Texas Property Code 51.004 – Judicial Foreclosure–Deficiency
(a) This section applies if:
(1) real property subject to a deed of trust or other contract lien is sold at a foreclosure sale under a court judgment foreclosing the lien and ordering the sale; and
(2) the price at which the real property is sold is less than the unpaid balance of the indebtedness secured by the real property, resulting in a deficiency.
(b) Any person obligated on the indebtedness, including a guarantor, may bring an action in the district court in the county in which the real property is located for a determination of the fair market value of the real property as of the date of the foreclosure sale. The suit must be brought not later than the 90th day after the date of the foreclosure sale unless the suit is brought by a guarantor who did not receive actual notice of the sale before the date of sale, in which case the suit must be brought by the guarantor not later than the 90th day after the date the guarantor received actual notice of the sale. The fair market value shall be determined by the finder of fact after the introduction by the parties of competent evidence of the value. Competent evidence of value may include:
(1) expert opinion testimony;
(2) comparable sales;
(3) anticipated marketing time and holding costs;
(4) cost of sale; and
(5) the necessity and amount of any discount to be applied to the future sales price or the cash flow generated by the property to arrive at a fair market value as of the date of the foreclosure sale.
Terms Used In Texas Property Code 51.004
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- 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.
- Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
- 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
- Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. Source: OCC
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
- 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.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Property: means real and personal property. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
(c) If the finder of fact determines that the fair market value is greater than the sale price of the real property at the foreclosure sale, the persons obligated on the indebtedness, including guarantors, are entitled to an offset against the deficiency in the amount by which the fair market value, less the amount of any claim, indebtedness, or obligation of any kind that is secured by a lien or encumbrance on the real property that was not extinguished by the foreclosure, exceeds the sale price. If no competent evidence of fair market value is introduced, the sale price at the foreclosure sale shall be used to compute the deficiency.
(d) Any money received by a lender from a private mortgage guaranty insurer shall be credited to the account of the borrower before the lender brings an action at law for any deficiency owed by the borrower. However, the credit required by this subsection does not apply to the exercise by a private mortgage guaranty insurer of its subrogation rights against a borrower or other person liable for any deficiency.