Louisiana signs the order without ever hearing from you.
Most foreclosures here run by executory process: the lender shows the court an authentic act of mortgage and a judge orders seizure and sale, with no citation and nothing to answer. The sheriff seizes and serves a notice that states the sale date. The first sale cannot be set earlier than 60 days after the judge signs the order, the first advertisement must run at least 30 days before the sale, and advertising cannot start until three days (excluding holidays) after you are served the notice of seizure. Whether a shortfall can follow you depends on one thing, whether the property was appraised.
Not sure what date to put in? Tell us which paper you were sent and we will work the timeline out backwards from it.
Each is a different statute.
When you first fell behind.
Local pace is the variable.
Past steps fade out.
FHA and VA add steps.
A tenant gets 90 days under federal law.
Four dates decide a Louisiana case. The notice of seizure, which starts everything. Three days later, when advertising can begin. And the sale date stated in the notice, when the sheriff sells: the first advertisement must run at least thirty days before it. Fifteen days after you are served the notice of seizure, the deadline for a suspensive appeal.
Know someone facing foreclosure in Louisiana? Send them this timeline. The link opens this page only; your dates stay with you.
When you use the Share button on this site, we count it, with no name attached. Browsers that send Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control are not counted.
Make the call.
Call your mortgage servicer (the number is on your statement) before the next payment is due, or today if you are already behind. Servicers have programs for people who lose a job, get sick or hit a rough patch, but they only start when you ask. A foreclosure costs them money too.
“I’ve had a hardship and I want to keep my home. Please send me a loss mitigation application and tell me every option for my loan.” If your loan is FHA, VA or USDA, ask about that program’s options by name.
Your latest mortgage statement, recent pay stubs or unemployment letter, two months of bank statements, last year’s tax return, and a short hardship letter. Expect a lot of paperwork. Send all of it, because a complete application is what protects you.
Date, time, who you spoke to and what they said. Keep copies and proof of when you sent your papers. A complete application more than 37 days before a sale stops that sale while they decide.
Don’t want to call alone? A free HUD-approved counselor will help: 1-800-569-4287. And if the home is ever sold at auction, ask about surplus funds: money left over after the debt is paid can belong to you, but you usually have to claim it.
What Louisiana gives you
Rights that exist because the property is in Louisiana, whatever a servicer tells you on the phone.
Where to get real help, free
Regional legal aid programs take foreclosure cases at no cost if you qualify by income. Start at LawHelp.org, which lists free legal aid programs state by state.
HUD-approved housing counselors are free in every state — 1-800-569-4287. Some states, courts and counties run foreclosure mediation or counseling programs; ask your servicer or a HUD-approved counselor whether yours does.
Anyone who contacts you first, guarantees they can stop the sale for a fee paid up front, or asks you to sign the deed over is running a scam. Never sign a deed to someone promising to save your home.
Checked against the statutes cited beside each step. Every legal claim on this page is registered with its citation and was checked against official sources and then reviewed again by an independent checker. Dates marked as estimates are estimates. Appellate case law was not independently verified, and laws change, so have a Louisiana foreclosure attorney confirm anything that matters before you act.
Questions people ask about Louisiana foreclosure
Short answers, each one sourced to the statute cited on this page.
How long does foreclosure take in Louisiana?
With no delays or disputes, a Louisiana foreclosure runs roughly 211 days from the first missed payment to the sheriff sale. In executory process the judge signs the order from the lender papers alone, the sheriff seizes and serves a notice that states the sale date, and advertising starts three days (excluding holidays) after service. The first advertisement must run at least 30 days before the sale, and the first sale cannot be set earlier than 60 days after the judge signs the order. La. C.C.P. art. 2331, La. R.S. 13:3852 and 43:203.
Do I get to answer a Louisiana foreclosure?
Not in executory process. No citation issues, so there is no answer delay. You have two routes, and you can use both: a suspensive appeal of the order, filed within 15 days of being served the notice of seizure, or a lawsuit for a preliminary injunction to arrest the seizure and sale on narrow grounds. A temporary restraining order is not available against a sale of a house. La. C.C.P. arts. 2640, 2642 and 2751 to 2754.
Can a Louisiana lender come after me for the shortfall?
Only if the property was sold after appraisal. Sold without appraisal, the lender cannot obtain a deficiency judgment. La. C.C.P. art. 2771 and La. R.S. 13:4106.
Is there any redemption after a Louisiana foreclosure sale?
No. Louisiana gives no post-sale redemption on a mortgage foreclosure. The adjudication is final.
What changed for Louisiana tax sales in 2026?
Since 1 January 2026, parishes auction a tax lien rather than selling the property. You keep title and clear the lien by paying the termination price: the face value of the lien certificate, interest at the winning bid rate capped at 1% a month, a 5% penalty and costs. La. R.S. 47:2127, 47:2154 and 47:2243.
How much notice do I get before eviction in Louisiana?
An occupant gets a notice to vacate allowing at least five days before an eviction suit. La. C.C.P. arts. 4701 and 4702.
Last verified: October 18, 2026. Every deadline and citation on this page was checked against Louisiana law and the federal rules it cites. Laws change during the year, so if something here looks out of date or wrong, tell us and we will check it against the law.