What to Do The Week You Get an Act 91 Notice in Greater Philadelphia
If a certified envelope marked with an Act 91 notice just landed on your kitchen table in Greater Philadelphia, the first thing you should know is this: you are not alone, and you are not out of options. But you do not have unlimited time. The 33-day clock for your face-to-face HEMAP counseling meeting is already running.
This is the practical, day-by-day checklist for the week you get an Act 91 notice — written by a team that has walked Greater Philadelphia homeowners through this hundreds of times. We will tell you who to call first, what to read, and what to decide before the foreclosure complaint gets filed in the Court of Common Pleas.
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Day 1 — Read the Notice and Find the Postmark Date
This sounds obvious; it is not. The single most important piece of information on the document is the postmark date. The 33-day HEMAP application window runs from that date. Find it, write it down, count 33 days forward, and put that deadline on your calendar. Every other decision this week is paced against that date.
The notice will also identify the lender, the mortgage account, the property address, the amount of the default, and the right to apply for HEMAP via face-to-face counseling. Read it slowly. Underline the key terms. If you do not understand something, do not guess.
Day 1 — Pull Out Your Mortgage Documents
Find your mortgage documents — the note, the deed of trust or mortgage, and any recent statements. Look for whether your mortgage is FHA Title II (purchase). If it is, HEMAP is not available to you (FHA Title II purchase mortgages are excluded from HEMAP eligibility), and your timeline and options shift. Conventional, VA, and most other mortgages are HEMAP-eligible.
Day 1–2 — Call a HEMAP-Approved Counselor
Before you call us, call them. The PHFA HEMAP counselor directory lists approved agencies by Pennsylvania county. Schedule the face-to-face meeting immediately — the 33-day deadline is strict. The counseling meeting is free, and the counselor's only job is to help you. They will assess HEMAP eligibility honestly. They will tell you if HEMAP is realistic in your case or not.
Day 2–3 — Call Your Servicer and Apply for Loss Mitigation
Federal mortgage-servicing rules require your servicer to evaluate any complete loss-mitigation application you submit. Modification, repayment plan, forbearance, short sale, deed in lieu — all of these are options that can be requested.
Submit in writing to create a paper trail. Be aware: applying for loss mitigation does not automatically stop the foreclosure timeline unless certain conditions are met, but it does open documented options. Document every call with dates and names.
Day 2–4 — Get a Real Cash Offer in Hand
Even if you are not sure you want to sell, get the written number so you know what one option looks like. We are Joe Petrusky, Mike Ferrise, and Sam Holloway — Pennsylvania's #1 Experienced Cash Homebuyer with more than 500 single-family acquisitions across Greater Philadelphia since 2018. We will give you a fair written offer within 24 hours, with no obligation. If selling for cash before the sheriff sale is the cleanest path for your situation, you will know. If HEMAP or another option is the right path, you will know that too — and you have not lost anything by finding out the cash number.
Day 4–5 — Consider Whether to Talk to a Pennsylvania Attorney
If there is any deficiency exposure, any chance you might want to file Chapter 13 bankruptcy to pause the sale, any irregularity in the notices you received, or any second-foreclosure issue under JPMorgan Chase v. Taggart (203 A.3d 187, Pa. 2019), an attorney is worth the call. The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network provides free legal help to homeowners who qualify. The Philadelphia Bar Association and county bar associations operate lawyer referral services for paid consultations.
Day 5–7 — Decide
By the end of the week, you should have: the Act 91 postmark date and 33-day deadline on your calendar, a HEMAP-approved counselor face-to-face meeting scheduled, a loss-mitigation application in motion with your lender, a written cash offer in hand, and either an attorney consultation booked or a clear decision that you do not need one. From that position, you can make a real choice — informed, calm, and on your own timeline rather than the bank's.
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If You Decide to Sell to Schuylkill Home
We coordinate directly with your servicer for the payoff figure and with a licensed Pennsylvania title company to schedule closing — typically before the sheriff sale date. You bring nothing to closing except what you need; we handle the rest. The mortgage is paid off at closing, the foreclosure case becomes moot, any remaining equity comes to you, and your credit takes far less damage than a completed foreclosure would inflict. Pennsylvania's #1 Experienced Cash Homebuyer.
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