Got a notice of seizure in Louisiana? What it means.

What is a notice of seizure in Louisiana?

It is a court paper that tells you the lender has started the process to have your house seized and sold at a sheriff's sale. Most Louisiana home loans use a fast court process called executory process. The lender files a suit, a judge signs an order, and the clerk issues a writ of seizure and sale. The sheriff's office then serves you with the notice of seizure.

It is not a sale, and it is not an eviction. It is the sheriff telling you the process has started. We are a home buyer, not a law firm, so a Louisiana lawyer should read your actual papers.

Who serves it, and what is on it?

A deputy from the parish sheriff's office serves it on the owner. The paper generally gives the court and suit number, the lender's name, the amount the lender says is owed, and the date of the first sheriff's sale. Under state law the first sale date is set at least 60 days after the judge signs the order, so the notice usually gives you some weeks.

The notice also says whether the sale is "with appraisement" or "without appraisement." In a sale with appraisement, the house is appraised and the sheriff generally cannot sell it for less than two thirds of that appraisal on the first try. In a sale without appraisement, there is no appraisal. That matters after the sale, because a lender that sells without appraisement generally cannot come after you for the rest of the debt. A lawyer can tell you how it applies to your loan.

Does a notice of seizure mean I lose my house?

No, not yet. You still own the house until a sheriff's sale actually happens and the sale is completed. Until then you can often still pay off the loan, work something out with the servicer, or sell the house on your own. Sales can also be postponed or stopped, for example if the loan is brought current or a court acts.

The deadlines in the process are real, though. Some are short, such as the window to appeal the order. Read the notice the day you get it. For how the whole timeline runs, see how long foreclosure takes in Louisiana.

What should I do in the first week?

Do these in order. Most cost nothing.

1. Read the sale date. Find the first sale date on the notice and put it on your calendar. Note the suit number too.
2. Call a Louisiana lawyer. Some deadlines are short, and only a lawyer can tell you which ones apply to you. The Louisiana State Bar Association can point you to one.
3. Call a free HUD-approved housing counselor. Counselors can go over your options at no charge. Use the HUD counselor search.
4. Call your servicer. Ask in writing whether you can catch up (reinstate) before the sale, and what the exact payoff amount is.
5. Check the sheriff's list. Confirm that your sale is posted and whether the date has moved. Use your parish page: Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto or Webster.
6. Know that you can still sell. A sale before the sheriff's date can pay off the loan at closing. It takes a title company and some weeks, so earlier is easier.

Be careful with anyone who charges you a fee up front to "stop" a foreclosure. Federal rules limit that kind of fee.

Can I still sell my house after a notice of seizure?

Yes, often you can. Until the sheriff's sale is complete, you still own the house, and you can sell it to a buyer. A local title company gets the payoff from your lender and pays it from the sale price at closing, and you receive anything left over. If the house is worth less than you owe, talk to a lawyer and a housing counselor first, and see our short sale page.

We buy houses in Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto and Webster Parish, and we buy as they sit, with no repairs. We charge homeowners no fee. We may be able to close before the sale date, depending on the title work and how much time is left, and we do not promise a date. We do not deal with your lender for you. We buy the house, and you decide whether that fits. If you are weighing it, our foreclosure page lays out all your options, free ones first.

Updated October 22, 2026