Facing foreclosurein Franklin County?
What's actually going to happen, when — and every option you still have.
The one thing to know: in Ohio, foreclosure has to go through a judge. That makes it slower than most people fear, and there are several points along the way where you can still change the outcome. Almost nobody acts too early. A lot of people act too late.
We're TJ and Annie.
We buy and sell houses in Central Ohio, and we live here. We wrote this because of a pattern: by the time people called us, they'd already lost options they never knew they had.
Not because they did anything wrong. Foreclosure is confusing, the mail is frightening, and most advice online is written for states where the law is completely different.
Being straight with you: we're a house-buying company. Selling to us is one option in here, and we'd like your call. It isn't right for everyone, and we wrote it that way. TJ is a licensed Ohio Realtor — if the open market would pay you more, he'll say so.
Six things that are true right now
If you read nothing else, read these.
Nobody can take your house next week. Your lender has to sue you, win, and get a court-ordered sheriff's sale. That takes months.
They usually can't even file until you're 120+ days behind. Federal law. If you're two or three payments back, the lawsuit hasn't started.
Served with papers? You have 28 days to answer. The most-missed deadline in the process. Ignoring it speeds everything up.
You can still stop it after the auction. Your right to redeem runs until a judge signs the confirmation — often 30 to 60 more days.
Don't move out early. It can put you on a faster court track meant for abandoned homes, and it costs you leverage.
Waiting is the only move with no upside. Every option in this guide gets weaker the longer you sit on it. None get stronger.
Three things we can do today
All free, none of them obligate you to anything.
Tell you where you stand
We'll look up your case, show you which stage you're actually in, and tell you your real next deadline.
Tell you what it's worth
TJ is a licensed Ohio Realtor. He'll give you a straight number for listing it, and a straight number for selling as-is.
Buy it, if that's the answer
Our own funds, as-is, no repairs or commissions, and you pick the closing date. Often the fastest way out.
Call or text
(614) 563-2572Ask questions, get answers, decide nothing. Plenty of people talk to us for twenty minutes and go do something else entirely. That's a fine outcome.
How foreclosure works in Ohio
Ohio is a judicial foreclosure state. Your lender can't foreclose on its own — it has to sue you in the Court of Common Pleas, prove its case, and get a judge to order the sale. A sheriff runs the auction, and the same judge has to approve the result before anything is final.
In about half the country it works the other way: a trustee can auction a house with no judge in as little as three or four months. If you've been reading about "trustee sales" or "power of sale," none of it applies to you.
Why that's good news
A lawsuit is slow, public, and rule-bound. Franklin County judges specifically require the lender's attorney to personally certify that every document in a residential foreclosure is authentic before granting judgment.
All of that takes time — and time is what turns a foreclosure into a solvable problem.
Over 2,000 foreclosures were filed in Franklin County in 2025, up about 6% from the year before. You're not the only person in Columbus opening this kind of mail.
The Franklin County timeline
Nine stages. Find where you are, and what you can still do about it.
You fall behind
Day 1 onward
Calls and letters start. Nothing legal has happened, nothing is public yet.
The 120-day federal window
Days 1–120
Federal rules generally bar your servicer from filing until you're more than 120 days delinquent. Roughly four protected months.
You're served
Usually month 4–6
The complaint is filed at 345 S. High Street and a lis pendens goes on your property record. Now it's public.
Judgment
Weeks to months later
No answer means default judgment, sometimes about a month after filing. If you answered, it takes considerably longer.
Appraisal
Next 1–3 months
Three county freeholders appraise the property and have 21 days to deliver. That number sets the floor price at auction.
Notice of sale
3+ weeks before auction
Advertised weekly for three consecutive weeks. You must get written notice filed at least seven days before the sale.
The sheriff's sale
Fridays at 9:00 a.m.
Online at franklin.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov. Bidding opens at two-thirds of appraised value. If nobody bids, a second auction follows in 7–30 days with no minimum price at all.
Confirmation
Usually 30–60 days after the sale
The sale isn't final until a judge signs. Until then you can still redeem the property by paying the judgment, costs, and 8% interest to the clerk.
Move-out
Final stage
The buyer gets a writ of possession. Franklin County's practice is 10–14 days' notice, extendable to 30 for hardship. Ask for the extension if you need it.
What makes all of this go faster
If your home is vacant and abandoned, Ohio has an expedited track — the property must be offered for sale within 75 days of the order of sale.
That's the practical reason not to move out early. Staying keeps you on the slower track and preserves your leverage.
We can probably help
You don't have to know what you want yet. Most people who call us don't.
Figure out your real deadline
We'll pull your case and tell you exactly which stage you're in and what's next. If what you need is Legal Aid or a housing counselor, we'll point you there and that's the end of it.
Get an honest number
What it brings listed, what it brings as-is, and whether a small repair budget would change either. TJ is a licensed Ohio Realtor — when listing beats selling to us, he says so. It happens often.
Buy it before the auction does
Our own funds, as-is, no repairs, no commissions, no financing contingency, and you choose the closing date. When the calendar is the real problem, this is usually the answer.
