In Maine the redemption comes first: 90 days to pay, then a sale.
A lender must sue. After the judgment you have 90 days to pay the full amount and end the case, and only when those 90 days run out does the lender advertise a public sale. If you live in the home you also get a 35-day right-to-cure notice first, and free foreclosure mediation once you are sued.
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.
Five dates decide a Maine case. Thirty-five days from the right-to-cure notice, the chance to catch up. Twenty days after you are served, the deadline to answer. The day of judgment, which starts a 90-day redemption period. The last day of that period, your deadline to pay. And the public sale, which cannot come until that period ends.
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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 Maine gives you
Rights that exist because the property is in Maine, 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 Maine foreclosure attorney confirm anything that matters before you act.
Questions people ask about Maine foreclosure
Short answers, each one sourced to the statute cited on this page.
How long does foreclosure take in Maine?
With no delays or disputes, a Maine foreclosure runs roughly 346 days from the first missed payment to the end of the 90 day redemption period, with a public sale about a month later. The lender must first give a 35 day notice of right to cure. 14 M.R.S. 6111 and 6322.
How long is the Maine redemption period?
90 days from the date of the judgment, or 45 days if the court finds the home abandoned. The public sale can only be advertised after the redemption period ends. 14 M.R.S. 6322 and 6323.
What is the Maine foreclosure diversion program?
An owner-occupant of a home with up to four units can enter mediation by returning the form served with the complaint, asking for mediation or appearing in the case. A final judgment cannot issue until the mediator report is complete. 14 M.R.S. 6321-A.
How long do I have to answer a Maine foreclosure lawsuit?
You have 20 days after service to answer, and an appearance or mediation request can extend that deadline. M.R. Civ. P. 12(a) and 93.
How long before Maine forecloses for unpaid property taxes?
A tax lien mortgage forecloses automatically 18 months after the lien certificate is filed if the taxes, interest and costs are not paid. 36 M.R.S. 942 and 943.
Last verified: October 18, 2026. Every deadline and citation on this page was checked against Maine 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.