What this document is
The papers that open the actual court case, usually hand-delivered or left at the home. The complaint says what the lender claims you owe and asks the court for the right to sell the home; the summons tells you how long you have to respond.
Your clock
You have 35 days from service to file an answer with the court. New Jersey foreclosures take many months after filing even when uncontested; a contested case takes longer.
What to do this week
- 1
Mark the 35th day on a calendar today. Filing an answer, especially one raising real defenses, keeps the case contested and preserves your leverage.
- 2
Ask the court about the free New Jersey Foreclosure Mediation Program; a filed case is what makes you eligible to request it.
- 3
If you have not applied for loss mitigation yet, do it now. The case and the application run on separate tracks, and a complete application carries legal protections against the sale moving forward.
What is still possible
Nearly everything. Modification, mediation, reinstatement, refinance, short sale, market or cash sale, and Chapter 13 all remain available. What changes is that deadlines now exist and ignoring them costs you the contested timeline.
Two minutes of questions tells you which of these options actually fit your numbers and your timeline.
See My Options, FreeEducational information, not legal advice. Deadlines reflect New Jersey law generally; your case may differ, and a licensed New Jersey attorney can confirm what applies.