Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process a lender uses to sell a home when the borrower falls behind on the mortgage. New Jersey is a judicial foreclosure state, so every case goes through the court.
New Jersey example
Say a Paterson homeowner falls behind. The lender must first send a Notice of Intent to Foreclose, and the owner has 30 days to pay the amount needed to cure the debt or make other arrangements. They can ask for free foreclosure mediation, where a neutral mediator guides both sides but does not decide the case. Once served with a complaint, they have 35 days to answer.
Official source
Foreclosure Self-Help | NJ Courts
This is a plain-English summary. Rules and dollar amounts change, so check the official source or a professional before you file or sign anything.