Utah foreclosure laws: how the process works and how long it takes

In Utah, a home can be sold without going to court. The lender or trustee sets the sale date, so the total depends on its schedule and any postponements.

Utah at a glance

Does an Utah foreclosure go through a court?
Usually not. The home is sold after notices the law requires.
How long does it take?
No law sets a total length. The lender or trustee sets the sale date, so the total depends on its schedule and any postponements.
How far behind can you get before it starts?
Usually more than four months of missed payments.
Can you catch up to stop it?
Yes in some cases, for 3 months, with conditions. Deadlines by kind of foreclosure
Can you get the house back after the sale?
No, after a sale without a court (a trustee sale), the usual kind in Utah. After a sale through a court, up to 180 days after the sale.
Can the lender come after you for what the sale doesn't cover?
In some cases. State law limits it.
Is there mediation?
No statewide program identified in our records.
How many Utah homeowners are 90+ days behind?
The share of borrowers with a mortgage who were 90+ days behind was 0.6% in the first quarter of 2025, lower than the U.S. (1.2%). How Utah compares

What "without a court" means for you in Utah

Not Utah

Through a court

The lender files a lawsuit, and a judge has to approve the sale. You can answer in court, and no law sets how fast a case goes.

Utah

Without a court

The lender or a trustee sends the notices the law requires and sells the home at a public sale. There's no lawsuit unless you file one, so the dates in each notice matter most.

How foreclosure works in Utah, step by step

The 6 steps of a foreclosure in Utah, and the time the law gives each

Each step in order, with the time the law gives it. 5 of the 6 have a time set in law; "No set time" means the lender sets the pace.

  1. 120+ days behind You fall behind on payments
  2. No set time You get a notice of default
  3. 3 months Catching up before the sale
  4. 10–30 days before the sale The sale is advertised
  5. On the sale date The home is sold at auction
  6. Within 5 days You may be asked to leave
Source: Utah law and federal rules, as cited at each step; American Default Research state law file, checked Mar 10, 2026 American Default Research · americandefault.org/help/laws/utah/
Each step in detail, with the law behind it
  1. Step 1

    You fall behind on payments

    Federal rules give you time to apply for help before anything is filed. Source 12 CFR 1024.41

  2. Step 2

    You get a notice of default

    Recorded and mailed; starts the 3-month cure period

    The trustee records a Notice of Default with the county recorder in each county where the property is located. Source Utah law

  3. Step 3

    Catching up before the sale

    3 months (approximately 90 days) from NOD recording

    You have 3 months from the date the Notice of Default is recorded to cure the default. Source Utah Code § 57-1-31

  4. Step 4

    The sale is advertised

    Published once/week for 3 weeks, with the last publication 10-30 days before the sale; published online for 30 days before the sale; posted and mailed at least 20 days before the sale

    If you do not cure within 3 months, the trustee gives a Notice of Sale. Source Utah Code §§ 57-1-25, 57-1-26

  5. Step 5

    The home is sold at auction

    On the date, time and place named in the Notice of Sale, unless the sale is postponed; a postponement of more than 45 days past the original date requires a new notice of sale

    The trustee or the trustee's attorney holds a public auction between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the time and place named in the Notice of Sale, which must be a courthouse serving the county where the property is located. Source Utah Code § 57-1-25

  6. Step 6

    You may be asked to leave

    Trustee's deed submitted for recording within 5 business days after the trustee receives payment of the bid

    The trustee records the deed, transferring title to the purchaser. Source Utah Code § 57-1-28

Deadlines for stopping a foreclosure in Utah

Catching up means paying what you've missed, plus late fees and the trustee's and attorney's costs, but not the whole loan. How late you can do it depends on the kind of foreclosure.

