Can I get my house back after a Louisiana sheriff's sale?
In general, no. Louisiana gives the former owner no statutory right of redemption after a mortgage foreclosure sheriff's sale. Once the sheriff sells the house and the sale is complete, the usual way to keep the house is to have acted before the sale: catch up the loan, pay it off, sell the house yourself, or ask a court to stop the sale in the cases where the law allows it.
That is why this page is mostly about the weeks before the sale. This is general information, not legal advice. We are a home buyer, not a law firm, a lender or a housing counselor. A Louisiana lawyer can read your papers and tell you what applies. Many people also find free help from a HUD-approved housing counselor. Use the HUD counselor search.
Want a cash offer, or to have us take over the payments? Call or text Charlie at (318) 714-4321, or Get My Cash Offer. Cash is not promised on every house. No fee, no obligation.
Tax sales are a different system
A mortgage foreclosure sale and a tax sale are not the same thing. Louisiana changed the tax sale rules on January 1, 2026, and an owner generally has a period to pay off the tax debt. Our guide on property taxes in Louisiana explains that. The rest of this page is about mortgage foreclosure.
What happens at the sale?
At the sale, the sheriff offers the house to the highest bidder. If the house is sold with appraisement, the first offering generally starts at two-thirds of the appraised value. If nobody bids that much, the sheriff advertises again and sells at a second offering for whatever it brings.
Caddo Parish sells in person at the courthouse in Shreveport. Bossier Parish sells online. Webster Parish sells at the front door of the courthouse in Minden, and DeSoto Parish sells in Mansfield. See our parish pages for Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto and Webster.
Can the lender still come after me for the rest of the debt?
Sometimes. It depends on how the sale was done. This is called a deficiency judgment, and it is the amount the sale did not cover.
- Sold without appraisement. The sale notice says "without the benefit of appraisement." Under Louisiana Revised Statutes 13:4106, when a lender uses the waiver of appraisement and the sale does not cover the debt, the debt is generally treated as satisfied as a personal obligation of the debtor. There are exceptions, so ask a lawyer about your loan.
- Sold with appraisement. The house is appraised before the sale. If the sale does not pay the debt, the lender may be able to seek a deficiency judgment, depending on the type of foreclosure and the bids. Louisiana's rules on how the appraisal and the bids are credited are in the Code of Civil Procedure, article 2336.
Look at the line in your own notice of seizure or sale ad that says "with" or "without." That one word changes what a lawyer will tell you. A deficiency judgment is a court judgment. It is not automatic, and the lender generally has to ask for it.
What happens if I am still living in the house?
The new owner has to go through the court to remove anyone who stays. In general, the new owner sends a written notice to vacate and, if the occupant does not leave, files a court action asking for possession. The court sets a hearing, and if the court rules for the new owner, it issues a judgment of eviction. The court rules say a hearing on that action is set no earlier than the third day after the papers are served.
That is a general picture. The exact notice, the timing and the paperwork depend on the sale, the occupant and the court, so talk to a lawyer if you are in this spot. If you have already lost the house, a lawyer can also tell you what you may do about the personal property inside.
What should I do before the sale?
The best time to act is before the date on your notice. Here are the steps, free ones first.
- Read the notice of seizure and write down the first sale date, the case number and whether it says "with appraisement."
- Call your servicer and ask in writing what it would take to catch up or reinstate. Keep a copy of what you send.
- Talk to a free HUD-approved housing counselor.
- Talk to a Louisiana lawyer. Ask about your deadlines, any way to stop the sale in court, and what a bankruptcy filing would and would not do. A bankruptcy filing generally pauses a sheriff's sale, but that is a decision for you and an attorney. The Louisiana State Bar Association can point you toward a lawyer.
- Check your date. Sales can be reset or stopped, so look again close to the day. Our parish pages show where to look.
- Consider selling. A closing before the sale date pays off the loan through the title company, and you receive anything left over. You can list with a Realtor if there is time and equity, or sell to a buyer like us if the house needs work or the date is close.
We buy houses. We are a home buyer, not a law firm, a lender or a housing counselor. We charge homeowners no fee, and we cannot promise how a foreclosure will turn out.
If you sell to us before the sale
We buy houses as they sit, so you do not repair or clean first. A local title company closes, gets the payoff from your lender and pays it out of the sale. You pick the closing date, as long as it is before the sheriff's date. A closing needs time for the title work and the payoff figure, so call early. Our main foreclosure page shows all your options side by side.
If the owner has died, the heirs are the ones who can act. See our page for inherited houses.
Updated October 21, 2026