A Pennsylvania Writ of Execution — Mortgage Foreclosure is a legal document used to begin the process of forcing a homeowner to pay a debt secured by a mortgage lien. It is typically issued by a court to a sheriff, who will then serve the document to the homeowner. The Writ instructs the sheriff to take possession of the home and sell it to satisfy the debt. There are two main types of Pennsylvania Writs of Execution — Mortgage Foreclosure: judicial mortgage foreclosure and non-judicial mortgage foreclosure. With judicial mortgage foreclosure, the lender must first file a complaint in court and obtain a court judgment before initiating the Writ of Execution. With non-judicial mortgage foreclosure, the lender can begin the foreclosure process without having to file a complaint in court.