Learn how a Georgia foreclosure works, including preforeclosure steps, foreclosure procedures, and homeowners’ rights under both state and federal laws.
Before the foreclosure crisis, which peaked in 2010, federal and state laws regulating mortgage servicers and foreclosure procedures were relatively limited and tended to favor foreclosing lenders. Now, however, federal and state laws heavily regulate loan servicing and foreclosure processes. And most of the laws give protections to borrowers.
Servicers generally have to provide borrowers with loss mitigation opportunities, account for each foreclosure step, and strictly comply with foreclosure laws. Also, most people who take out a loan to buy a residential property in Georgia sign a promissory note and a security deed, which is like a mortgage. These documents give homeowners some contractual rights in addition to federal and state legal protections.
In a Georgia foreclosure, you'll most likely get the right to:
- a preforeclosure breach letter
- apply for loss mitigation
- receive a foreclosure notice
- get current on the loan and stop the foreclosure sale
- receive special protections if you're in the military
- pay off the loan to prevent a sale
- file for bankruptcy, and
- get any excess money after a foreclosure sale.
So, don't get caught off guard if you're a Georgia homeowner who's behind in mortgage payments. Learn about each step in a Georgia foreclosure, from missing your first payment to a foreclosure sale. Once you understand the process, you can make the most of your situation and, hopefully, work out a way to save your home or at least get through the process with as little anxiety as possible.
What Is Preforeclosure?
The period after you fall behind in payments, but before a foreclosure officially starts, is generally called the "preforeclosure" stage. (Sometimes, people refer to the period before a foreclosure sale actually happens as "preforeclosure," too.) During this time, the servicer can charge you various fees, like late charges and inspection fees, and, in most cases, must inform you about ways to avoid foreclosure and send you a preforeclosure notice called a "breach letter."
Fees the Servicer Can Charge During Preforeclosure
If you miss a payment, most loans include a grace period of ten or fifteen days, after which time the servicer will assess a late fee. Each month you miss a payment, the servicer will charge this fee. To find out the late charge amount and grace period for your loan, look at the promissory note you signed. You can also find this information on your monthly mortgage statement.
Also, most Georgia security deeds allow the lender (or the current loan holder, referred to as the "lender" in this article) to take necessary steps to protect its interest in the property. Property inspections are performed to ensure that the home is occupied and appropriately maintained. Inspections, which are generally drive-by, are usually ordered automatically once the loan goes into default and typically cost around $10 or $15.
Other types of fees the servicer might charge include those for broker's price opinions, which are like appraisals, and property preservation costs, such as for yard maintenance or winterizing an abandoned home.
Federal Mortgage Servicing Laws and Foreclosure Protections
Under federal mortgage servicing laws, the servicer must contact, or attempt to contact, you by phone to discuss loss mitigation options, like a loan modification, forbearance, or repayment plan, no later than 36 days after you miss a payment and again within 36 days after each following delinquency. No later than 45 days after missing a payment, the servicer has to inform you in writing about loss mitigation options that might be available and appoint personnel to help you try to work out a way to avoid foreclosure. A few exceptions are in place for some of these requirements, though, like if you've filed bankruptcy or asked the servicer not to contact you pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. (12 C.F.R. § 1024.39, 12 C.F.R. § 1024.40).
Federal mortgage servicing laws also prohibit dual tracking (pursuing a foreclosure while a complete loss mitigation application is pending).
What Is a Breach Letter?
Many Georgia security deeds have a provision that requires the lender to send a notice, commonly called a "breach letter," informing you that the loan is in default before the lender can accelerate the loan. The breach letter gives you a chance to cure the default and avoid foreclosure.
When Can Foreclosure Start?
Under federal law, the servicer usually can't officially begin a foreclosure until you're more than 120 days past due on payments, subject to a few exceptions. (12 C.F.R. § 1024.41). This 120-day period provides most homeowners with ample opportunity to submit a loss mitigation application to the servicer.
What Is the Foreclosure Process in Georgia?
If you default on your mortgage payments in Georgia, the lender may foreclose using a judicial or nonjudicial method.
How Judicial Foreclosures Work
A judicial foreclosure begins when the lender files a lawsuit asking a court for an order allowing a foreclosure sale. If you don't respond with a written answer, the lender will automatically win the case. But if you choose to defend the foreclosure lawsuit, the court will review the evidence and determine the winner. If the lender wins, the judge will enter a judgment and order your home sold at auction.
How Nonjudicial Foreclosures Work
If the lender chooses a nonjudicial foreclosure, it must complete the out-of-court procedures described in the state statutes. After completing the required steps, the lender can sell the home at a foreclosure sale. Most lenders opt to use the nonjudicial process because it's quicker and cheaper than litigating the matter in court.
Which Is the Most Common Foreclosure Process in Georgia?
Again, most residential foreclosures in Georgia are nonjudicial. Here's how the process works.
Notice of Intent to Foreclose
Under Georgia law, no later than 30 days before the date of the scheduled foreclosure sale, the lender must send you a notice of the initiation of proceedings to exercise a power of sale (that is, notice of the nonjudicial foreclosure). The notice must be sent via registered mail, certified mail, or overnight delivery, return receipt requested, to the property address, or to any other address you've designated by written notice to the lender. (Ga. Code Ann. § 44-14-162.2).
The notice will include, among other things, the name, address, and telephone number of the individual or entity that has full authority to negotiate, amend, and modify all terms of the mortgage, which is generally the loan servicer. It will also usually include a copy of the published advertisement (see below). (Ga. Code Ann. §§ 44-14-162, 44-14-162.2).
Ten-Day Attorneys' Fees Notice
The lender's attorney will also usually send a notice informing you that you have ten days from the receipt of such notice to pay the principal and interest without incurring attorneys' fees. (Ga. Code Ann. § 13-1-11). This notice is often included with the 30-day notice.
