Free Interactive Tool
Every New Jersey foreclosure rides the same line. Tap the station you’re at and see exactly what’s true right now, which doors are still open, which one closes next — and your free moves.
BEFORE A CASE EXISTS
THE COURT CASE
AFTER JUDGMENT
THE SALE & AFTER
Station 3 of 9 · THE COURT CASE
The 35-day clock starts
What’s true right now
You are now a defendant in a Superior Court case — and you have the legal right to live in your home through the entire process.
You generally have 35 days from service to file an answer.
Doors still open
Answering — the single most consequential move in the case. It keeps you a participant and slows the calendar.
Requesting NJ’s free foreclosure mediation (eligible owner-occupants).
Loss mitigation continues in parallel; selling remains fully available.
Closing next
Day 35. Silence sends the case to default processing on the lender’s schedule.
Your free moves
General education, not legal advice or a prediction about any case. Your own court documents control your dates; a licensed NJ attorney can confirm what applies to you.
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