If you have recently been served with a foreclosure case or know that your lender is about to file a foreclosure case against you, you undoubtedly have many questions about what will happen to you, your family and your home. As an attorney who has been practicing foreclosure defense, mortgage modification, civil litigation and real estate law in the St. Petersburg area since 1999, I have many years of experience which I am happy to share with you.
If you do not hire an attorney immediately after you are served with foreclosure, the lender could set a foreclosure sale of your home in as little as 20 days after you were served, with the sale of your home on the courthouse steps occurring as soon as 30 days later. This is obviously a stressful and scary prospect for a homeowner and family, but if you hire an attorney, the bank may be unable to set a foreclosure sale for a very long time, if ever.
I say the mortgage company may never be able to set a foreclosure sale because the reality is foreclosure cases are very difficult for lenders to win in the current environment and the lenders are often forced or agree to modify your loan rather than take the risk of losing their case.
If you have questions, please take the opportunity to contact my office at 727-954-8752 for a free no-obligation consultation regarding your case.
2026 Update: What to Do When You’re Served With Foreclosure Papers in 2026
The immediate steps described in this article remain the most important things you can do when served with a Florida foreclosure complaint. The 20-day deadline to respond has not changed. The consequences of failing to respond — a default judgment — are just as devastating in 2026 as they were in 2009. If you have been served with foreclosure papers, stop reading and call an attorney today.
📌 Related 2026 Florida Foreclosure Resources:
▶ Watch the Florida Foreclosure Defense Playlist on YouTube — real cases, real courtroom experience from 20+ years of Florida foreclosure defense.
DISCLAIMER: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every foreclosure situation is unique. Contact our office for a consultation specific to your circumstances: mattweidnerlaw.com/contact
Do you know any GOOD foreclosure attorneys in Northern California…
San Francisco?…Santa Rosa, CA? Thanks for your help.
Cheers,
Jim
I’m within the 20-30 day period post-serving of complaint. In process of developing response pro se, but desperately need a TRUSTWORTHY atty in PA to consult. Called ur office, they said you wouldn’t take call out of state. Cronyism is rampant up here… and falling into the wrong hands causes more problems than it helps. Pls let me know if you can help, or have any trustworthy atty referrals who may actually be able to take payment on scale, or pro bono?? thx! (per email: the “l” in ‘l8’is an “L”, not a “1”)
How can I find out if our loan/deed of trust is legit?
We have heard that finding the prspectus and the 10-K would shed some light on our note.
We found them on the EDGAR search results, howecer nothing current. All company fillings are in 2005 & 2006 only. Where do we go from here?
Our cert has been mentioned in several cases, not sure how/if it relates to our note.