Publication of the Notice of Sale
The foreclosure sale must be advertised in a newspaper in the county where the property is located once a week for four weeks before the scheduled sale date. (Ga. Code Ann. § 9-13-140).
The Foreclosure Sale
Foreclosure sales are generally held at the county courthouse on the first Tuesday of the month unless that day is New Year's Day or the 4th of July, in which case foreclosures are held on the Wednesday of that week, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Ga. Code Ann. § 9-13-161).
At the sale, the lender usually makes a credit bid. The lender can bid up to the total amount owed, including fees and costs, or it may bid less. In some states, when the lender is the high bidder at the sale but bids less than the total debt, it can get a deficiency judgment against the borrower, subject to some limitations (see below). If the lender is the highest bidder, the property becomes what's called "Real Estate Owned" (REO).
But if a bidder, say a third party, is the highest bidder and offers more than you owe, and the sale results in excess proceeds—that is, money over and above what's needed to pay off all the liens on your property—you're entitled to that surplus money.
How Can I Stop a Foreclosure in Georgia?
A few potential ways to stop a foreclosure include reinstating the loan, redeeming the property before the sale, or filing for bankruptcy. (Of course, if you're able to work out a loss mitigation option, like a loan modification, that will also stop a foreclosure.)
Reinstating the Loan
Georgia law doesn't provide a statutory right to reinstate the loan prior to the sale, except for high-cost home loans.
But many security deed contracts, like the uniform Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Security Deed, provide the borrower the right to cure the default after acceleration and reinstate the loan. Check your loan documents to find out if you get a reinstatement right and, if so, the deadline to complete one.
Redeeming the Property Before the Sale
One way to stop a foreclosure is by "redeeming" the property. To redeem, you have to pay off the full amount of the loan before the foreclosure sale.
Some states also provide foreclosed borrowers with a redemption period after the foreclosure sale, during which they can buy back the home. However, Georgia law doesn't give borrowers a statutory right of redemption after a nonjudicial foreclosure. Once your Georgia home has been foreclosed, you can't redeem it.
Filing for Bankruptcy
If you're facing a foreclosure, filing for bankruptcy might help. In fact, if a foreclosure sale is scheduled to occur in the next day or so, the best way to stop the sale immediately is by filing for bankruptcy. Once you file for bankruptcy, something called an "automatic stay" goes into effect. The stay functions as an injunction, which prohibits the lender from foreclosing on your home or otherwise trying to collect its debt, at least temporarily.
In many cases, filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy can delay the foreclosure by a matter of months. Or, if you want to save your home, filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy might be the answer. To find out about the options available to you, speak with a local bankruptcy attorney.
Georgia Deficiency Judgment Laws
In a foreclosure, the borrower's total mortgage debt frequently exceeds the foreclosure sale price. The difference between the total debt and the sale price is called a "deficiency." For example, say the total debt owed is $300,000, but the home sells for $250,000 at the foreclosure sale. The deficiency is $50,000. In some states, the lender can seek a personal judgment against the debtor to recover the deficiency. Generally, once the lender gets a deficiency judgment, the lender may collect this amount—in our example, $50,000—from the borrower.
To get a deficiency judgment in Georgia, the lender must file a report of sale with the superior court of the county in which the land is located within 30 days after the nonjudicial foreclosure sale. If the lender misses this deadline, it can't get a deficiency judgment. (Ga. Code Ann. § 44-14-161).
Then, the court will hold a hearing before it confirms the sale. The lender must serve you with notice of the hearing at least five days before the hearing date. At the hearing, the court will verify that the foreclosure sale price is at least as much as the property's fair market value. The court will also evaluate whether the lender followed proper foreclosure procedures by looking at:
- the notices that the lender sent
- the published foreclosure sale advertisement, and
- whether any irregularities in the sale happened. (Ga. Code Ann. § 44-14-161).
If the court confirms the sale, the lender can file a lawsuit against you to get a deficiency judgment. If the sale wasn't proper, the court may order a resale of the property.
How Long Do You Have to Move Out After Foreclosure in Georgia?
If you (the foreclosed borrower) don't move out after the foreclosure sale, the home's new owner must first make a demand for possession and then can begin eviction proceedings.
Where to Find Your State's Statutes and More Foreclosure Resources
In this article, you'll find details on foreclosure laws in Georgia, with citations to statutes so you can learn more. Statutes change, so checking them is always a good idea.
How to Find Federal Foreclosure Laws
If you're looking for federal laws, you might want to visit the Library of Congress's legal research website, which provides links to federal regulations and federal statutes.
How to Find State Foreclosure Laws
To find Georgia's foreclosure laws, search online for "Georgia statutes." Make sure you're reading the most recent, official laws. LexisNexis provides free access to the Official Code of Georgia.
More Foreclosure Resources
For more information on federal mortgage servicing laws, as well as foreclosure relief options, go to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) website.
Although the programs under the Making Home Affordable (MHA) initiative have expired, the MHA website still contains useful information for homeowners facing foreclosure.
Getting Help
How courts and agencies interpret and apply laws can change. And some rules can even vary within a state. These are just some of the reasons to consider consulting a lawyer if you're facing a foreclosure. If you have questions about Georgia's foreclosure process or want to learn about potential defenses to a foreclosure and possibly fight the foreclosure in court, consider talking to a foreclosure attorney.
It's also a good idea to talk to a HUD-approved housing counselor if you want to learn about different loss mitigation options. You can use the CFPB's Find a Counselor tool to get a list of HUD-approved housing counseling agencies in your area. You can also call the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HOPE) Hotline, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 888-995-HOPE (4673).
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