DeKalb County foreclosure help: records, notices, and next steps

What should I do first with a foreclosure notice?

If you received a foreclosure notice, use the sale date, loan number, servicer contact, and foreclosure attorney listed in that notice as your starting point. Ask the servicer to confirm the scheduled date and request the figures needed for the option you are considering. A county property website can help confirm parcel and ownership information, but it is not the controlling source for a mortgage foreclosure deadline.

Georgia generally permits nonjudicial foreclosure. The Georgia Attorney General explains that written notice generally must be sent at least 30 days before the proposed sale and that the sale notice must be published in the county legal organ for four consecutive weeks. Do not assume that applying for a loan modification automatically postpones a scheduled sale.

Where can I check DeKalb County records and notices?

The DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court records deeds, security-deed assignments, liens, foreclosure deeds, and other land records. Its Real Estate Division is at 556 North McDonough Street in Decatur. Search the land records or contact the clerk if you need to confirm what has been recorded against the property.

The Champion Newspaper is DeKalb County's legal organ. Foreclosure notices are published before the scheduled first-Tuesday sale. An online notice search can be useful, but compare anything you find with the mailed notice and information from the servicer or foreclosure attorney.

Is this a mortgage foreclosure or a tax sale?

A lender's mortgage foreclosure and a DeKalb County property-tax sale are not the same event. The Tax Commissioner administers delinquent-property-tax sales. A mortgage foreclosure is conducted under the security deed by the lender or its representative. Confirm which notice you received before relying on a department, deadline, or payment figure.

If the issue is delinquent property tax, use the Tax Commissioner's instructions and obtain the amount due directly from that office. If the issue is the mortgage, contact the loan servicer and the foreclosure attorney identified in the notice.

What should I gather today?

Put the following items in one folder so a servicer, housing counselor, attorney, or potential buyer can understand the situation without relying on memory.

• Every page of the notice and the envelope
• Latest mortgage statement and loan number
• Any written trial plan, modification, forbearance, or repayment offer
• Property-tax and insurance notices
• Income, expense, and hardship information requested by the servicer
• A call log with dates, names, reference numbers, and promised follow-up
• Your preferred result: keep the home, sell it, or compare both paths

Where can I get free, independent help?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can help you review loss-mitigation options. Atlanta Legal Aid serves eligible homeowners in DeKalb County. If bankruptcy, a disputed foreclosure, or emergency court action is being considered, contact a qualified Georgia attorney promptly.