A foreclosure notice on your door is usually one of three things: a property inspection or vacancy notice from your servicer, a posted notice of sale with an auction date, or a notice to vacate after the home was sold. Read it closely, check who sent it, and confirm it with your servicer or the county.
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Coming home to a notice taped to your door can feel public and humiliating. You are not alone, and most door notices give you time to respond. Let's figure out which one you have.
Most door notices fall into a few groups. The table below shows what each usually means and how urgent it is.
| Type of notice | Who posts it | What it usually means | How urgent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property inspection or "please contact us" door hanger | A field inspector hired by your servicer | You are behind, and the servicer is checking if the home is occupied | A warning: call your servicer |
| Vacancy or "property secured" sticker | A property preservation company | The servicer thinks the home may be empty | High if you still live there: call right away |
| Notice of sale | The trustee or its agent | An auction date has been set | Very high: days or weeks |
| Notice to tenants | The trustee (in some states) | Tells renters the home is in foreclosure | High for renters |
| Notice to vacate or notice to quit | The new owner after the sale | The home was sold and the new owner wants possession | Very high: days |
When a loan falls behind, the servicer usually sends someone to look at the outside of the home and see if it is occupied. For loans owned by Fannie Mae, servicers generally must order an inspection on or after the 90th day of delinquency, complete it by the 120th day, and keep inspecting monthly in many cases.
The inspector may leave a door hanger asking you to call. This is not a foreclosure notice by itself, but it means you are far enough behind that foreclosure could be close.
If the servicer decides the home is vacant, it may change the locks, winterize the pipes, or board windows to protect the property. If you still live there, call your servicer the same day and tell them in writing that the home is occupied.
In some states, yes. California requires the notice of trustee's sale to be posted on the property, if it can be reached, and in a public place at least 20 days before the sale (Civ. Code §2924f). California also requires a separate notice to tenants to be posted with it, warning renters that the foreclosure may affect their right to stay (Civ. Code §2924.8).
In Texas, the notice of sale is posted at the county courthouse and filed with the county clerk, and it is mailed to you by certified mail, rather than posted on your door (Prop. Code §51.002). So a paper on a Texas door is more likely an inspection notice, a flyer, or a notice to vacate.
If yours has a sale date, read our guide to the notice of trustee sale right away.
It usually means the home has already been sold at a foreclosure sale and the new owner wants you to leave. Even then, the new owner generally cannot remove you or your things without a court order.
In Texas, the new owner generally must give at least 3 days' written notice to vacate before filing an eviction suit, and the law allows the notice to be attached to the inside of the main entry door, or, in some cases, sealed and taped to the outside door with a copy mailed the same day (Prop. Code §24.005). In California, a new owner generally must serve a 3-day notice to quit before going to court. Renters often get more time under the federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act. See eviction after foreclosure.
Some scammers watch public foreclosure records and post official-looking notices or flyers to scare homeowners into calling them. The FTC warns that mortgage relief scammers often:
A real notice names your trustee, servicer, or a court case number you can check. To confirm, call your servicer using the number on your monthly statement, not the number on the door notice, or look up the recorded document with your county. More red flags are in foreclosure scams to avoid.
Sources (checked 2026-09-26):
Yes. Servicers often send inspectors who leave door hangers, and some states require the notice of sale to be posted on the property. But a notice on the door does not by itself mean your home has been sold.
A servicer may secure a home it believes is vacant. If you still live there, tell your servicer right away, in writing, that the home is occupied. After a foreclosure sale, a new owner generally needs a court order before removing you.
You can take down a flyer or door hanger, but keep it. Some official notices have rules. In California, tearing down a posted notice to tenants within 72 hours is an infraction under Civil Code §2924.8.
Check your mail for letters from your servicer, a trustee, or a court. You can also search your county recorder or clerk records for a notice of default, notice of sale, or lis pendens under your name or address, and ask your servicer directly.
No. A notice to vacate starts a short countdown, often 3 days for a former owner in states like Texas and California, before the new owner can go to court. Only a court order carried out by a sheriff or constable can force you out.
Former bank loss mitigation managers — we know how decisions get made inside servicers because we used to make them.
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