Timeline:
30-60 Days
Redemption:
12 months after sale
Deficiency
Judgments: Yes
Judicial
Foreclosure: Yes, although not common
Non-Judicial
Foreclosure: Yes
Security
Instruments: Deed of Trust, Mortgage
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Under
Alabama foreclosure law, the Judicial Foreclosure process is
used when no “power of sale” clause is present in the mortgage
or deed of trust. Lenders, though, may choose not to pursue
a foreclosure lawsuit and sell the property. The lender, or
any party the mortgage or deed of trust has been assigned to,
may pursue either of two options. This can only be done after
default of the mortgage or deed of trust. The first option would
be to file a lawsuit to foreclose; the second would be to foreclose
by selling the property to the highest bidder for cash at the
courthouse door of the county where the property is situated.
The sale of the property may not take place until after a notice
of the time, place, details and reason for the sale has been
published for four (4) consecutive weeks in a newspaper. The
newspaper must be published in the county wherein the property
is located. |
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The
Non-Judicial Foreclosure process is used when a “power of sale”
clause is present in the mortgage or deed of trust. This clause
authorizes the lender to sell the property to pay off the mortgage
or deed in trust in the event the borrower defaults. This ability
to sell the property may be given to the lender or the lender's
representative to execute.
If the
mortgage or deed of trust contains a power of sale clause and
outlines the time, place and details of the sale, then this
specified process needs to be followed. However, if the mortgage
or deed of trust contains a power of sale clause, but it does
not outline the time, place and details of sale, then a sale
may take place at the front or main door of the courthouse of
the county where the property located. This may be done only
after default of the deed of trust or mortgage, and the property
will be sold for cash to the highest bidder. The sale at the
courthouse may not take place until thirty (30) days after the
last notice of sale is published.
A notice of sale must be published once a week for four (4)
successive weeks in a newspaper that is circulated in the county
in which the property is located. If the property is under mortgage
in more than one county, the publication is to be made in all
counties where it is located. The notice of sale must give the
time, place and terms of the sale, as well as a description
of the house to be sold. If there is not a newspaper published
in the county where the property is located, the notice must
be placed in a newspaper published in an nearby county for four
(4) successive weeks.