An Indiana lender generally cannot start foreclosure until you are more than 120 days behind (federal rule 12 CFR 1024.41(f)), and for most mortgages the judgment cannot be sent to the sheriff for a sale until 3 months after the lawsuit is filed (IC 32-29-7-3). Add the state's pre-suit notice, the court case and at least 30 days of sale advertising, and the legal minimums alone add up to many months, with the real length depending on your county.
Updated . Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
Indiana gives homeowners several built-in pauses, including a free state counseling program and the right to ask for a settlement conference. Each one is worth using.
Every case is different, but the steps run in this order. The times below are legal minimums. Real cases usually take longer.
Federal mortgage servicing rules generally stop a servicer from making the first foreclosure filing until your loan is more than 120 days delinquent (12 CFR 1024.41(f)). This window is meant for working things out. You will usually get late notices, calls and letters about options like a repayment plan, forbearance or a loan modification.
If you send your servicer a complete loss mitigation application more than 37 days before a scheduled foreclosure sale, federal rules generally bar the servicer from moving for judgment or holding the sale while the application is being decided (12 CFR 1024.41(g)). The earlier you apply, the more protection you usually get.
Indiana requires the lender to send you a state Pre-Suit Notice by certified mail. With some exceptions, the lender cannot file the foreclosure until at least 30 days after sending it (IC 32-30-10.5-8). The notice says that if you stay in default for 30 more days the lender may start foreclosure, and it points you to the Indiana Foreclosure Prevention Network (IFPN), a free state program, at 1-877-GET-HOPE (1-877-438-4673).
The notice also says something worth repeating: letters that threaten foreclosure do not mean a lawsuit has been filed, and lawsuits, judgments and sheriff's sales are not evictions. Do not move out before you understand your rights. See what a notice of default means if you are not sure what you have.
Indiana foreclosure goes through the county court. You are served with a summons and complaint. The deadline to respond is printed on the summons, so read it the day you get it.
If the house is your primary residence, you have the right to request a settlement conference, a face-to-face meeting with the lender's representative to try to work out a deal. The lender has to tell you about this right at the start of the case. To get one, you have to tell the court within 30 days after the complaint is served on you (IC 32-30-10.5-8). The Indiana Attorney General's office says that if you ask for a conference, the judge cannot sign the foreclosure order until the conference has happened, and the lender has to send a representative. The court's self-help center lists the papers to bring, such as a financial worksheet and a hardship letter. To ask for a free (pro bono) attorney for the conference, the Attorney General's office says to contact IFPN.
If the case is not resolved, the court enters a judgment and decree of sale. For mortgages signed in July 1975 or later, the clerk cannot send the judgment to the sheriff for sale until 3 months after the complaint was filed (IC 32-29-7-3). Older mortgages have longer waiting periods, and a property the court finds abandoned can move faster. You can file a waiver of this waiting period, but the lender has to consent, and in exchange the lender gives up any deficiency judgment against you (IC 32-29-7-5).
After the order goes to the sheriff, the sale is advertised in a local newspaper once a week for three weeks, and the first notice has to run at least 30 days before the sale date. Notices are also posted at the courthouse door, and a copy is served on the owner. If you got papers from the sheriff, read what a letter from the sheriff usually means.
Until the sale, you have the right to redeem, which means paying the judgment to prevent the sheriff's sale (IC 32-29-7-7), as the state Pre-Suit Notice explains. Until the sale, an owner who lives in the house is generally allowed to keep living there rent free, unless the court finds the property is being damaged (IC 32-29-7-11).
At the sale the property goes to the highest bidder, who receives a sheriff's deed. Indiana sheriff's sales are made without a right of redemption afterward (IC 32-29-7-9), so the time to act is before the sale. When you have to leave depends on the court's orders in your case, so ask the court or an attorney instead of guessing.
There is no single answer. Total time varies by county and court backlog, whether you answer and request a settlement conference, and the sheriff's sale calendar in your county. We could not find an official Indiana court figure for the average length of a foreclosure, so we do not give a statewide number. For several counties we measured it from the county court records themselves, in the table below. Vendor estimates you may see online are not official numbers.
From county court records: foreclosure cases filed from 2021 through 2023 that got as far as having a sheriff's sale date set, measured from the day the lawsuit was filed to that sale date. A set date does not mean the sale happened (many are postponed or cancelled), and many cases never get one.
| County | Half had a sale date within | Middle half of cases |
|---|---|---|
| Lake County | about 13 months | about 8 to 20 months |
| Marion County | about 11 months | about 7 to 17 months |
| St. Joseph County | about 11 months | about 7 to 17 months |
Updated October 2026. Counties are listed only where the court records were complete enough to measure.
Federal rules generally block the first foreclosure filing until you are more than 120 days delinquent (12 CFR 1024.41(f)). Indiana also requires a Pre-Suit Notice, and the lender generally cannot file until at least 30 days after sending it.
Yes. For most mortgages, the judgment cannot be sent to the sheriff for sale until 3 months after the complaint was filed (IC 32-29-7-3). After that the sale is advertised for at least 30 days before it happens.
It is a meeting with the lender's representative that you can request if the house is your primary residence. You have to ask within 30 days after the complaint is served on you. If you ask for one, the judge cannot sign the foreclosure order until it has happened.
You have a right to redeem before the sale by paying the judgment (IC 32-29-7-7). Ask the lender or the court for the exact amount, and get help from IFPN or an attorney.
Usually not. The state's Pre-Suit Notice says that lawsuits, judgments and sheriff's sales are not evictions. When you have to leave depends on the court's orders in your case.
No. Orrindale is free to homeowners and we are not a buyer. If we have local buyers working in your county we will introduce you, you choose who to talk to, and you are never under any obligation. If we do not, we will still point you to free help.
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This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. For your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state or the relevant agency. Orrindale is a matching service, not a law firm, lender, or government program.