Judicial Foreclosures
In around half of the states, the bank has to file a lawsuit in court to foreclose. This process is called a judicial foreclosure. If you live in a state where foreclosures go through the court system, you might get 30 days’ notice of the bank’s intent to file a foreclosure action in the form of a “breach letter” (if the terms of your mortgage or deed of trust require it).
You will definitely get a summons and complaint telling you when a foreclosure action has been filed in the appropriate court. Once you receive notice about the lawsuit, most people have 20 to 30 days to respond to the suit.
If you file a response contesting the foreclosure action, it might take a few months—or even longer—before a judge rules on whether to grant the foreclosure.