A Pennsylvania lender generally cannot start a foreclosure until you are more than 120 days behind (federal rule 12 CFR 1024.41(f)), and then it has to sue you in court, win a judgment and give you written notice at least 30 days before a sheriff's sale (Pa.R.C.P. 3129.2). So even the legal minimums add up to several months, and in most counties the real process takes longer because of court and sheriff's sale schedules.
Updated . Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
If you are behind and scared of losing the house next week, that is very unlikely in Pennsylvania. The process has several steps, each with its own notice, and each one is a chance to get help.
Every case is different, but the steps run in this order. The times below are the legal minimums written into the rules. 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.
Before a Pennsylvania lender can file a foreclosure on most home mortgages, it has to mail you a written notice of its intention to foreclose at least 30 days ahead (Act 6 of 1974, section 403). For most homeowners this arrives as the combined "Act 91 Notice," which also explains the state's Homeowner's Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP), run by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). Not sure what your letter is? See what a notice of default means.
The Act 91 Notice gives you 33 days (30 days plus three for mailing) to meet with an approved counseling agency listed in the notice. PHFA says your lender is not able to foreclose during that 33-day period. Meeting with the counselor is free and is the only way to apply for HEMAP.
If you apply on time, PHFA says the lender may not pursue foreclosure while your application is being decided, and PHFA has 60 days to decide from the date it receives your application. If you do not apply and do not catch up within the time in the notice, the lender can file the lawsuit.
Pennsylvania foreclosure goes through the county Court of Common Pleas. The complaint comes with a Notice to Defend that gives you 20 days after service to file a written response with the court (Pa.R.C.P. 1018.1). If you do not respond, the lender generally has to send you a written notice at least 10 days before it asks for a default judgment (Pa.R.C.P. 237.1).
Some counties, such as Philadelphia, run a foreclosure diversion or conciliation program that sets up a meeting with the lender before a sheriff's sale. Ask the court's civil office or a housing counselor whether your county has one.
If the lender wins, by default, by a motion or after a trial, the court enters a judgment for the amount it finds is owed. A judgment is not a sale. You still own the house and can usually still live there.
After judgment the lender asks for a writ of execution and the sheriff lists the house for sale. Under the court rules, the sheriff posts handbills at the sheriff's office and on the property at least 30 days before the sale. You also have to be served written notice of the sale at least 30 days before the sale (Pa.R.C.P. 3129.2), and the sale is advertised in a newspaper once a week for three weeks in a row.
Sheriff's sales are often postponed, and each county sheriff runs its own sale calendar. Check your county sheriff's website for the current date. If you got papers from the sheriff, read what a letter from the sheriff usually means.
Pennsylvania law lets you cure the default and stop the sale up to one hour before bidding starts at the sheriff's sale, no more than three times in a calendar year (Act 6 of 1974, section 404). Curing means paying the missed payments plus the late charges, fees and costs the law allows. It does not mean paying off the whole loan.
The sheriff files a schedule of distribution on a date not later than 30 days after the sale (Pa.R.C.P. 3136) and, usually 20 to 40 days after that, signs the sheriff's deed and sends it to be recorded (Pa.R.C.P. 3135). PHFA notes that the sale and the recording of the sheriff's deed may end your ownership and your right to live there. If the new owner wants you out, it generally has to go back to court for possession, so people are not usually removed on the day of the sale. If you get papers about leaving, call legal aid right away.
There is no single answer. Total time varies by county and court backlog, by whether you answer the lawsuit, whether you apply for HEMAP or a county program, and how many times the sheriff's sale is postponed. We could not find an official Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Allegheny County | about 7 months | about 5 to 9 months |
| Delaware County | about 11 months | about 7 to 19 months |
| Montgomery County | about 17 months | about 12 to 26 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)). Before filing, the lender also has to mail the Act 6 notice of intention to foreclose at least 30 days ahead, usually as the Act 91 Notice.
The Notice to Defend on top of the complaint gives you 20 days after service to respond in writing (Pa.R.C.P. 1018.1). Call legal aid or an attorney as soon as you are served.
Written notice of the sale has to be served at least 30 days before the sale (Pa.R.C.P. 3129.2), and the sale is also posted and advertised. Postponements are common, so check with the sheriff's office for the current date.
Usually, yes. Pennsylvania law lets you cure the default up to one hour before bidding starts, up to three times in a calendar year, by paying the missed amounts plus allowed fees and costs (Act 6 of 1974, section 404).
It depends on your county and its court backlog, whether you respond, and how often the sale is postponed. We could not find an official Pennsylvania figure, so we do not give one.
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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.