Techoclaro
PRO
All statesState guide

Foreclosure and tax sales in Hawaii

What our research shows about Hawaii's rules. General information with sources — not legal advice, and not a reading of your papers.

CoreResearched in depth, key rules checked against the official text.Research last reviewed 2026-09-22
Start your case free

How foreclosure works

Usual process
Judicial (through court)

Nonjudicial foreclosure is allowed, but lenders routinely file in court, partly to avoid the dispute-resolution program.

From a reputable summary[2][1]
Allowed processes
Judicial (through court) · Nonjudicial (out of court)
From a reputable summary[1]
Main statutes
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 667-20; Haw. Rev. Stat. § 667-22; Haw. Rev. Stat. § 667-25; Haw. Rev. Stat. § 667-27; Haw. Rev. Stat. § 667-38; Haw. Rev. Stat. § 667-53; Haw. Rev. Stat. § 667-71
From a reputable summary[1]
Typical length (estimate)
Not researched yet for this state.

The usual timeline

  1. +At least 120 days

    Federal rule: the servicer generally cannot make the first foreclosure notice or filing until you are more than 120 days behind

    Applies to most home loans in every state. A complete loss-mitigation application sent more than 37 days before a sale also triggers federal protections.

    Checked against the official text12 CFR § 1024.41(f)(1)
  2. +At least 60 days

    Pre-suit notice — at least 60 days before the lawsuit can be filed

    Nonjudicial: the notice of default and intention to foreclose must give a cure date at least 60 days after the notice.

    From a reputable summary

  3. Lawsuit filed and you are served with the summons and complaint

    Nonjudicial foreclosure is allowed, but lenders routinely file in court, partly to avoid the dispute-resolution program.

    From a reputable summary

  4. Answer the lawsuit by the deadline on your summons

    Read the summons: it states the deadline. Missing it can mean a default judgment.

    Not confirmed — check it

  5. Ask for mediation — your state gives you the right to request it

    Mortgage Foreclosure Dispute Resolution (MFDR) Program. In a nonjudicial foreclosure an owner-occupant may elect dispute resolution with the lender. An owner-occupant may instead convert the case to a judicial foreclosure — but not after electing MFDR.

    From a reputable summary

  6. Court judgment of foreclosure (if the lender wins)

    From a reputable summary
  7. +At least 14 days

    Sheriff’s / court sale

    Nonjudicial: notice of sale published once a week for three consecutive weeks; the sale is the later of 60 days after the notice by publication or 14 days after the third ad (or online notice 28 days before plus one newspaper notice 14 days before).

    From a reputable summary

  8. No right to redeem after the sale

    No redemption after a judicial or nonjudicial sale.

    From a reputable summary

A general sequence built from the rules above. "At least" periods are the shortest we found; your case can take longer.

Notices and the sale

Notice before foreclosure
At least 60 daysNonjudicial: the notice of default and intention to foreclose must give a cure date at least 60 days after the notice.

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 667-22

From a reputable summary[1]
Notice of sale
At least 14 daysNonjudicial: notice of sale published once a week for three consecutive weeks; the sale is the later of 60 days after the notice by publication or 14 days after the third ad (or online notice 28 days before plus one newspaper notice 14 days before).

Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 667-20, 667-25, 667-27

From a reputable summary[1]
Publication
Newspaper once a week for three weeks, or state website plus one newspaper notice.
From a reputable summary[1]
When sales happen
Not researched yet for this state.

Your rights before and after the sale

Catching up (reinstatement)
Nonjudicial: cure up to three business days before the sale. Judicial: no statutory right.

Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 667-27, 667-28(d)

From a reputable summary[1]
Buying the home back (redemption)
NoNo redemption after a judicial or nonjudicial sale.
From a reputable summary[1][2]
Owing money after the sale (deficiency)
LimitedAllowed after a judicial foreclosure. Not allowed after a nonjudicial foreclosure of an owner-occupied residence (unless other collateral secures the debt).

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 667-38

From a reputable summary[1]
Mediation
Available on requestMortgage Foreclosure Dispute Resolution (MFDR) Program.In a nonjudicial foreclosure an owner-occupant may elect dispute resolution with the lender. An owner-occupant may instead convert the case to a judicial foreclosure — but not after electing MFDR.

Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 667-53, 667-71 et seq.

From a reputable summary[1]

Property tax sales

Tax sale system
Redeemable tax deed

“Foreclosure without suit”: after the lien has existed three years the county sells at public auction; the buyer’s deed is subject to redemption.

From a reputable summary[3]
How it works
Registered-mail notice at least 45 days before the sale, four weeks of newspaper notice and posting (including on the property).
From a reputable summary[3]
Redeeming after a tax sale
One year after the sale (or after recording, if the deed is recorded more than 60 days after the sale), paying the price, costs and 12% a year.

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 231-67

From a reputable summary[3]
Relief programs
  • County home exemptions (owner-occupants; some for 65+ or lower income) — Property tax is a county tax in Hawaii — ask your county.
From a reputable summary[3]
Payment plans
Not researched yet for this state.
Surplus after a tax sale
Not researched yet for this state.

Bankruptcy exemptions

Federal exemption list
You may choose the federal list

You may choose the federal bankruptcy exemption list (11 U.S.C. § 522(d)) instead of the state list — one list or the other, never a mix.

From a reputable summary[4]
Homestead exemption
$20,000 ($30,000 head of family or 65+)$20,000, or $30,000 for a head of family or an owner 65 or older; one exemption per parcel.(Haw. Rev. Stat. § 651-92(a))
From a reputable summary[5]

Where to get free help

Free legal aid (LSC-funded)
Checked against the official text[7]
Legal help website
Checked against the official text[8]
State housing agency
Checked against the official text[6]
Attorney general / consumer protection
Checked against the official text[9]
Court self-help

The official site blocked our automated check on 2026-09-22; confirm the page before relying on it.

Not confirmed — check it[10]
HUD-approved housing counselors
HUD-approved housing counseling agencies — Free or low-cost, HUD-approved housing counselors in every state. Call or search by ZIP code.

Sources

Retrieved 2026-09-22. Official texts are marked “official”; summaries are marked “summary”.

  1. [1]Nolo — Hawaii Foreclosure Laws and Proceduressummary
  2. [2]Nolo — State Foreclosure Laws: 50-state chart (process, deficiency, redemption, reinstatement)summary
  3. [3]Nolo — Hawaii property tax salessummary
  4. [4]Nolo — Federal Bankruptcy Exemptions — which states allow the federal list11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(2)summary
  5. [5]Asset Protection Planners — Homestead Exemptions by U.S. State and Territory (2026 chart with statute cites)summary
  6. [6]Hawaiʻi Housing Finance & Development Corporation – Department of Business, Economic Devel (official site, checked live)official
  7. [7]Legal Services Corporation — Our Grantees (official list of LSC-funded programs by state)official
  8. [8]Home (official site, checked live)official
  9. [9]Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) - DCCA Hawaii (official site, checked live)official
  10. [10]Hawaii State Judiciary — Self-Helpofficial