Document Folder Checklist

This is for your own organization, not for filing as-is in court.

1. Physical or digital (or both)

Decide how you'll store: a physical folder or binder for paper copies, and/or a digital folder on your computer or cloud (with backups). Many homeowners do both.

2. Core categories

Create subfolders for:

• (1) Court Documents — summons and complaint, motions filed, court orders/decisions/notices, referee reports
• (2) Service & Notice — affidavits of service, postmarked envelopes, letters where you first learned of the case
• (3) Assignments & Ownership — assignments of mortgage/deed of trust, allonges to the note, "new owner/servicer" letters, public-record printouts
• (4) Loan & Payment History — original note/mortgage/deed of trust, payment histories, loan modification agreements, forbearance or trial plan letters
• (5) Communication & Behavior — letters/emails from servicers/attorneys, phone call logs, inspection or "vacant/abandoned" notices, complaint filings and responses
• (6) Personal Notes & Timelines — your Timeline Worksheet (Guide 5), personal journal entries, prepared written questions

3. Simple naming system (for digital)

Try a consistent naming convention: YYYY-MM-DD – Type – Who – Short description. Examples: "2018-06-01 – Court – Summons & Complaint – Bank ABC," "2021-10-15 – Assignment – Fannie to DLJ – Recorded," "2023-03-05 – Letter – Servicer XYZ – Acceleration Notice." This makes it much easier to search and sort later.

4. What if you don't have everything?

Common gaps: documents never received directly, misplaced older letters, files kept by prior attorneys. Do what you can with what you have now, what you can download from your court's e-filing system, and what you can request from servicers or prior counsel. The goal is not perfection. The goal is moving from scattered to centralized.