Section 17B. No action for a deficiency shall be brought after June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and forty-six by the holder of a mortgage note or other obligation secured by mortgage of real estate after a foreclosure sale by him taking place after January first, nineteen hundred and forty-six unless a notice in writing of the mortgagee‘s intention to foreclose the mortgage has been mailed, postage prepaid, by registered mail with return receipt requested, to the defendant sought to be charged with the deficiency at his last address then known to the mortgagee, together with a warning of liability for the deficiency, in substantially the form below, not less than twenty-one days before the date of the sale under the power in the mortgage, and an affidavit has been signed and sworn to, within thirty days after the foreclosure sale, of the mailing of such notice. A notice mailed as aforesaid shall be a sufficient notice, and such an affidavit made within the time specified shall be prima facie evidence in such action of the mailing of such notice. The notice and affidavit, respectively, shall be in substantially the following forms:

Notice of Intention to Foreclose and of Deficiency After Foreclosure of Mortgage.

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Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws ch. 244 sec. 17B

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

To A.B. Street

You are hereby notified, in accordance with the statute, of my intention, on or after   , to foreclose by sale under power of sale for breach of condition, the mortgage held by me on property on   Street in   in the County of   dated   and recorded with   deeds Book   page   to secure a note (or other obligation) signed by you, for the whole, or part, of which you may be liable to me in case of a deficiency in the proceeds of the foreclosure sale.

Yours very truly,

C.D. Holder of said mortgage.

Affidavit.

I hereby certify on oath that on the   day of   (insert year) I mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid and return receipt requested, the notice, a copy of which appears below, directed to the persons or person at the addresses therein named which were the last addresses of such persons known to me at the time of mailing.

(Here insert copy)

Signed and sworn to before me this   day of   (insert year)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .