When The House Is Foreclosed
Wis. Stat. 846.13 — redeeming at any time before the sale
In Wisconsin, a mortgage is foreclosed through a court, and the sale comes after the judgment.
Redeeming before the sale. The mortgagor may redeem at any time before the sale by paying the amount of the judgment, interest and costs, and any taxes the plaintiff paid on the property after the judgment, to the clerk of the court or to the plaintiff.
When the lender gives up a deficiency. For an owner occupied one-family to 4-family residence on 20 acres or less, where the mortgagor agreed in the mortgage, the lender may elect to waive any deficiency judgment. The owner may then stay in possession until the sale is confirmed, unless the property is abandoned. For a mortgage signed on or after April 27, 2016, the sale waits 3 months from the judgment, or 5 months if the court finds a good faith listing to sell; for an older mortgage, 6 months.
| The assumption | What the law actually does |
|---|---|
| The assumptionThe house is gone once the judgment is entered | What the law actually doesIt can be redeemed at any time before the sale |
| The assumptionThe sale happens right after the judgment | What the law actually doesWhere the deficiency is waived, the sale waits months after the judgment |
Loss mitigation, loan modification and the federal servicing rules run alongside a foreclosure on their own deadlines and are not on this page. Whether a notice was proper, whether a defense exists, and what a particular sale means are questions for a licensed Wisconsin attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- Wis. Stat. 846.13 — Redemption from and satisfaction of judgment
- Wis. Stat. 846.101 — Foreclosure without deficiency; 20-acre parcels
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Wisconsin attorney.