You have 20 days to respond to a foreclosure lawsuit in New York if you were personally served, or 30 days if the papers were served by other means. However, don’t wait until the deadline—the sooner you respond, the more time you’ll have to build your defense and explore alternatives. Missing this deadline can result in a default judgment, which makes it much harder to save your home. Even if you’ve already missed the deadline, you may still have options, but you need to act immediately to protect your rights.