If you receive a foreclosure or eviction notice but you are timely and current with your rent payments then consider the following:

1. Call the sheriff’s department and find out how long the foreclosure process takes. In some areas it takes 60 - 90 days for the foreclosure proceedings to start.

2. Find out the rental laws in your state. Some states, including California, have recently passed legislation giving renters a grace period, ranging from 30 days and up, to stay in a property after it has been sold in foreclosure. Other states are considering similar legislation.

3. Try to obtain the lender’s name from the eviction notice. I suggest contacting the lender or its legal counsel and find out if they are will to let you stay until the property is ultimately sold to a third party.

4. If you are nervous about negotiating with the lender on your own, contact a local nonprofit housing counseling agency for help. HUD’s website lists agencies by state, or you can call (800) 569-4287.

5. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development outlines tenant rights by state on its website at www.hud.gov