A foreclosure sale has been scheduled
The auction is the last step in a New York foreclosure case. What is still possible depends heavily on how much time is left, so this is not a page to come back to next week.
Notice of sale is published before the auction
New York has no redemption period after the sale
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The sale is a court-ordered
event, not a bank decision.
A New York foreclosure sale happens because a judgment directed it. It is run by a referee the court appointed, at a time and place named in a published notice.
That means the date is knowable in advance and the details are public. It also means the sale is not something a servicer can informally postpone in a phone call. Changing it takes the court.
If a sale date is on your calendar, the single most useful thing you can do is find out exactly what date it is and get advice against that date rather than against a vague sense of urgency.
If the sale has already happened
There may still be surplus money owed to you. That is covered further down this page and it is worth reading even after a sale.
How a sale is run
From judgment to auction to deed.
Each step has its own paperwork, and each one is a place where a homeowner can find out what is actually happening rather than guessing.
- 01
The notice of sale is published
The notice runs in the newspaper the judgment names, either once a week for four weeks or twice a week for three weeks. It states the date, time and place of the auction and describes the property.
Required by RPAPL 231
- 02
The auction is held
A referee conducts the sale. The lender can bid the amount it is owed. A successful third-party bidder pays a deposit, commonly ten percent, and signs the terms of sale immediately afterward.
Public, at the place named in the notice
- 03
The sale closes and a deed is delivered
The buyer completes the purchase under the terms of sale. Only then does ownership change hands, and any surplus over what the judgment required to be paid goes to the court.
Not the same day as the auction
In detail
What ends, and what does not.
Two things about a New York foreclosure sale surprise people, and both of them are easier to act on before the auction than after.
The sale ends the right to redeem
Until the sale, a homeowner in New York holds an equity of redemption: the right to pay what is owed and keep the property. The sale terminates it.
New York does not give a homeowner a period after the auction to buy the property back. Some states do. This one does not. That is why the practical deadline in a foreclosure is the sale date rather than the judgment date, and why late help is worth less than early help.
Payment into court under RPAPL 1341
New York law provides a route in cases where part of the mortgage debt is due and part has not yet come due. A defendant who pays into court the amount due, with interest and the costs of the action, can ask the court to dismiss the complaint if that happens before a judgment directing a sale, or to stay all proceedings if it happens after judgment and before the sale.
This is narrow and it is not a general right to pause an auction by paying something. Whether it is available at all depends on the loan, the judgment and the timing, which is a question for an attorney looking at your file.
Surplus money belongs to you, not the lender
If the property sells for more than the judgment required to be paid, the extra is surplus. The officer conducting the sale must pay it into court within five days of receiving it. It is then distributed through a surplus money proceeding, which decides who is entitled to what.
Surplus goes unclaimed more often than it should. If nobody claims it, after five years the money is turned over to the New York State Comptroller as abandoned property. If your home was sold at auction, finding out whether there was a surplus is a concrete thing worth doing.
If the sale does not cover the debt
When the proceeds fall short of what is owed, New York law allows the lender to ask the court for a deficiency judgment for the difference. There are limits on how it is calculated and a motion has to be made, so it does not follow automatically from a shortfall.
It is the other reason to get advice around a sale even when keeping the home is no longer the goal.
After the deed
A change of ownership is not the same as a removal. Getting possession of an occupied property is a separate legal step with its own process and its own notices. Nobody may lock you out because an auction happened.
This page describes general New York foreclosure procedure. It is not legal advice, and procedure has exceptions, county practice and case law that no general page can apply to an individual situation. NewYorkForeclosureHelp.com is not a law firm, a lender, or a government agency. If a deadline, court date, or sale date is approaching, speak with an attorney promptly.
Common questions
Questions before a scheduled sale.
Can a foreclosure sale be postponed?
Sales are sometimes adjourned, and there are court applications that ask for a stay. Whether anything is available in a particular case depends on the facts, the stage and how much time remains. No one can promise a sale will be stopped or delayed.
Does submitting a request on this site stop the sale?
No. Submitting a request does not stop a sale, pause a case, or extend any deadline. It puts you in touch with an attorney who can evaluate your situation. If a sale date is close, say so at the very beginning of the conversation.
Can I buy my own house back after the auction?
New York has no statutory redemption period after a foreclosure sale. The right to redeem ends at the sale. Anything after that is an ordinary purchase negotiation with whoever bought the property.
How do I find out if there is surplus money?
Surplus is paid into court and distributed through a surplus money proceeding in the county where the case was brought. An attorney can check whether a surplus exists in your case and what claiming it involves. Unclaimed surplus goes to the State Comptroller as abandoned property after five years.
Someone offered to buy my house and let me stay. Should I?
Be careful. New York regulates distressed property consultants and sale-leaseback arrangements for good reason. Have any such offer reviewed by an attorney who is not connected to the person making it. This site is not a buyer of homes and does not refer anyone to one.
Statutes and sources behind this guide
- F22: The notice of sale under RPAPL § 231 is published in the newspaper the judgment specifies — once a week for four weeks, or twice a week for three weeks. (RPAPL § 231), read 2026-09-09
- F23: At the auction, a successful third-party bidder pays a deposit (commonly 10%) to the referee and signs the terms of sale immediately following the auction., read 2026-09-09
- F24: The sale terminates the right of redemption. New York has **no** post-sale statutory redemption period., read 2026-09-09
- F26: Surplus money from the sale must be paid into court by the officer conducting the sale within five days of receipt, and is distributed through a surplus money proceeding. (RPAPL § 1354), read 2026-09-09
- F27: Unclaimed surplus is turned over to the New York State Comptroller as abandoned property after five years., read 2026-09-09
- F25: Under RPAPL § 1341, where part of the debt is due and part is to become due, a defendant who pays into court the amount due plus interest and costs may have the complaint dismissed (if paid before judgment) or all proceedings stayed (if paid after judgment and before sale). (RPAPL § 1341), read 2026-09-09
Statutory claims on this page were checked against published New York law and court guidance on 2026-09-09 and are recorded, fact by fact, in the site's evidence file. Statutes change; the date is the date of the check.
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