Facing Foreclosure · Scranton, PA

Selling a House Facing Foreclosure in Scranton

A foreclosure notice on a Scranton house usually has a date attached. In Pennsylvania, the Act 91 notice gives you 33 days to apply for state help, and the lender cannot act further while a timely application is handled. If the case moves ahead, Lackawanna County sells properties at the courthouse on North Washington Avenue.

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Modest New Jersey split-level during a mortgage foreclosure

Kaizen Home Buyers makes cash offers and buys as-is, with no repairs and no commission. Expect an offer inside 24 hours. Closing takes 14 to 30 days, or waits for a date you set. If the house is worth more than you owe, selling before the auction may protect that equity. A housing counselor or lawyer should review your options too.

What’s different in Scranton

How the county posts its sales

The county's sale schedule page says sheriff sales are normally held at 10:00 a.m. at the Lackawanna County Courthouse, 200 North Washington Avenue. The listing reviewed was titled for 2022, so confirm the current date from the Sheriff's Office. Legal notices describe a 10 percent deposit due immediately in cash, cashier's check or certified check, with the balance due by 2:00 p.m. that day. Because the schedule page we reviewed was titled for 2022, do not rely on it. Call the Sheriff's Office and ask for the current sale calendar and the writ for your property, then write both down with the date you called.

Act 91, counseling and the clock

PHFA says free counseling is available to Pennsylvania residents at 1.855.827.3466. The home must be owner-occupied, and the delinquency must come from circumstances beyond your control. After you meet a counselor you have 30 days to submit the HEMAP application, and PHFA then has up to 60 days to decide. Keep the Act 91 notice date in front of you. The same-day balance deadline in the legal notices shows how fast a sale moves once a bidder wins. For you, the lesson is to settle your plan before the day, because there is little room to change course afterward.

Old houses and thin equity

Scranton's record lists aging foundations and systems and mine subsidence questions among common issues, and each can drag down what a retail buyer will pay. The CFPB has a post on selling as an alternative to foreclosure for borrowers with equity. A counselor can run payoff, costs and condition so you can see what a sale would leave. If you rent part of the house, tell your counselor and your attorney. Tenants have their own rights, and any plan to sell will need to account for them. Keep records of rent you collect and of repairs you pay for.

Checklist before you sell

  • The Act 91 notice, the complaint and every letter from the lender's lawyers
  • Docket number, plaintiff's attorney and the sale date
  • A written payoff with a line-by-line breakdown
  • Recent mortgage statements
  • Tax and utility bills for the address
  • Notes on foundation, roof and heating problems
  • Contacts for a housing counselor and an attorney

How Kaizen can help

Send us the address and the sale date. We review the house as it stands and quote cash with the repairs counted for you. You can then place the number next to your payoff and see what a sale leaves. If it does not work, you will know before the date arrives.

A signed contract does not stop a sheriff sale. The plaintiff's attorney or the court has to postpone or cancel it, and you should get that in writing. We can plan a closing date ahead of the sale when the title work permits. Call or text 267-329-0084.

Facing Foreclosure in Scranton: questions

Is there a program that might pause the case?

PHFA describes a diversion program for owner-occupied homes, run through the courts. Its page does not say which counties take part now, so ask your attorney about Lackawanna County. PHFA lists 1-800-635-4747.

Can I sell while the foreclosure is pending?

Often yes if the lender is paid at closing before the sale. The title company can explain how a payoff letter is requested and documented.

Where do I find free legal help?

PALawHELP, the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, has a foreclosure prevention resource and points to local help.

Who can postpone a sale?

The plaintiff's attorney or the court. A buyer cannot, and neither can the sheriff on their own.

Keep reading

We buy houses in ScrantonFacing Foreclosure: full guideHow to Sell an Inherited House in Lackawanna County (Probate Guide)Facing Foreclosure in Lackawanna County, PA: Sheriff Sale GuideSelling an Inherited House in ScrantonSelling a Vacant House in ScrantonSelling a Tired Rental Property in ScrantonFacing Foreclosure on a Philadelphia Home: Your OptionsFacing Foreclosure in Upper Darby: Your OptionsFacing Foreclosure in Chester, PA: Your OptionsFacing Foreclosure in Norristown: Your OptionsFacing Foreclosure in Abington Township: Your OptionsFacing Foreclosure in Plymouth Meeting: Your Options

Sources

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm details with the office or a professional.

  1. Foreclosure: Act 91 Notice and HEMAP (Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, undated page)
  2. Sheriff: Sheriff Sale Schedule (Lackawanna County, PA, page titled 2022 sale schedule)
  3. Kaizen process steps (Kaizen Home Buyers, 2026-10-23)
  4. For many struggling mortgage borrowers with home equity, selling their home could be an alternative to foreclosure (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, undated)
  5. City service-area content (Kaizen Home Buyers, 2026-06-30)
  6. Residential Mortgage Diversion Program (Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, 2026-10)
  7. Preventing Mortgage Foreclosure (Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PALawHELP), reviewed 2026-08-26)

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