Quick answer
Florida forecloses through the courts, so every Hillsborough pre-foreclosure starts as a lawsuit at the Clerk of Court.
The Clerk posts a free monthly file of every new civil case. Filter it for mortgage foreclosures and you have the list.
A year of Hillsborough filings
We counted every foreclosure case in the Clerk’s files from September 2025 through August 2026: 2,903 cases, or about 240 a month.
| Case type | Cases |
|---|---|
| Homestead (owner lives there) | 1,491 |
| Non-homestead (rentals, second homes, vacant) | 793 |
| Small claims under $50,000, mostly HOAs and condo associations | 520 |
| Commercial | 99 |
Two groups are worth a closer look. Non-homestead cases are homes the owner does not claim as their main residence, so the owner may live elsewhere and be ready to let go.
Most of the small cases claim less than $15,000. The owner may have plenty of equity and a small problem, which can make for a simple purchase.
Use the Clerk’s case file
The Clerk publishes it free, as a spreadsheet you can filter.
Download last month’s file
On the bulk data page, open the newest “Bulk Data Case File”. It is posted around the 10th and covers cases filed the month before.
Filter for foreclosures
In a spreadsheet, filter the CaseType column for “Mortgage Foreclosure”. Each type says homestead or non-homestead and the size of the claim.
Open the case
Search the case number in HOVER, the Clerk’s court records search, to see every filing and whether a judgment or sale date is set.
Find the property
Search the defendant’s name in the Clerk’s official records for the lis pendens, which describes the property. Then look it up in the Property Appraiser search for the address, value, and owner’s mailing address.
How a Hillsborough case moves
Where the case is decides how much time you have with the owner.
The lawsuit and lis pendens are filed
The lender or association sues in circuit or county court and records a lis pendens against the property.
You: The case shows up in next month’s case file.
The owner is served
The owner has 20 days to respond. Many cases settle, pause, or get dismissed from here.
You: Reach the owner while there is still time to sell.
Final judgment sets a sale date
Florida law puts the sale 20 to 35 days after the judgment. The notice runs for two weeks before.
You: Time is short. The judgment shows how much is owed.
The online sale
Weekdays at 10 a.m. on the Clerk’s auction site. Bidders put down 5% before the sale and pay the rest by noon the next business day.
You: Bid, or keep working with the owner until the sale.
Certificate of sale, then title
Once the Clerk files the certificate of sale, the owner can no longer redeem. Title issues after a 10-day objection period.
You: Pre-foreclosure is over. Any surplus goes to the former owner.
The owner can still sell to you
Upcoming sales are listed on the Clerk’s auction site. The foreclosure sales page has the deposit and payment rules.
Florida’s rules for buying from the owner
Once a lis pendens is recorded on a home, Florida treats a buyer who deals with the owner as an “equity purchaser” (section 501.1377). Two rules stand out.
In writing
A full written contract
It must include set details and the line “I understand that under this agreement I am selling my home” in capital letters.
Cooling off
The owner can cancel
Without penalty, until 5 p.m. on the third business day after signing. Plan your timeline around it.
For what to check before you make an offer, see the main pre-foreclosure guide.
Get Hillsborough alerts by email
New cases are filed every week. eFormative checks pre-foreclosure records monthly and emails you the new ones, so you skip the spreadsheet.
To set it up, send an email like this one.
Send me pre-foreclosures in Hillsborough County, FL.
New here? Start free first, then send it.
Questions
Is there a free pre-foreclosure list for Hillsborough County?
Yes, in effect. The Clerk posts a free CSV of every new civil case each month, including mortgage foreclosures. You still need to look up each property yourself.
How many foreclosures are filed in Hillsborough County each month?
About 240. We counted 2,903 foreclosure cases filed from September 2025 through August 2026 in the Clerk’s monthly case files.
When are Hillsborough foreclosure auctions?
Every weekday at 10 a.m., online at hillsborough.realforeclose.com. Each sale date is set by the judge in the final judgment.
Can an HOA foreclose on a home in Florida?
Yes. Homeowner and condo associations can foreclose for unpaid dues. In Hillsborough, they filed most of the smaller foreclosure cases in the past year.
Until when can a Hillsborough owner sell or save the home?
Until the Clerk files the certificate of sale after the auction, unless the judgment sets a later date (Florida Statutes section 45.0315).