Deadlines for catching up, after the sale and other steps in Utah
Kind of foreclosureDeadlineWhat starts the clock
Without a court Up to 3 months after the notice of default is recorded The clock starts when the notice of default is recorded. If the trustee gets your written request for the catch-up amount at least 10 business days before the deadline and takes more than 5 business days to send it, the deadline pauses until it does. Source Utah Code §§ 57-1-31, 57-1-31.5
Through a court Your loan papers decide We found no catch-up deadline in the law for a court foreclosure, so your loan papers decide. Source Utah Code § 57-1-31
After the sale
Without a court No buying back There's no right to buy the home back after a trustee sale. Source Utah Code § 57-1-28(3)
Through a court Up to 180 days after the sale The clock starts on the court sale date. You pay the sale price plus 6% and certain costs the buyer paid. Source Utah Code § 78B-6-906
Other deadlines and rules
Without a courtAny home By the 10th business day before the catch-up deadline Ask the trustee in writing for the catch-up amount, by certified mail or a tracked courier to the trustee's address in your trust deed. If the trustee takes more than 5 business days to answer, your deadline pauses until it does. Source Utah Code § 57-1-31.5(2)
Without a courtBanks and credit unions, home you live in At least 30 days before the notice of default The lender must name one contact person and send you a letter with the amount to catch up and a date at least 30 days away. If you apply for help in time, it can't start the sale notice until it answers you in writing. Complaints about a state credit union go to the Utah Department of Financial Institutions; about a federal one, to the NCUA. Source Utah Code § 57-1-24.3
Without a courtAny home 3 months after the notice of default is recorded, at the earliest The trustee can't give notice of the sale before then. Source Utah Code § 57-1-24(2)-(3)
Without a courtAny home By the 20th day before the sale The notice of sale has to be posted on the home and at the county recorder, and mailed by certified mail to anyone who asked for it, including you if your trust deed asks. Source Utah law
Without a courtCovered owner-occupied loans At least 30 days after the notice is sent The notice has to give you a cure date at least that far out. The lender can't file a notice of default until then. This covers loans held by a financial institution. Source Utah Code § 57-1-24.3(2)(b)(ii)(C)
Without a courtAny home For 30 days before the sale The trustee has to publish the sale notice online for those 30 days. The sale can't happen until that period is complete. Source Utah Code § 57-1-25(1)(a)(ii)
Through a courtServed in Utah Within 21 days after you are served File and serve your written answer by then. A statute or court order can change the period. Source Utah R. Civ. P. 12(a)(1)
Through a courtServed outside Utah Within 30 days after you are served File and serve your written answer by then. A statute or court order can change the period. Source Utah R. Civ. P. 12(a)(1)
Through a courtAny home At least 21 days before the sale The officer has to post the real property sale notice for at least 21 days. The sale can't happen until that posting period has passed. Source Utah R. Civ. P. 69B(b)(3)
Any foreclosureSomeone else petitioned for surplus money Within 60 days after you receive notice of the petition Contest the petition by affidavit or counter-petition by then. This applies to all claimants. Source Utah Code § 57-1-29(3)(c)
Any foreclosureAny home Within 3 days after the order of restitution is served That is usually how long you have to leave. Immediate possession or a different agreement or order can change this. Source Utah Code § 78B-6-812(2)(b)

Not sure which kind yours is? A court summons or lawsuit means a court foreclosure. A notice of default or notice of sale with no lawsuit means one without a court.

Asking for help: For covered loans and servicers, receiving a complete application more than 37 days before a scheduled sale can require the mortgage company to wait while it evaluates it. Prior applications and other exceptions matter. Ask the company to confirm receipt and what is still missing; preparing a package here does not pause a sale.

How far behind can you get before an Utah foreclosure starts?

More than 120 days, about four months of missed payments, for most loans on the home you live in. The federal rule has exceptions, such as a reverse mortgage, or a sale or transfer of the home without the lender's OK.

Your mortgage company generally has to try to reach you by day 36 and send a letter about help options by day 45.

An Utah foreclosure usually can't start until you're more than 120 days behind

Days behind on your mortgage, against the federal waiting period before filing a foreclosure case or starting a nonjudicial foreclosure

Source: 12 CFR 1024.41; Utah Code § 57-1-24 American Default Research · americandefault.org/help/laws/utah/

What you can do at each step of an Utah foreclosure

What tends to go wrong for people at each point, and the step that answers it.

