How do I avoid foreclosure in Prince George's County, MD?

If you own a house in Prince George's County, MD and you are dealing with foreclosure, this page covers what actually happens next — the local timeline, what it costs, and the options that stay open to you. Everything below is specific to Prince George's County and how sales are handled in MD, not generic national advice.

Direct Answer To avoid foreclosure in Prince George's County, Maryland, you must act quickly by responding to the legal notices sent by your lender and requesting a process called Foreclosure Mediation. Maryland law provides strong protections for homeowners, including a mandatory 90-day waiting period before a foreclosure can be filed in court and a legal right to meet face-to-face with your lender to discuss options like loan modifications. Your most effective first step is to contact a HUD-approved housing counselor, such as those at the Housing Initiative Partnership (HIP) in Hyattsville, who can help you apply for 'loss mitigation' and navigate the court system for free. ## Key Details The foreclosure process in Prince George's County follows a specific timeline that gives you several chances to save your home. It begins when you miss your first mortgage payment. After you are about 45 days behind, the lender must send you a 'Notice of Intent to Foreclose' (NOI) via certified and first-class mail. This document is a formal warning and must include a loss mitigation application, which is your primary tool for requesting a loan modification. The lender cannot officially start a court case until you are at least 90 days past due. Once the 90-day mark passes and 45 days have elapsed since the NOI was sent, the lender's attorney will file an 'Order to Docket' at the Circuit Court for Prince George's County in Upper Marlboro. When you are served with these court papers, they will include either a 'Preliminary' or 'Final' Loss Mitigation Affidavit. If you receive a 'Final Loss Mitigation Affidavit,' you have exactly 25 days from the date it was mailed to file a 'Request for Foreclosure Mediation' form with the court along with a $50 fee. This mediation is a meeting with an Administrative Law Judge and a representative from your lender. It is often the best way to force the lender to consider your application for a loan modification, repayment plan, or short sale. If you do not request mediation, the lender can schedule a foreclosure auction as soon as 45 days after you were served with the court papers. If you do attend mediation and cannot reach a deal, the lender can schedule the sale 15 days after the mediation session. It is important to know that Maryland does not have a 'post-sale redemption period.' This means that once the house is sold at auction, you cannot get it back just by paying the money you owe. Your last chance to 'redeem' or pay off the full debt is typically one business day before the sale occurs. ## MD-Specific Laws The primary law governing this process is the Maryland Code, Real Property Article, Section 7-105.1. This statute outlines the specific notices lenders must provide and establishes the mediation program. Another critical law is Maryland Rule 14-211, which allows homeowners to file a 'Motion to Stay or Dismiss' the foreclosure if they have a valid legal defense, such as the lender not following the proper procedure or not having the legal right to foreclose. Under Section 7-105.1, the lender must provide a 'Final Loss Mitigation Affidavit' which explains why they denied your request for a loan modification if they chose to do so. If the lender fails to provide this or skips the 45-day notice period, you may have grounds to avoid the foreclosure sale in court. Additionally, the Protection of Homeowners in Foreclosure Act (PHIFA) protects you from 'foreclosure rescuers' who might try to charge you upfront fees to help you save your home; under Maryland law, it is illegal for anyone other than a licensed attorney to charge you an upfront fee for foreclosure consulting. ## Prince George's County Local Context In Prince George's County, all foreclosure cases are handled by the Circuit Court for Prince George's County, located at 14735 Main Street, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. The county is known for having robust local resources to help residents. The Housing Initiative Partnership (HIP), located in Hyattsville, is the leading nonprofit agency providing free foreclosure prevention counseling to county residents. Another major resource is HomeFree-USA, which offers similar services. For legal help, Community Legal Services of Prince George's County provides pro-bono (free) legal clinics where you can meet with a lawyer to help you fill out your mediation request forms or motions to stay the sale. Because Prince George's County has high property values but also a history of high foreclosure rates, the local court system is very familiar with these cases and strictly enforces the requirement that lenders act in good faith during the mediation process. ## What You Can Do Right Now First, do not ignore your mail. The 'Notice of Intent' and 'Order to Docket' are time-sensitive documents that require a response within 25 days. Second, call the Maryland HOPE Hotline at 1-877-462-7555 immediately to be connected with a free, HUD-approved housing counselor in Prince George's County. Third, gather your financial documents, including your last two years of tax returns, your last two months of bank statements, and your last four pay stubs; you will need these for any loss mitigation application. Fourth, if you have received the court papers (Order to Docket), look for the 'Request for Foreclosure Mediation' form. Fill it out and mail it back to the Circuit Court in Upper Marlboro with the $50 fee (or a request to waive the fee if you cannot afford it) before the 25-day deadline expires. Finally, attend any scheduled mediation sessions. Even if you cannot keep the house, mediation can buy you more time to move or help you negotiate a 'Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure,' which is less damaging to your credit than a full foreclosure.