Idaho Foreclosure Laws and Procedures

Before the foreclosure crisis, federal and state laws regulating mortgage servicers and foreclosure procedures were relatively limited and tended to favor foreclosing lenders. However, many federal and state laws now give protections to borrowers. Servicers generally must provide borrowers with loss mitigation opportunities, account for each foreclosure step, and carefully comply with foreclosure laws.

Also, most people who take out a loan to buy a residential property in Idaho sign a promissory note and a deed of trust, which is like a mortgage. These documents usually give homeowners certain contractual rights after a mortgage loan default.

So, don't get caught off guard if you're a homeowner behind in mortgage payments. Learn about Idaho foreclosure laws and how the foreclosure process works in Idaho, from missing your first payment to a foreclosure sale.

What Are My Rights During Foreclosure in Idaho?

In an Idaho foreclosure, you'll most likely get the right to:

• receive a breach letter
• apply for loss mitigation
• receive certain foreclosure notices
• 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, and
• get any excess money after a foreclosure sale.

Once you understand the Idaho foreclosure process and your rights, 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 happens as "preforeclosure," too.)

Here's generally what happens during the preforeclosure period:

• the servicer can charge you various fees
• in most cases, federal law requires the servicer to let you know about ways to avoid foreclosure and
• most mortgage contracts require the servicer to send you a breach letter (a preforeclosure notice).

When Can Foreclosure Start in Idaho?

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 plenty of time to submit a loss mitigation application to the servicer.

What Is the Foreclosure Process in Idaho?

If you default on your mortgage payments in Idaho, 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 for the nonjudicial process because it's quicker and cheaper than litigation in court.

What Are the Steps Involved in the Nonjudicial Foreclosure Process in Idaho?

Again, most residential foreclosures in Idaho are nonjudicial. Here's how the process works.

Notice of Default

To officially start a foreclosure in Idaho, the trustee records a notice of default (NOD) in the county recorder's office and then sends a copy to you (the homeowner). (Idaho Code § 45-1505).

Notice of Sale

After the NOD is recorded, the trustee must also mail you a notice of sale at least 120 days before the sale, which can be sent at the same time as the NOD. (Idaho Code § 45-1506.)

The trustee has to attempt, three times at least 30 days before the sale, to personally serve the notice of sale to an adult occupant living at the property and post the notice there. But if personal service is made upon an adult occupant and a copy of the notice is posted, then no further attempt at personal service and no further posting is required. Also, posting the notice isn't required if the adult occupant who was personally served is a person to whom the notice of sale was required to be mailed, like the homeowner, and the notice was mailed. (Idaho Code § 45-1506.)

The trustee must also publish the notice of sale in a newspaper once a week for four weeks and record an affidavit stating that it mailed, posted (when required), and published the notice. (Idaho Code § 45-1506.)

Loan Modification Notice

If the borrower lives in the home as a primary residence, the lender has to provide information about how to request a loan modification, along with a form to request one, with the NOD. You get 30 days to submit the form. (Idaho Code § 45-1506C).

If you apply for a modification using the form, the lender or its agency has to approve or reject your application within 45 days after the lender receives the form. (Federal law generally requires the servicer to review a loan modification within 30 days.) The sale can't take place until the lender or its agent timely responds to the application. (Idaho Code § 45-1506C).

How Do Foreclosure Sales Work in Idaho?

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, including Idaho, 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 "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 Long Do You Have to Move Out After Foreclosure in Idaho?

If you don't vacate the property following the foreclosure sale, the new owner will probably:

• offer you a cash-for-keys deal, or
• take steps to evict you.

The purchaser at the foreclosure sale is entitled to possession of the property on the tenth day following the sale. Anyone remaining in possession after that time is considered a tenant at sufferance. (Idaho Code § 45-1506). The purchaser may then begin eviction proceedings.

What Are the Options Available for Borrowers During Foreclosure in Idaho?

A few potential ways to stop a foreclosure and keep your home include reinstating the loan, redeeming the property, or filing for bankruptcy. Working out a loss mitigation option, like a loan modification, will also stop a foreclosure.

Or you might be able to work out a short sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure and avoid foreclosure. (But you'll have to give up your home with a short sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure transaction.)

Reinstating the Loan

Under Idaho law, you get the right to prevent a foreclosure by reinstating your loan up to 115 days after the recording date of the NOD. To reinstate, you must pay all missed payments, fees, and costs in one lump sum. (Idaho Code § 45-1506).

Also, the deed of trust you signed when taking out the loan might give you more time to reinstate. Check the paperwork you signed when you got the loan to find out if you get more time to get caught up on past-due amounts and, if so, the deadline to reinstate. You can also call your loan servicer and ask if the lender will let you reinstate.

Does Idaho Have a Right of Redemption for Foreclosure?

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 a redemption period after the foreclosure sale, during which they can buy back the home. Idaho law, however, doesn't provide a post-sale redemption period after a nonjudicial foreclosure. (Idaho Code § 45-1508).

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 the options available, speak with a local bankruptcy attorney.

Foreclosure Protections and Military Servicemembers

The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act provides legal protections to military personnel facing foreclosure.

Idaho law extends the protections of federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to national guard ordered to state active duty by the governor in certain circumstances. (Idaho Code § 46-409).

Are Deficiency Judgments Allowed in Idaho?

In a foreclosure, the borrower's total mortgage debt sometimes 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 $400,000, but the home sells for $350,000 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.

Deficiency judgments are generally allowed in Idaho, subject to some limitations.

Idaho Deficiency Judgment Laws

In Idaho, the lender may file a lawsuit for a deficiency judgment after a nonjudicial foreclosure. The deficiency judgment will be the lesser of:

• the difference between the total debt and the fair market value of the property at the time of sale or
• the difference between the total debt and the foreclosure sale price.

The lender has to file the lawsuit within three months after the sale. (Idaho Code § 45-1512).

What Are the Potential Consequences of Foreclosure?

A foreclosure could result in serious consequences, like lower credit scores, a deficiency judgment (as mentioned), or tax ramifications.

Getting More Foreclosure Information

For more information on federal mortgage servicing laws, as well as foreclosure relief options, go to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) website.

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Find out if foreclosures are on the rise.

Getting Help

If you have questions about Idaho'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 about different loss mitigation options.