What you can do at each step of a foreclosure in Utah
WhenWhat goes wrongWhat you can do
You've missed a payment You're told to wait, or passed from person to person, while the clock runs. Ask your mortgage company (the servicer, the company on your statement) what help it offers, in writing, and keep a copy of everything you send and get. A complete application sent well before any sale date has to be reviewed before the sale can go ahead Source 12 CFR §1024.41. How a loan modification works.
The first notice arrives Foreclosure keeps moving while your application is still being reviewed. Every notice has a date on it, and that date is what you plan around.
A sale date is set The sale is days or weeks away. A HUD-approved housing counselor or legal aid can help right away. Both are free. Paying what you're behind can stop the sale only where Utah's catch-up rule allows it. Filing for bankruptcy usually pauses a sale while the automatic stay lasts, though the stay has exceptions and can be short for someone with a recent dismissed case Source 11 U.S.C. §362.
After the sale Money left over sits unclaimed, or you're told to leave at once. After a sale without a court (a trustee sale), the usual kind in Utah, there is no right to buy the home back. After a sale through a court there can be a window: the rule is below. If the sale brought in more than was owed, you may be able to claim what is left after costs and other liens. A former owner can generally be removed only through the process state law sets.

Can your HOA or condo association foreclose in Utah?

If you fall behind on association dues, the association can put a lien on your home. If it forecloses for unpaid dues, these rules apply, not the mortgage deadlines.

Where a row says “Not found in the law,” the sections we read don't address that point. It doesn't mean the answer is no.

Can it foreclose, and how?

Yes. HOA and condo associations may both sue in court, or use a trustee sale without court, under the Community Association Act and the Condominium Ownership Act.

Read the law's words
“…may: (i) cause a lot to be sold through nonjudicial foreclosure as though the lien were a deed of trust, in the manner provid…” le.utah.gov

Is there a minimum debt or a waiting period?

A sale without court requires at least one assessment more than 180 days late, except for time shares.

Read the law's words
“Code (d) unless the lien is on a time share estate as defined in Section 57-19-2, the lien does not include an asse…” le.utah.gov

What notices come first?

For a sale without court, the association has to send you a certified notice at least 30 days before it files a notice of default. You may demand a court case within 30 days after that notice is delivered.

Read the law's words
“…eclosure. (1) At least 30 calendar days before the day on which an association initiates a nonjudicial for…” le.utah.gov

Do you have a right to a payment plan?

Not found in the law

Can the HOA's claim go ahead of the mortgage?

A first or second mortgage or trust deed recorded before the association records a lien notice stays ahead of the association's lien.

Read the law's words
“…corded; (b) a first or second security interest on the lot secured by a mortgage or trust deed that is recorded…” le.utah.gov

What protects you?

The association's lien is outside Utah's general exemptions law. You may demand a court foreclosure instead of a trustee sale. A lien that includes a fine can't use the path without court.

Read the law's words
“…r this section is not subject to Title 78B, Chapter 5, Part 5, Utah Exemptions Act. (6) Unless the declaration pr…” le.utah.gov

Can you buy the home back after the sale?

After a trustee sale, you have no right to buy the home back. A sale ordered by a court follows the usual rules for buying back after execution sales (court-ordered sales to collect a debt).

Read the law's words
“…to the purchaser, without right of redemption, the trustee's title and all right, title, interest, and claim of…” le.utah.gov

Source Utah law

Who these rules cover: The Community Association Act covers an HOA if its declaration selects it or its plats are not condo plats. The Condominium Ownership Act covers condo associations.

Protections in Utah law

Open one to read the rule in the law's own words.

Catching up after the loan is called due (reinstatement) State law

For a trustee sale, you can reinstate within three months after the notice of default is recorded. A timely statement request can extend that deadline if the trustee responds late. After this period, you may still ask for a full payoff figure. Source Utah Code §§ 57-1-31, 57-1-31.5

No foreclosing while your application is under review State law

When 12 C.F.R. § 1024.41 applies to a mortgage secured by the borrower's principal residence and the borrower submits a timely complete loss-mitigation application, the rule may restrict specified foreclosure filing, judgment, or sale activity under the timing and conditions in 12 C.F.R. § 1024.41(f)(2) and (g). The rule does not require a servicer to offer any particular loss-mitigation option. For a loan held by a bank, credit union, or other financial institution and secured by an owner-occupied home, Utah law also bars giving notice of a trustee's sale after the borrower has applied for foreclosure relief until the lender or servicer sends its written decision on the application (Utah Code § 57-1-24.3(6)); a lender or servicer that assigns staff in line with federal servicing rules (12 C.F.R. 1024) is treated as complying with that section. Source 12 CFR 1024.41

Utah HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Program

Free foreclosure prevention counseling through HUD-approved agencies; services include loss mitigation assistance, servicer negotiation support, and legal referrals More on Utah HUD-Approved Housing Counseling.

Utah Legal Services Program

Free civil legal assistance for low-income Utah residents facing foreclosure; provides representation to challenge trustee's sale procedures, review CFPB compliance, and defend against improper foreclosure practices. Offices in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Provo. More on Utah Legal Services.

Utah Housing Corporation (UHC) Program

State housing finance authority providing homeownership programs, mortgage assistance, and counseling referrals; administers other homeownership preservation programs. More on Utah Housing Corporation (UHC).

AAA Fair Credit Foundation Program

HUD-approved nonprofit credit counseling and housing counseling agency serving Utah. Provides foreclosure prevention counseling, debt management plans, and financial education. More on AAA Fair Credit Foundation.

How Utah compares

Like Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming sell most foreclosed homes without a court.

Utah's share of borrowers with a mortgage who are 90+ days behind is under half its 2010 peak

Share of Utah borrowers with a mortgage who have one 90+ days past due, quarterly, Q1 2005 to Q1 2025

0% 2% 4% 6% U.S. 1.2% Q1 2005Q3 2007Q1 2010Q3 2012Q1 2015Q3 2017Q1 2020Q3 2022Q1 2025 Q1 2025 0.6% 0% 2% 4% 6% U.S. 1.2% Q1 2005Q1 2010Q1 2015Q1 2020Q1 2025 Q1 2025 0.6%
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorer; data sourced from Federal Reserve Bank of New York Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax. Q1 2025 American Default Research · americandefault.org/help/laws/utah/

Utah is tied for 50th place for the share of mortgages 90+ days behind, of the 50 states and D.C.

Share of borrowers with a mortgage who have one 90+ days past due, by state, Q1 2025. Dashed line: the U.S.

