Notice of default
In California, the recorded notice that starts a trustee's sale foreclosure; in Texas, the letter that gives a borrower 20 days to catch up.
A notice of default is the formal word that a borrower has fallen behind and the lender plans to act. What it looks like depends on the state.
California. The notice of default is recorded with the county recorder, and it's the first public record of a trustee's sale foreclosure. It identifies the deed of trust, describes the default, and says the lender has chosen to sell. At least three months have to pass before the trustee can schedule a sale, and the sale can't be earlier than three months and 20 days after the notice was recorded. For an owner-occupied home, the servicer first has to reach out to the borrower (or make a real effort to) and wait 30 days before recording it. How California foreclosure works
Texas. Here it's a letter, not a public record. For a borrower's home, the servicer sends it by certified mail and gives at least 20 days to catch up before a notice of sale can go out. The first public record in Texas is usually the notice of sale. How Texas foreclosure works
Florida. Foreclosures go through the courts, so there's no recorded notice of default. The public trail starts with the lis pendens and the lawsuit.
A notice of default doesn't mean a sale will happen. Borrowers often catch up (reinstate), sell or work something out, and in California the lender then records a rescission of the notice.
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General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, talk to a lawyer.