| Minnesota Foreclosure
Procedure
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Judicial Foreclosure Available: Yes
Non-judicial Foreclosure Available: Yes
Minnesota allows foreclosure in two
ways: by advertisement and by court action. If court action is selected,
the lender must file a lawsuit and obtain a judgment for the amount due
and a court order commanding the property to be sold. Prior to
attempting any foreclosure, the lender should give at least 30 days'
notice of the existence of a default. For agricultural property, complex
mandatory mediation procedures must be followed.
Non-judicial Sale by Advertisement
If the mortgage contains a power of
sale clause, it may be foreclosed by advertisement. However, a number of
conditions must be met before sale by advertisement can be undertaken.
- There must be a default on the
mortgage,
- no lawsuit to collect on the
mortgage may be underway,
- the mortgage itself and any
assignments of the mortgage to new lenders must have been recorded
and
- the notice must be given eight weeks
before foreclosure on a homestead.
If an attorney is involved in the
foreclosure, the attorney's authority must be shown by a power of
attorney that has been properly recorded. Attorney's fees are set by
statute for foreclosure sales. Hence, the borrower cannot be billed
indiscriminately for attorney's fees during the foreclosure process.
Certificate of Sale
After the sale, the sheriff will
prepare a certificate showing the amount of the sale and the amount left
unpaid on the loan.
Special Procedure - Right of First
Refusal
Borrowers have a complex right of first
refusal when land is acquired by a state agency, a federal agency, a
limited partnership or a corporation (other than a family farm
corporation). Once the agency or business acquires land by foreclosure,
it will ultimately try to resell it. When it tries to resell, the old
owner who lost the property in foreclosure must be offered the property
in preference to any other purchaser at the price and terms an outside
buyer is willing to accept for the property. The lender must make a
good-faith effort to let the old owner buy it first, hence the term
right of first refusal. The law applies for the first five years after
the property was foreclosed on. The right of first refusal may not be
waived or assigned, except to family members by inheritance.
Deficiency
Any deficiency is limited to the
difference between the fair market value of the property, as determined
by a jury, and the unpaid balance remaining on the old loan. To recover
a deficiency judgment against the borrower, the lender must file a
lawsuit against the borrower. If the lender already seeks foreclosure by
a lawsuit, then all the lender has to do is add a claim to the existing
lawsuit. However, when the foreclosure is by advertisement, then an
independent lawsuit must be filed to recover a deficiency.
Redemption
Redemption is unusual in Minnesota. The
borrower or a junior lien holder has up to one year after the
foreclosure to redeem the property however there are stipulations on the time frame due to acreage and abandonment.
Preliminary Notices
Contents
The foreclosure notice must name the
borrower the original lender, any takeover lender, the original loan
amount, the date of the mortgage, recording information, the amount
currently due on the loan including back taxes and unpaid insurance, a
property description, the time and place of the impending foreclosure
sale and the time allowed by law for the borrower to redeem the
property.
Sale Procedures
Documentation
Before the sale, the lender must file a
verified, itemized statement with the sheriff showing the amount due.
This statement must be read during the sale b the sheriff.
Time and Place
The time, place and date of the
foreclosure are set forth in the foreclosure notice.
Manner
In Minnesota, the actual foreclosure
sale must be conducted by public auction. The sale is to the highest
bidder.
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