Louisiana: 2.5%Mississippi: 2.1%Nevada: 1.6%Texas: 1.6%West Virginia: 1.6%Alabama: 1.5%Florida: 1.5%Georgia: 1.5%New York: 1.5%Oklahoma: 1.5%South Carolina: 1.5%D.C.: 1.4%New Mexico: 1.4%Arkansas: 1.3%Connecticut: 1.3%Delaware: 1.3%Kentucky: 1.3%Maryland: 1.3%Pennsylvania: 1.3%Illinois: 1.2%Indiana: 1.2%New Jersey: 1.2%Arizona: 1.1%Missouri: 1.1%North Carolina: 1.1%Ohio: 1.1%Rhode Island: 1.1%Kansas: 1.0%Michigan: 1.0%Tennessee: 1.0%California: 0.9%Hawaii: 0.9%Iowa: 0.9%Maine: 0.9%South Dakota: 0.9%Virginia: 0.9%Vermont: 0.9%Alaska: 0.8%Colorado: 0.8%Massachusetts: 0.8%Minnesota: 0.8%Montana: 0.8%North Dakota: 0.8%Nebraska: 0.8%Oregon: 0.8%Idaho: 0.7%New Hampshire: 0.7%Washington: 0.7%Wyoming: 0.7%Utah: 0.6%Wisconsin: 0.6% U.S. 1.2% Utah 0.6% Highest Lowest Louisiana: 2.5%Mississippi: 2.1%Nevada: 1.6%Texas: 1.6%West Virginia: 1.6%Alabama: 1.5%Florida: 1.5%Georgia: 1.5%New York: 1.5%Oklahoma: 1.5%South Carolina: 1.5%D.C.: 1.4%New Mexico: 1.4%Arkansas: 1.3%Connecticut: 1.3%Delaware: 1.3%Kentucky: 1.3%Maryland: 1.3%Pennsylvania: 1.3%Illinois: 1.2%Indiana: 1.2%New Jersey: 1.2%Arizona: 1.1%Missouri: 1.1%North Carolina: 1.1%Ohio: 1.1%Rhode Island: 1.1%Kansas: 1.0%Michigan: 1.0%Tennessee: 1.0%California: 0.9%Hawaii: 0.9%Iowa: 0.9%Maine: 0.9%South Dakota: 0.9%Virginia: 0.9%Vermont: 0.9%Alaska: 0.8%Colorado: 0.8%Massachusetts: 0.8%Minnesota: 0.8%Montana: 0.8%North Dakota: 0.8%Nebraska: 0.8%Oregon: 0.8%Idaho: 0.7%New Hampshire: 0.7%Washington: 0.7%Wyoming: 0.7%Utah: 0.6%Wisconsin: 0.6% U.S. 1.2% Utah 0.6% Highest Lowest
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorer; data sourced from NY Fed Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax. Q1 2025 American Default Research · americandefault.org/help/laws/utah/
Utah and its neighbors: mortgages 90+ days behind and State Distress Index rank
State90+ days behind, Q1 2025Distress rank (score)
Nevada 1.6% 1st (100)
Arizona 1.1% 12th (78)
Colorado 0.8% 34th (34)
Idaho 0.7% 37th (28)
Wyoming 0.7% 45th (12)
Utah 0.6% 42nd (18)

The share counts people with a mortgage on their credit report, not loans or dollars. Ranks are of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.); 1st is the most distressed. Utah's full distress profile and county scores.

Questions about foreclosure in Utah

How long does foreclosure take in Utah?

No law sets one length for the whole process. The lender or trustee sets the sale date, so the total depends on its schedule and any postponements. Before any of it starts, your mortgage company usually has to wait until you're more than four months behind. Each step and its deadline.

How many months behind before foreclosure starts in Utah?

Usually more than four months of missed payments. A federal rule keeps your mortgage company from filing before then on most loans on the home you live in, with a few exceptions, such as a sale of the home without the lender's OK. Some state notices that are only mailed to you can come during that wait.

Is Utah a judicial foreclosure state?

No. Utah has two foreclosure tracks: (1) non-judicial trustee's sale under the Trust Deed Act, Utah Code § 57-1-19 et seq. — the standard and most common path for residential foreclosures using trust deeds; and (2) judicial foreclosure under standard civil procedure, available for mortgages and trust deeds but rarely used because it is slower and carries a redemption period. Trust deeds are the dominant security instrument for residential lending in Utah.

Can I stop foreclosure once it starts in Utah?

Often there are still ways to try, though none is guaranteed. You can catch up on what you owe, where Utah's catch-up rule allows it. You can apply for a loan modification or a pause on payments; send the complete application more than 37 days before any sale date, so the sale has to wait for an answer. You can file for bankruptcy, or sell, including a short sale if your lender approves.

What is the redemption period for a foreclosure in Utah?

Utah's rule: there is no buy-back right after a trustee sale. After a court foreclosure sale, you can usually redeem within 180 calendar days after the sale.

Can bankruptcy stop a foreclosure in Utah?

It usually pauses one. Filing creates an automatic stay that stops most collection, a foreclosure sale included, while it lasts. The stay has exceptions, and for someone who had a case dismissed in the past year it can last only 30 days or not start at all. A Chapter 13 plan can let you catch up on missed payments over three to five years.

Can the lender come after me for the leftover balance in Utah?

