As part of the decree of foreclosure, the purchaser at sheriff’s sale is awarded a “writ of possession.” This allows the purchaser to evict the former owners of the home without the need to file a separate eviction case. The purchaser must notify the Sheriff’s Department that he or she desires to have the previous owner evicted. At this point a representative of the Sheriff’s Department will notify the previous owners of the house in question of the date by which they must vacate the premises, usually within two weeks of the notification.
Once the plaintiff and any other parties who have claimed a lien on the property have been paid out of the sheriff’s sale proceeds, the party who owned the property at the time of sheriff’s sale is entitled to any remaining funds. In order to receive these funds, the owner of the property at the time of sheriff’s sale must file a motion to distribute balance of funds with the Clerk of Court.