Foreclosure in California: your timeline, rights, and how to stop it
California uses a both (judicial & non-judicial) foreclosure process. Below is the typical timeline, the notices you should get, your cure and reinstatement options, and whether a lender can come after you for a shortfall — with every figure tied to a source. None of this is legal advice; confirm your own case with a HUD-approved counselor or a California attorney.
How fast foreclosure moves in California
Method: Both (judicial & non-judicial). California permits both judicial and non-judicial foreclosure. Non-judicial foreclosure is the dominant method (nearly all residential foreclosures), governed by California Civil Code §§ 2924–2924k. Non-judicial foreclosure is available when the mortgage or deed of trust contains a power-of-sale clause. Judicial foreclosure is required when there is no power-of-sale clause, and is governed by California Code of Civil Procedure §§ 725a–730.5.
Typical state-process time to sale: roughly 110–150 days once foreclosure starts. Non-judicial foreclosure can occur in as little as 110-120 days from recording of Notice of Default (90-day reinstatement period + 20-day notice of sale period). Typical timeline is 4-6 months. Judicial foreclosure takes many months to years. Timeline may be extended by pending loan modification applications, lender backlogs, or other factors.
Before any of this: Under Reg X (12 CFR 1024.41(f)), a servicer generally cannot make the first foreclosure filing until the borrower is more than 120 days delinquent. This applies in every state, on top of the state process below.
Cure, reinstate, redeem
Right to cure: Yes (120 days). Borrower may reinstate the default at any time within 120 days (approximately 3 months) from the recording of the Notice of Default (Cal. Civ. Code § 2924c). Reinstatement remains available until five business days prior to the trustee's sale. Full reinstatement requires paying all past-due payments, permitted costs, and expenses.
Reinstatement: Yes (120 days). Cal. Civ. Code § 2924c provides that reinstatement may be made at any time from recording of Notice of Default until five business days prior to the foreclosure sale. The default is cured by paying all delinquent payments, costs, and permitted expenses. Upon reinstatement, the beneficiary must execute and deliver a Notice of Rescission within 21 days.
Post-sale redemption: Yes (180 days). Redemption is available ONLY in judicial foreclosure, not non-judicial. Under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 729.030, the redemption period is: (1) three months after foreclosure sale if sale proceeds satisfy the debt with interest and costs, or (2) one year after foreclosure sale if there is a deficiency. Because nearly all California residential foreclosures are non-judicial, redemption is rarely available for residential borrowers.
Can a lender still come after you? (deficiency)
Deficiency judgment: Barred in California. No deficiency judgment is allowed after non-judicial foreclosure under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 580d. Deficiency judgments MAY be allowed after judicial foreclosure ONLY if: (1) the loan is NOT a purchase-money loan (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 580b), AND (2) it is not a refinanced purchase-money loan. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 580b prohibits deficiency judgments on purchase-money loans for 1-4 unit dwellings occupied by the borrower, and on refinanced purchase-money loans (with limited exceptions for new principal advanced after January 1, 2013). One-Action Rule (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 726) requires foreclosure as sole remedy for secured debt.
Deadline:
This is condition-specific (a primary residence or a purchase-money loan can change the answer). Confirm with a California attorney before assuming you are or aren't on the hook.
What you should receive — and where to get help
Notices: Notice of Default (NOD) must be recorded (Cal. Civ. Code § 2924). After 90+ days from NOD, Notice of Sale must be published: in newspaper of general circulation 3 consecutive weeks (Cal. Civ. Code § 2924f), posted at property and public courthouse location at least 20 days before sale, and recorded. Notice must begin with specific statutory language warning borrower of foreclosure and right to cure within 5 business days before sale. Servicers must attempt to contact borrower at least 30 days before recording NOD to discuss alternatives (Cal. Civ. Code § 2923.5).
Mediation: No statewide program. California does not have a statewide mandatory foreclosure mediation program. However, borrowers may request an unsupervised meeting with the lender to explore foreclosure avoidance options (Cal. Civ. Code § 2923.5). Some counties or municipalities may offer voluntary mediation programs, but these are not statewide statutory requirements. Loss mitigation options must be explored before foreclosure proceeds, but formal mediation is not mandatory at state level.
How we verified this California page
- California Courts - Non-Judicial Foreclosure Self-Help Guide — source
- California Courts - Foreclosure Overview Guide — source
- California Civil Code § 2924 (Notice of Default) — source
- California Code of Civil Procedure § 729.030 (Redemption Period - Judicial Foreclosure) — source
- California Code of Civil Procedure § 580b (Anti-Deficiency - Purchase Money Loans) — source
- California Code of Civil Procedure § 580d (Anti-Deficiency - Non-Judicial Foreclosure) — source
- Nolo - California Foreclosure Laws: Borrower Rights, Process & Protections — source
- California Attorney General - Homeowner Bill of Rights (HBOR) — source
Last reviewed 2026-06-08 by ForeclosureCalc editorial team. Foreclosure law changes; we re-check each state on a schedule. This page is general information, not legal advice for your situation — confirm with a HUD-approved housing counselor (free) or a licensed California attorney.