Understanding Foreclosure: Finding Out if a Landlord is in Foreclosure

Foreclosures are public records. If the landlord does not notify the tenant about the foreclosure case and the tenant has reason to think the landlord is facing foreclosure, a tenant has ways of finding out:

1. Search the website of the local clerk's office.
2. Find your county's Recorder of Deeds office.
   1. Search the building's record. The words "lis pendens" show that the bank will file against the property when someone stops making their loan payments.
   2. A state foreclosure case number looks like: 2015 CH 34234
   3. A federal foreclosure case number looks like 2015cv00000
3. Visit a courthouse in person and ask a clerk to see the documents for the case to see if a foreclosure case has been filed. Be prepared with the building's PIN number.