Keep your home
If staying is the goal, these are the standard options. All free to ask for.
Loan modification
A permanent change to your terms — lower rate, longer term, or missed payments folded into the balance.
If your income dropped and stayed downForbearance
Payments paused or reduced for a few months. Ask up front what happens to the missed amount afterward.
For a temporary hardshipRepayment plan
Your normal payment plus a slice each month until you're caught up. Often the fastest approval.
If you're back on your feetReinstatement
Pay everything past due in one lump sum. Ohio law doesn't grant this right, but most mortgage contracts do — check yours.
If a lump sum is comingPartial claim or deferral
Missed payments move into a separate zero-interest lien due when you sell or refinance. Your old payment resumes.
If you can afford the old paymentChapter 13 bankruptcy
Filing halts the foreclosure immediately and lets you catch up over 3–5 years. Serious step — talk to a bankruptcy attorney.
If you have income but need timeThe move that protects you while you negotiate
Submit a complete loss mitigation application in writing and keep proof of the date. If it lands more than 37 days before a scheduled sale, your servicer cannot conduct that sale while it's pending.
That rule exists to stop "dual tracking" — negotiating with you while marching toward auction. A free HUD counselor will assemble the package and deal with the servicer for you.
Sell, and keep the equity
If the payment isn't coming back, this is usually where the money is. Here's why.
Most people assume an auction gets roughly market value. It doesn't. Bidding opens at two-thirds of the appraised value, and if nobody bids, the second auction has no minimum at all.
A sale you control almost always beats that. If you have equity in this house, protecting it is the most valuable thing you can do in the next few weeks.
List it
Nets the most when you have time and the house shows reasonably well. Expect commissions and weeks-to-months to close.
Best price, needs runwaySmall fixes, then list
Sometimes a targeted repair budget moves the price more than it costs. Sometimes it absolutely doesn't.
Worth an honest look firstSell direct for cash
No repairs, no showings, no financing contingency, and you pick the date. You net less than a strong market sale.
Best when the calendar is the problemHow to decide between them
It comes down to one question: how much runway is left before your sale date? With months, list it — the market pays more and TJ can run that for you. With weeks, certainty is worth more than the last few percent, because a listing that falls through at the wrong moment costs you the whole house.
We'll give you both numbers and tell you which one we'd take. Call or text (614) 563-2572.
Owe more than it's worth? Then you're looking at a short sale — next section.
Work it out with the lender
When keeping it isn't realistic and there's no equity to sell into.
Short sale
You sell for less than the balance and the lender releases the lien. Takes approval and patience, but it ends the foreclosure and treats your credit far better than an auction.
Get the deficiency language in writingDeed in lieu
You hand the deed back and the lender releases you. Cleaner and faster than a lawsuit. Lenders usually want it listed first, and won't take it with other liens attached.
Get the release in writing tooAsk about the deficiency before you sign
The deficiency is the gap between the sale price and what you owed. Ohio allows lenders to pursue it — with one protection most people never hear about.
On a mortgage covering a one or two family home you lived in, a money judgment becomes unenforceable as to any deficiency two years after the sale is confirmed.
But it doesn't cover everything. Not buildings of three or more units. And critically, not short sales or deeds in lieu — there's no judicial sale to start the clock. In those deals, a written deficiency waiver is the whole ballgame. Have a lawyer read it.
Rights people don't know they have
Every one of these is in Ohio law or federal regulation.
Stay until it's over. You can live there through the case, the auction, and confirmation. Nobody removes you before a writ of possession issues.
Redeem until confirmation. Not until the auction — until the judge signs.
Collect any surplus. If the sale exceeds the judgment and costs, that balance goes to the clerk and the court must try to notify you.
Be evaluated for alternatives. Your servicer must consider you for every loss mitigation option it offers, on a schedule, in writing, with appeal rights.
Proper notice. Written notice filed at least seven days before the sale, advertised weekly for three weeks. Failures can be raised with the court.
Ask for mediation. Franklin County ended its formal program, but Ohio law lets a court order mediation at any stage, and magistrates actively facilitate loss-mitigation talks.
Military protections. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act can cap your rate at 6% and requires a court order for pre-service mortgages.
What people get wrong
"I've missed payments, so it's too late."
Almost never true, and it's the belief that does the most damage. There are options at every stage — including after the auction.
"They'll take my house next month."
Not in Ohio. Even a smooth uncontested case runs many months from filing.
"Moving out now makes it simpler."
It's worse. You may hand your lender the expedited vacant-and-abandoned track — sale within 75 days.
"I can't answer, I can't afford a lawyer."
An answer is a form, not a trial. Free one at ohiolegalhelp.org. Legal Aid helps qualifying homeowners at no cost.
"I'll never own a home again."
You will, and sooner if you avoid a completed foreclosure. See the next section.
"A government program will pay my mortgage."
There was one. Save the Dream Ohio spent its funding and closed. Anyone still promising you money from it isn't being straight with you.
