The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Subchapter
001
:
GENERAL PROVISIONS
(Cite as: 12 V.S.A. § 4932)
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§ 4932. Venue; joinder of parties; recording
(a) Actions to foreclose a mortgage under subchapter 2 or 3 of this chapter shall be brought
in the Civil Division of the Superior Court for the county where the land lies, or,
if the land described in the mortgage lies in more than one county, then in one of
the counties in which the land lies.
(b) The plaintiff shall file a copy of the complaint in the town clerk’s office in each
town where the mortgaged property is located. The clerk of the town shall minute on
the margin of the record of the mortgage that a copy of foreclosure proceedings on
the mortgage is filed. The filing shall be sufficient notice of the pendency of the
action to all persons who acquire any interest or lien on the mortgaged premises between
the dates of filing the copy of foreclosure and the recording of the final judgment
in the proceedings. Without further notice or service, those persons shall be bound
by the judgment entered in the cause and be foreclosed from all rights or equity in
the premises as completely as though they had been parties in the original action.
(c) If the mortgaged property is subject to a residential rental agreement, as defined
in 9 V.S.A. § 4451:
(1) The plaintiff shall join as a party defendant any person occupying the mortgaged property
pursuant to a residential rental agreement as of the date the copy of the complaint
is recorded in the land records. Service of the complaint on the tenant shall be sufficient
if mailed to the tenant by first class mail at the address specified in the rental
agreement, if the agreement is recorded, or to the “occupant” at the address of the
leased premises if the agreement is not recorded.
(2) The summons and complaint served on any person occupying the premises pursuant to
a residential rental agreement shall contain the following notice, written in at least
14-point type:
THE PROPERTY IN WHICH YOU LIVE IS BEING FORECLOSED UPON. YOU ARE NAMED AS A DEFENDANT
IN THE FORECLOSURE BECAUSE YOUR RIGHT TO REMAIN ON THE PREMISES MAY END WHEN THE FORECLOSURE
IS COMPLETED. YOU MUST NOTIFY THE COURT OF YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IN ORDER TO BE KEPT
INFORMED OF THE STATUS OF THE FORECLOSURE.
(3) Upon receipt of the complaint, the owner of the mortgaged property shall notify each
tenant who enters into a residential rental agreement that the premises are the subject
of a pending foreclosure action and that, in the event the owner is unable to redeem
the premises, the tenant may be required to vacate the premises upon 30 days’ notice,
or upon such other notice as is required by federal law, whichever is longer. The
failure of the owner to provide notice under this subsection shall not affect or invalidate
the foreclosure action.
(d) All proceedings shall be before the Superior judge alone, and trial shall be without
jury. (Added 2011, No. 102 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)