Texas Foreclosure Laws - Foreclosures in Texas

Texas Foreclosure Laws

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Texas Foreclosure is Judicial / Non-Judicial.

Judicial - Texas foreclosure law states that a lawsuit must be filed to obtain a court order to foreclose. Upon receiving all claims, the court will make a judgment in favor of the lender and against the borrower for the balance due. The sheriff is directed to auction off the property to the highest bidder.

Non-Judicial - Power of Sale - According to Texas foreclosure laws, the lender gives the debtor in default a written notice or demand letter. The borrower is given 20 days to cure the loan before the debt is declared due and notice of sale is given. The lender will then instruct the trustee to proceed with the foreclosure process.

A sale of real property under a power of sale conferred by a deed of trust or other contract lien must be a public sale at auction held between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. of the first Tuesday of a month. The sale must take place at the county courthouse in the county in which the land is located, or if the property is located in more than one county, the sale may be made at the courthouse in any county in which the property is located. The commissioners court shall designate the area at the courthouse where the sales are to take place and shall record the designation in the real property records of the county. The Texas foreclosure sale must occur in the designated area. If no area is designated by the commissioners court, the notice of sale must designate the area at the courthouse where the sale covered by that notice is to take place, and the sale must occur in that area.

(b) Notice of the sale, which must include a statement of the earliest time at which the sale will begin, must be given at least 21 days before the date of the sale:

(1) by posting at the courthouse door of each county in which the property is located a written notice designating the county in which the property will be sold;

(2) by filing in the office of the county clerk of each county in which the property is located a copy of the notice posted under Subdivision (1); and

(3) by the holder of the debt to which the power of sale is related serving written notice of the sale by certified mail on each debtor who, according to the records of the holder of the debt, is obligated to pay the debt.

(c) The Texas foreclosure sale must begin at the time stated in the notice of sale or not later than three hours after that time.

(d) Notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary, the holder of the debt shall serve a debtor in default under a deed of trust or other contract lien on real property used as the debtor's residence with written notice by certified mail stating that the debtor is in default under the deed of trust or other contract lien and giving the debtor at least 20 days to cure the default before notice of sale can be given under Subsection (b). The entire calendar day on which the notice required by this subsection is given, regardless of the time of day at which the notice is given, is included in computing the 20-day notice period required by this subsection, and the entire calendar day on which notice of sale is given under Subsection (b) is excluded in computing the 20-day notice period.

(e) Service of a notice under this section by certified mail is complete when the notice is deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid and addressed to the debtor at the debtor's last known address as shown by the records of the holder of the debt. The affidavit of a person knowledgeable of the facts to the effect that service was completed is prima facie evidence of service.

(f) Each county clerk shall keep all notices filed under Subdivision (2) of Subsection (b) in a convenient file that is available to the public for examination during normal business hours. The clerk may dispose of the notices after the date of sale specified in the notice has passed. The clerk shall receive a fee of $2 for each notice filed.

(g) The entire calendar day on which the notice of sale is given, regardless of the time of day at which the notice is given, is included in computing the 21-day notice period required by Subsection (b), and the entire calendar day of the Texas foreclosure sale is excluded.

Texas Foreclosure Right of Redemption

There is no right of redemption in Texas.

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