You won the bid at the trustee's sale. Someone is still living in the property. ROI Law Firm is the law firm purchasers and investors in Tacoma and Pierce County call to convert a deed into actual possession, lawfully and quickly.
A foreclosure sale transfers title, not keys. The auction ends, the trustee's deed records, and the former owner, their relatives, or a tenant nobody disclosed is still inside. At that point the foreclosure process is over and a different legal process begins: filing an unlawful detainer action as the new owner of occupied property.
This corner of Washington law rewards precision. Who is living in the property matters more than anything else, because a former owner, a bona fide tenant, and an unknown occupant each carry different rights and different timelines under foreclosure law. Serve the wrong papers and the court sends you back to the beginning while your carrying costs run.
01 - OUR FOCUS
REPRESENTING PURCHASERS, NOT BORROWERS
We represent purchasers: investors, flippers, and lenders taking properties back after a sale. If you are a homeowner trying to protect your home, and what you need is foreclosure defense, loan modifications, or repayment plans to stop a sale, that is the other side of this practice area, and most firms advertising a free consultation on foreclosure relief serve that audience. Seek legal help early if that is your situation. If you are the buyer, the rest of this page was written for you.
02 - THE LAW
WHAT WASHINGTON LAW SAYS AFTER THE SALE
01
MOST WASHINGTON FORECLOSURES ARE NONJUDICIAL
02
THE FORMER OWNER'S 20-DAY WINDOW
03
BONA FIDE TENANTS ARE A DIFFERENT CASE
04
PROPER NOTICES, NOT STANDARD EVICTION NOTICES
03 - THE PROCESS
HOW WE HANDLE A POST-FORECLOSURE EVICTION
01
OCCUPANCY ASSESSMENT.
02
PROPER NOTICES OR NEGOTIATED EXIT
03
FILE THE UNLAWFUL DETAINER
04
WRIT OF RESTITUTION
04 - FEES
WHAT IT COSTS
Flat fees for notices and uncontested matters, hourly for contested cases, quoted before we begin by an experienced attorney who handles these files weekly. For investors, we can also review occupancy risk on a property before you bid, which is the cheapest peace of mind we sell.
05 - COVERAGE
WHERE WE PRACTICE
Based in Tacoma, serving purchasers and investors across Pierce County, including Lakewood and Puyallup, plus Kitsap, Eastside King, and Snohomish counties throughout Washington State.
06 - FAQ
QUESTIONS PURCHASERS ASK US
01
HOW SOON AFTER THE TRUSTEE'S SALE CAN I TAKE POSSESSION?
If the property is vacant, immediately. If the former owner remains, roughly 20 days must pass before an unlawful detainer can proceed. If a bona fide tenant lives there, plan on 90 days or longer. The occupant determines the calendar.
02
SHOULD I JUST OFFER CASH FOR KEYS?
Often, yes. A negotiated move-out frequently costs less than a contested case and leaves the property in better condition. We structure the agreement in writing so the payment actually ends the occupancy instead of funding a longer one.
03
WHAT IF THE OCCUPANT CLAIMS TO BE A TENANT?
Verify before you act. Courts scrutinize leases that appear after a foreclosure, but a legitimate tenancy changes your notice obligations completely. We investigate the claimed lease, the payment history, and the relationship to the former owner.
04
DO I NEED A FORECLOSURE ATTORNEY OR AN EVICTION LAWYER?
This work sits between the two, which is why generalists mishandle it. You want a foreclosure attorney's understanding of the sale process and an eviction practice's command of the courtroom. Talk to a lawyer today who does both, because the errors here happen in the first week, not the last.
Every week an occupied property sits unresolved, your carrying costs grow. Bring the trustee's deed and what you know about the occupants. We will classify the occupancy, map your timeline, and quote the fee before you commit.
Tacoma, WA
(253) 753-1530
1302 North I Street, Suite C, Tacoma, WA 98403
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