Title 34
Property
Chapter 27
Mortgage Foreclosure and Sale
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-27-7
§ 34-27-7. Notice to tenants of foreclosure sale.
(a) The mortgagee shall provide to each bona fide tenant a written notice: (1) Stating
that the real estate is scheduled to be sold at foreclosure; (2) Stating the date,
time, and place initially scheduled for the sale; (3) Informing of the availability
and advisability of counseling and information services; (4) Providing the address
and telephone number of the Rhode Island housing help center and the United Way 2-1-1 center; (5) Reminding the recipient to continue paying rent to the landlord until
the foreclosure sale occurs; and (6) Stating that this notice is not an eviction notice.
The notice shall be mailed by first-class mail at least one business day prior to
the first publication of the notice required by § 34-27-4. A form of written notice meeting the requirements of this section shall be promulgated
by the department of business regulation for use by mortgagees no later than sixty
(60) days after the effective date of this section. The notice may be addressed to
“Occupant” and mailed to each dwelling unit of the real estate identified in the application
for the loan secured by the mortgage being foreclosed. Failure of the mortgagee to
provide notice as provided herein shall not affect the validity of the foreclosure.
(b) For purposes of this section, a lease or tenancy shall be considered bona fide only
if:
(1) The mortgagor, or the child, spouse, or parent of the mortgagor, under the contract
is not the tenant;
(2) The lease or tenancy was the result of an arms-length transaction; and