Summary of Missouri's Foreclosure Laws

If you are facing foreclosure in Missouri, it’s important to understand some of the basics, including:

the most common type of foreclosure procedure (judicial v. nonjudicial) used in Missouri
how much time you have to respond
your rights and protections in the process, and
what happens afterwards (for example, whether you’ll be liable for a deficiency judgment).

Below we have outlined some of the most important features of Missouri foreclosure law. Keep in mind that this is just a summary; we’ve included statute citations so you can get more details from the laws themselves. And be sure to check out Nolo’s extensive Foreclosure section, where you can find information about all aspects of foreclosure, definitions of foreclosure terms (like redemption and reinstatement), and options to avoid foreclosure.

Topic	State Rule
Common type of foreclosure process	Nonjudicial: under power of sale in deed of trust
Time to respond	Foreclosing party must send, by registered and certified mail, 20-day notice to homeowner.
Reinstatement of loan before sale	No
Redemption after sale	Available up to a year after sale, if homeowner gives foreclosing party a notice of intent to redeem 10 days before sale and the lender buys the property at foreclosure sale
Special protections for foreclosures involving high-cost mortgages	None
Special state protections for service members	Mo. Ann. Stat. § 41.944
Deficiency judgments	May be obtained in a separate lawsuit, whether or not sales price is the property’s fair market value
Cash exempted in bankruptcy	$600 for one person, $1,250 for a married couple
Notice to leave after house is sold	Former owner must get one month’s written notice to vacate premises. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060
Foreclosure statutes	Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 443.290 to 443.453