt may remain. When the creditor buys at the execution sale and seeks further recovery, Pennsylvania’s Deficiency Judgment Act generally requires a fair-market-value determination instead of simply treating a low bid as the property’s value. The relevant petition deadline is six months following execution and delivery of the sheriff’s deed; have a lawyer assess the statutory credits and whether the procedure applies. This does not automatically erase every borrower’s remaining debt. 42 Pa.C.S. § 8103; § 5522(b)(2).

Surplus may exist if sale proceeds exceed the amounts properly payable, but lien priorities and claims determine distribution. Ask the sheriff for the proposed schedule of distribution and obtain legal help promptly if it is wrong. Rule 3136. Forgiven debt can also have tax consequences; review any debt-release agreement with a qualified tax adviser.

For related sale questions, see selling a house with liens and how a short sale works.

Common mistakes and foreclosure rescue scams

• Ignoring papers or treating negotiations as an extension. Answer deadlines, conference dates, and document requests still matter.
• Relying on an old auction list or verbal promise. Confirm current instructions directly with the servicer, lender’s attorney, sheriff, and docket.
• Paying someone who guarantees a rescue. Be skeptical of advance fees, instructions to stop contacting your lender, or promises of a guaranteed modification. Free foreclosure counseling is available.
• Signing over the deed without independent advice. A deed transfer or “subject-to” arrangement can leave the mortgage in your name and leave you personally liable.
• Accepting an offer without checking the net or debt release. Review liens, buyer funding, closing conditions, and any remaining balance before signing.

Report suspected fraud to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s consumer complaint office. Reporting a scam does not stop a scheduled sale; obtain urgent legal help for that deadline.

If you are evaluating a buyer, use our cash home buyer scam checklist. The FTC’s mortgage relief scam guide explains warning signs and steps to take if you paid a scammer.

Pennsylvania foreclosure questions

Can I avoid foreclosure after a complaint is filed? Sometimes. A cure, approved workout, qualifying legal protection, or completed sale may still be possible. Respond to the lawsuit and independently verify the auction status while pursuing the option.

Does every borrower receive an Act 91 notice? No. Coverage and exclusions vary. If yours is missing, ask PHFA and a lawyer to check the loan rather than assuming foreclosure is invalid or HEMAP is available.

Can I sell after the sheriff’s sale? Do not assume you retain authority to sell after bidding has occurred. Verify the outcome immediately and get legal advice before signing anything.

Who can confirm a postponement? Obtain the lender’s attorney’s confirmation and check the sheriff’s current instructions and the court record. The planner and a buyer’s assurance cannot verify a hold.

Sources and scope: Official statutes, court rules, PHFA/PAHAF program pages, federal consumer guidance, and local help sources are linked beside the relevant guidance. Checked September 30, 2026. This guide covers ordinary mortgage foreclosure; individual loan terms, military protections, bankruptcy history, and court orders can change the answer. A Pennsylvania lawyer or qualified housing counselor can review your documents.