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Read. Follow. Verify.Maryland Senate Bill 353 establishes a 10-year deadline to file residential foreclosures and adds documentation rules for older defaulted debt
Last action · April 13, 2026: Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial ProceedingsSponsor: Nick Charles
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What This Bill Would Do
Maryland Senate Bill 353 requires residential mortgage foreclosure actions to be filed within 10 years of the claimed default date. For debt acquired when already in default for 5 or more years, secured parties must present specific additional court documents with their filing. The measure takes effect June 1, 2026.
The measure sets a strict 10-year statute of limitations for initiating residential foreclosures, limiting how long lenders can delay taking legal action after a default occurs, and requires extra documentation for purchasers of severely delinquent debt.
- Maryland real property law governs the procedural requirements and timelines for filing residential mortgage foreclosures in circuit courts. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Secured parties
Secured parties must comply with a 10-year filing deadline and provide additional documentation when foreclosing on debt acquired after 5 or more years in default.
Mortgagors
Mortgagors are protected by a mandatory 10-year cutoff for initiating foreclosure actions and clearer documentation standards.
Key Facts
- Foreclosure actions for residential mortgages or deeds of trust must be commenced not later than 10 years after the date of default claimed in the order to docket or complaint.
- Secured parties acquiring debt that was in default for 5 or more years before acquisition must present documents required under § 5-1203(b) of the Courts Article with the order to docket or complaint.
- An order to docket or complaint to foreclose must include a filing fee of $450.
- The Act takes effect on June 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline for filing a residential foreclosure under this bill?
What extra requirement applies if a secured party acquired debt that was already in default for 5 years?
When does this legislation take effect?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
3 actions- Apr 13, 2026SenateCommitteeFavorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings
- Jan 28, 2026SenateHearing 2/03 at 2:00 p.m.
- Jan 23, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst Reading Judicial Proceedings
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Introduction of Foreclosure Statute of Limitations
The bill establishes a hard 10-year limit from the date of default to commence a residential foreclosure action.
Sources
mgaleg.maryland.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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