In some cases. Utah limits deficiency judgments. Utah Code § 57-1-32 does not bar deficiency judgments after a trustee's sale. Within 3 months after the sale, the lender can sue for the remaining balance. The court must find the property's fair market value on the sale date and cannot award more than the amount by which the debt, with interest, costs, and sale expenses (including trustee's and attorney's fees), exceeds that value. The winning side in that lawsuit can collect its costs and reasonable attorney fees. After a judicial foreclosure sale, execution may be issued for any balance the sale does not cover (Utah Code § 78B-6-902). After a trustee's sale, the court must find the property's fair market value on the sale date and cannot award a deficiency larger than the amount by which the debt, with interest, costs, and sale expenses (including trustee's and attorney's fees), exceeds that value (Utah Code § 57-1-32).

What is the homestead exemption in Utah?

As Utah law sets it: Varies by year. The statute set $42,000 for a primary residence for May 14 through December 31, 2019, and the State Auditor recalculates that amount for inflation each year and publishes it on its website. Protects that amount of equity in your primary residence from judgment creditors. Does not stop mortgage or trust deed foreclosure. Utah's homestead exemption may be insufficient given Utah's rapidly rising property values, especially along the Wasatch Front (Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden). If the home is jointly owned, each joint owner is entitled to the exemption, up to a household maximum (set at $84,000 for a primary residence in 2019 and adjusted for inflation each year). The exemption does not protect against your mortgage lender foreclosing.

What if I have an FHA, VA, or USDA loan in Utah?

Government-backed loans have their own rules on top of Utah law. FHA requires a meeting or reasonable efforts to arrange one in covered defaults. Current rules allow approved remote methods; exceptions and timing requirements apply. VA and USDA set their own help options; the forbearance guide and loan modification guide explain each program's options.

How long do I have to move out after a foreclosure sale in Utah?

After trustee's sale, the purchaser may file a forcible entry or unlawful detainer action to obtain an order of restitution. The federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act provides 90-day notice to bona fide tenants. A former owner who stays in the home after the sale and after being served with a notice to quit by the purchaser can face an unlawful detainer action; an order of restitution generally gives three calendar days after service to move out before a sheriff or constable can remove them.

What happens to tenants if my Utah home is foreclosed?

Under the federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act, the new owner after a foreclosure must give bona fide tenants 90 days' notice before eviction and let bona fide tenants with leases stay until the lease ends, except that the lease can be ended on 90 days' notice if the home is sold to a buyer who will live in it. If the trust deed financed residential rental property, Utah requires the notice of trustee's sale to include a notice to tenants and to be posted at the property or mailed to each occupant (Utah Code § 57-1-25). Utah's Fit Premises Act (Utah Code § 57-22) and landlord-tenant statutes also govern lease terms, eviction procedures, and tenant rights. Tenants in foreclosed properties should be aware of both federal and state protections.

Can I claim surplus funds after a foreclosure sale in Utah?

Possibly. If a foreclosure sale brings in more than is owed, the extra is called surplus. The costs of the sale, the debt being foreclosed and other liens on the home, such as a second mortgage, are generally paid first. In Utah: Surplus proceeds from the trustee's sale (above the debt and costs) belong to the former owner or junior lienholders in priority order. The trustee may pay the surplus to the persons legally entitled to it or deposit it with the clerk of the district court. If it is deposited, the clerk notifies the claimants the trustee listed; a claimant can petition the court for the funds (with a $50 filing fee), and other claimants then have 60 days to contest the petition. A claimant who fails to appear and assert a claim is barred after the court's order. The court, county clerk or trustee who handled the sale can tell you whether any surplus is being held.

Is the Homeowner Assistance Fund still available in Utah?

Generally, no. HAF programs, including the Utah HAF / Utah Homeowner Assistance Fund, couldn't commit new money after September 30, 2026 (Treasury). If the program approved you before then, ask it about payments still being processed.

Can I do a short sale to avoid foreclosure in Utah?

