Getting a notice that your house is scheduled for sheriff sale is scary. But a date on a notice isn’t the end. In Pennsylvania you usually have options right up until the sale actually happens. Here they are, in plain English.
How foreclosure works in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is a judicial foreclosure state. The lender has to go through the court, get a judgment, and then the county sheriff sells the property at auction. That process takes months, and every step is a chance to change the outcome. Most homeowners get an Act 91 notice early on, which explains how to reach approved housing counselors.
Option 1: Catch up or pay it off
If you can come up with the past-due amount plus fees, you may be able to reinstate the loan. You can also pay off the whole balance. Ask the lender’s attorney for a written reinstatement or payoff figure. The numbers change as fees get added, so get them in writing and get them early.
Option 2: Ask for a postponement or a loan modification
Lenders sometimes postpone a sale if there’s a real plan in place, like a modification application or a signed sale agreement. A free HUD-approved housing counselor can help you talk to the lender. Don’t wait until the week of the sale to make that call.
Option 3: Sell the house before the sale date
If you have equity, meaning the house is worth more than what you owe, selling it yourself is usually far better than letting it go to auction. At a sheriff sale, the house goes for whatever it goes for, and fees keep piling on. When you sell it yourself, the mortgage gets paid off at closing and the rest is yours.
Timing is the problem. A traditional listing with showings, inspections and a buyer’s mortgage often can’t close fast enough. A cash buyer can. We closed on 236 Stearly St in Philadelphia five days before the scheduled sheriff sale, and the owner walked away with about $20,000 instead of losing it at auction.
Option 4: Talk to a bankruptcy attorney
Filing bankruptcy creates an automatic stay that pauses a sheriff sale. It’s a serious step with long-term consequences, so it’s a conversation for a bankruptcy attorney, not a blog post. But it’s worth knowing it exists.
What not to do
- Don’t ignore the mail. Every notice has a deadline in it.
- Don’t pay anyone upfront to “save your house.” Legitimate counselors are free, and legitimate buyers don’t charge you fees.
- Don’t sign over your deed to anyone without a title company and a real closing.
If your sale date is coming up, call or text Dom at (215) 234-1773. We’ll tell you honestly whether selling makes sense or whether one of the other options is the better move.
This article is general information, not legal advice.
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