Written servicing notice that directs a delinquent mortgage borrower to available loss-mitigation information and assistance contacts.
A mortgage servicing early intervention notice is a written notice that directs a delinquent borrower to available loss-mitigation information and assistance contacts.
For covered mortgages, federal servicing rules pair the written notice with the servicer’s efforts to establish live contact. The purpose is to connect the borrower with possible help before delinquency progresses further, not to promise a modification or replace required payments.
Borrowers can lose time by treating every delinquency letter as routine collection mail. Early intervention is the point at which the servicer should make the existence of possible loss-mitigation options and a contact path more visible.
The timing also helps borrowers distinguish an early assistance communication from a later foreclosure document. A notice may arrive while the borrower still has time to collect income records, complete an application, and understand the servicer’s review process.
Receiving the notice does not pause interest, late charges, credit reporting, or every foreclosure-related deadline. The borrower should continue reading all correspondence and confirm the account’s status directly with the servicer.
Under the general federal rule for covered loans, the servicer must make good-faith efforts to establish live contact by the 36th day of delinquency and promptly tell the borrower, when appropriate, that loss-mitigation options may be available.
The servicer generally must also send a written early intervention notice by the 45th day of delinquency. Exceptions and special rules can apply, including for certain borrowers, servicing situations, and mortgage types.
| Timing point | General servicing step |
|---|---|
| By the 36th day of delinquency | Make good-faith efforts to establish live contact |
| Promptly after contact, when appropriate | Inform borrower that loss-mitigation options may be available |
| By the 45th day of delinquency | Send the written early intervention notice |
Delinquency is generally measured from the date a periodic payment sufficient to cover principal, interest, and applicable escrow became due and unpaid.
The written notice generally includes:
The notice does not list every option the borrower will qualify for. Eligibility depends on the complete application, investor or program rules, account status, and verified financial information.
A borrower misses the June payment after a reduction in work hours. The servicer attempts live contact and later sends the written notice with a phone number for its assistance team and instructions for requesting a loss-mitigation package.
The borrower calls, asks what documents are needed, and submits income and expense information. The early intervention notice did not grant forbearance or a modification; it helped the borrower enter the correct review path before the delinquency became more severe.
An early intervention notice differs from a Late Notice because a late notice primarily reports an overdue payment and amount due. Early intervention focuses on contact and possible assistance.
It differs from Loss Mitigation because loss mitigation is the broader review of alternatives to foreclosure. The early notice is an entry-point communication, not the review itself.
It differs from a Loss Mitigation Acknowledgment Notice because the acknowledgment responds after the servicer receives an application and addresses whether the package is complete or incomplete.
It also differs from a Notice of Default because a default notice is a formal escalation document under the mortgage contract or applicable foreclosure process.