Buying a home again
The clearest argument for handling this now. The difference is measured in years.
| Loan type | After foreclosure | After short sale or deed in lieu |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional Fannie Mae | 7 years3 with documented extenuating circumstances | 4 years2 with documented extenuating circumstances |
| FHA | 3 years | 3 yearsPossibly none if current on all debt for 12 months prior |
| VA | 2 yearsGeneral guidance | 2 yearsGeneral guidance |
| USDA | 3 yearsGeneral guidance | 3 yearsGeneral guidance |
Conventional figures are from Fannie Mae's published selling guide. Government-loan figures reflect standard program guidance — individual lenders can be stricter, so confirm when the time comes.
The point isn't the credit line item. It's that row: a short sale or deed in lieu can put you back in a house years earlier than a completed foreclosure. That gap is worth one hard phone call today.
How to spot a scam
Foreclosure filings are public record. Your name is now on a list that some unpleasant people buy.
Walk away if someone does any of these
Asks for a fee up front to negotiate with your lender. HUD counselors do it free.
Guarantees they can stop the foreclosure or get your loan modified.
Tells you to stop paying your lender and send the money to them instead.
Pressures you to sign the deed over, or to sign anything with blank spaces in it.
Report it to the Ohio Attorney General: 800-282-0515.
A fair test: anyone genuinely trying to help will encourage you to call a free housing counselor and have a lawyer review whatever you sign. We'd tell you the same. If someone discourages either, that tells you what you need to know.
Free help in Franklin County
None of these charge homeowners. Most come from the Franklin County Treasurer's own resource list.
Legal Aid of SE & Central Ohio
Free legal help with foreclosure for qualifying homeowners, veterans, and seniors.
1-888-246-4420 1108 City Park Ave · lasco.org
HUD Housing Counseling
Free approved counselors who can deal with your servicer directly.
800-569-4287 Or 614-469-5737 · hud.gov
Homeport
Local nonprofit — foreclosure prevention coaching, credit and budget counseling.
614-221-8889 3443 Agler Rd · homeportohio.org
Apprisen
Mortgage delinquency and foreclosure prevention counseling.
800-355-2227 700 Taylor Rd, Suite 190, Gahanna
Homes on the Hill CDC
Foreclosure prevention orientation, west side.
614-275-4663 ext. 109 3659 Soldano Blvd
IMPACT Community Action
Mortgage assistance and home energy assistance.
614-252-2799 711 Southwood Ave
Columbus Urban League
Housing services and financial coaching.
614-257-6300 788 Mt. Vernon Ave
Franklin County Job & Family Services
Emergency assistance — up to $1,500 toward a mortgage.
614-525-4000
Veterans Service Commission
Mortgage assistance for qualifying veterans.
614-525-2500 280 E. Broad St, Room 100
211 Central Ohio
Housing, utility, and emergency referrals. Free, 24 hours.
Dial 211
Sheriff — Real Estate Division
Your sale date, confirmation status, and surplus funds.
614-525-4231 franklin.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov
Clerk of Courts — Civil
Case records, filings, and deadlines in your case.
614-525-3621 345 S. High St
Franklin County Treasurer
Delinquent property taxes, payment plans up to 60 months.
614-525-3438 373 S. High St, 17th Floor
Ohio Attorney General
Report foreclosure rescue scams and predatory lending.
800-282-0515 ohioattorneygeneral.gov
Ohio Legal Help
Free guides and a fill-in-the-blank foreclosure answer form.
ohiolegalhelp.org
CFPB Counselor Finder
Search HUD-approved counselors by ZIP code.
1-855-411-2372 consumerfinance.gov
You have options
Call us. Or call anyone on that list.
Just call someone this week. Everything in this guide gets easier the earlier you start, and nothing in it gets easier by waiting.
(614) 563-2572Call or text
We Buy Columbus · WBCO LLC
TJ Maurer, Co-owner & Licensed Ohio Realtor · Annie Seurer, Co-owner
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. We are not attorneys and cannot advise you on your case. Outcomes depend on your loan documents, your servicer, and the judge assigned to your case. Talk to a licensed Ohio attorney before signing anything, and contact a HUD-approved housing counselor — both Legal Aid and HUD counseling are free to those who qualify.
Disclosure. We Buy Columbus (WBCO LLC) is a real estate investment company that purchases homes for profit and may make an offer on your property. TJ Maurer is a licensed real estate agent in the State of Ohio and may act on his own behalf or as a principal in a transaction. We have a financial interest in some of the options described here, and we've labeled those wherever they appear.
Sources. Ohio Revised Code §§ 2308.02, 2323.06, 2329.08, 2329.17, 2329.20, 2329.26, 2329.31, 2329.33, 2329.44, 2329.52; Regulation X, 12 C.F.R. § 1024.41; Franklin County Sheriff's Office Real Estate Sales; Franklin County Treasurer's published foreclosure timeline and resources; Franklin County Court of Common Pleas civil practice guidelines; Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-5.3-07; Ohio Attorney General consumer guidance; Ohio Supreme Court foreclosure filing data reported May 2026.
Franklin County, Ohio · Current as of September 2026 · Verify details before acting