Finance & Mortgages

    Foreclosure

    The legal process by which a lender forces the sale of mortgaged property after the borrower defaults. Florida uses judicial foreclosure through the courts.

    Foreclosure is how a lender enforces its mortgage lien after the borrower defaults. The lender files suit, the court oversees the case, and the property is sold to satisfy the debt. Florida is a judicial foreclosure state because it follows lien theory.

    A Florida foreclosure typically begins with a recorded lis pendens, which warns the public that a lawsuit affecting the title is pending.

    On the exam

    Because Florida is a lien theory state, foreclosure goes through the courts. There is no nonjudicial or trustee sale for a Florida mortgage.

    Exam trap

    Florida does not use power-of-sale or trustee foreclosure for mortgages. Judicial foreclosure is the rule.

    Tested in

    Residential Mortgages (9% of the exam)

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    This definition is Florida real estate exam-prep education, not legal, tax, or professional advice. Verify current rules against the official source before relying on them for a real transaction. Back to the full glossary.