Possibly, with your lender's approval. In Utah, a deficiency waiver (a release of the remaining balance) can be negotiated as part of a short sale approval. Short sales require servicer approval. Utah does not bar deficiency judgments after a trustee's sale: a lender can sue for the remaining balance within 3 months after the sale (Utah Code § 57-1-32). In some states a lender can also sue after a short sale to collect the deficiency; a written waiver of the deficiency means the lender gives up the right to collect that amount.

Other Utah laws that can affect homeowners

State laws can change. Each entry links to the cited source and shows when that source was fetched.

State foreclosure-rescue and mortgage-help laws

Utah regulates loan-modification assistance undertaken for compensation or expected valuable consideration and separately defines foreclosure rescue around title transfer. Covered modification assistance requires licensing, a written agreement specifying acts, no fee until the homeowner receives and accepts a written offer, prescribed cancellation, and conduct restrictions.

“for compensation or with the expectation of receiving valuable consideration”

Protect yourself from scams

The FTC and CFPB describe these warning signs and the rules behind them:

  1. Upfront fees for promised relief are a warning sign. Under FTC mortgage-assistance rules, most companies that sell mortgage help cannot charge until a homeowner accepts a written offer from the mortgage company or lender. A separate FTC rule covers debt-relief companies that sell by phone and ties fees to a completed debt arrangement. It bars a fee until at least one debt has been settled or changed, the customer agrees to the arrangement, and the customer has made a payment under it. The FTC describes a narrow exception for lawyers who give help as part of the practice of law and are licensed in the state where the client or dwelling is. The lawyer follows that state's rules for attorneys, and advance fees are placed in a client trust account before services begin under state trust-account rules.
  2. HUD-approved foreclosure-prevention counseling is free. HUD’s national counselor line is 800-569-4287. The CFPB counselor finder lists agencies and their services. If an organization charges for help described as free HUD counseling, the CFPB finder can verify the agency and its listed services before any payment.
  3. A request to sign over a deed is a warning sign. The CFPB identifies title-transfer schemes among foreclosure-relief scams. Signing over title can mean losing ownership of the home; a lawyer can explain what a proposed document would do.
  4. Foreclosure protections depend on timing and the loan. Regulation X generally bars the first foreclosure notice or filing on a principal-residence loan until the borrower is more than 120 days behind, subject to exceptions. A complete assistance application can delay some foreclosure steps, but that depends on when it arrives; it does not necessarily stop every step. The CFPB warns about promises to “save” a home.

Fraud reports: CFPB · FTC · state attorney general offices.

Free help in Utah

Utah has 3 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies

The 3 whose HUD listing includes foreclosure or mortgage delinquency counseling, one dot per office, as of Nov 4, 2026. The listing below names them all.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Housing Counselor list American Default Research · americandefault.org/help/laws/utah/
  • A HUD-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved. Foreclosure counseling from one is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company. HUD lists 3 approved agencies in Utah. HUD's line is 800-569-4287.
  • Legal aid offices give free legal help to people with low incomes, including answering a foreclosure case. Each office serves set counties; find yours:
  • A lawyer referral: the Utah State Bar — Find a Lawyer can point you to a foreclosure lawyer.
  • A complaint about your mortgage company can go to the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

HUD-approved housing counselors in Utah, by city (3)

  • Utah State University - Family Life Center - Hfc, Logan · 435-797-7224 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Neighborworks Mountain Country Home Solutions, Orem · 801-375-5820 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor
  • Community Development Corporation of Utah, Salt Lake City · 801-994-7222, ext. 200 · Website HUD-approved housing counselor · Languages: English, Spanish

Listings come from the HUD Housing Counselor API and the Legal Services Corporation grantee list, as of Nov 4, 2026. American Default Research does not endorse or rank any provider. Credit counselors and other kinds of free help are in our help directory.

Sources and method

A summary of foreclosure law and practice in Utah, read from its laws and the federal servicing rules and checked Mar 10, 2026. It isn't legal advice: your mortgage sets specific terms, and courts and counties vary. For your situation, talk to a HUD-approved counselor, legal aid or a lawyer.

We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.