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Union County, North Carolina Court Filings Intelligence

Live court-record analysis of property-related filings (foreclosure, probate, divorce, partition, guardianship). Data sourced direct from Union County court dockets. Updated 2026-08-03. See methodology.

Investor takeaway

About Union County

Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 238,267. Its county seat is Monroe. Union County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Source: Wikipedia

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At a glance

4054 verified property-related court filings tracked across 16 months (Sep 2020 to Jul 2026).

248 typical monthly filing volume.

0% of filings involve owners whose mailing address differs from the property address (2 of 4054 filings).

$435,800 median estimated property value across the 1039 filings with property-enrichment data (26% coverage).

3.5% North Carolina unemployment rate (BLS, as of 2026-05). Filings should be read against the local-economy backdrop.

Filing type breakdown

Filing typeFilingsShare
Other 3383 83.4%
Divorce 527 13.0%
Pre-Foreclosure 52 1.3%
Probate 41 1.0%
Real Estate Dispute 37 0.9%
Tax Sale 9 0.2%
Guardianship 5 0.1%

Each row is a distinct case verified for current owner-of-record before inclusion.

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Monthly filing activity

MonthFilingsvs prior
Sep 2020 1
Oct 2020 1 0
Feb 2025 1 0
Jul 2025 62 +61
Aug 2025 291 +229
Sep 2025 370 +79
Oct 2025 285 -85
Nov 2025 272 -13
Dec 2025 306 +34
Jan 2026 489 +183
Feb 2026 368 -121
Mar 2026 285 -83
Apr 2026 312 +27
May 2026 294 -18
Jun 2026 387 +93
Jul 2026 324 -63

Each row reflects new filings entering the dataset that month, after ownership verification. Most recent month may be partial.

Geographic concentration by ZIP

Top 5 ZIPs in Union County account for 0.3% of all tracked filings, showing where distressed real estate activity clusters.

ZIPCityFilingsShare
28173 6 0.1%
28110 2 0.0%
28103 2 0.0%
28104 1 0.0%
28112 1 0.0%

Based on filings with a parseable property address (0% of Union County filings).

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Property value distribution

Estimated valueFilingsShare
Under $75k 4 0.4%
$75k - $150k 15 1.4%
$150k - $250k 55 5.3%
$250k - $400k 349 33.6%
$400k+ 616 59.3%

Source: third-party property enrichment (26% coverage on Union County filings). Median $435,800; mean $526,633.

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Day-of-week filing pattern

DayFilingsShare
Sun 392 9.7%
Mon 555 13.7%
Tue 1097 27.1%
Wed 928 22.9%
Thu 745 18.4%
Fri 328 8.1%
Sat 3 0.1%

Filings show some weekend activity, suggesting after-hours electronic filing. Computed for 4048 filings with a parseable date.

Housing stock + distress signals

Underlying housing stock and distress indicators across all 86730 Union County housing units, from US Census ACS 5-year data. National reference values shown for context.

Indicator Union County US average
Vacancy rate (incl. seasonal + for-sale)5.2%10.5%
Share of owner-occupied units carrying a mortgage72.2%60.8%
Pre-1940 housing stock2.6%12.3%
Single-family detached share of housing stock86.6%61.2%
Residents age 65 or older13.2%17.3%

Source: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS 2023 5-year). National reference values are ACS 2022 5-year US totals. Why these matter: vacancy rate is the strongest single proxy for distressed inventory; mortgage-carrying share defines the risk pool exposed to rate environment; pre-1940 stock signals deferred maintenance and renovation opportunity; senior population correlates with probate pipeline depth.

Rent benchmark (HUD Fair Market Rent)

HUD sets Fair Market Rents at the metro area level — the same FMRs apply to every county within the metro. Union County sits within the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (FY 2026). Used to set Section 8 voucher amounts; investors use it as a defensible rent-estimate floor for buy-to-rent underwriting.

Unit size Fair market rent / month
Efficiency / studio$1,469
1-bedroom$1,538
2-bedroom$1,686
3-bedroom$2,076
4-bedroom$2,637

Source: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents (2026). 40th-percentile gross rent including utilities. Why this matters: Section-8-eligible tenants are a baseline demand floor for rental inventory at these price points; FMR is the official ceiling for voucher-eligible rents.

New construction (market momentum)

Annual building permits filed in Union County from the US Census Building Permits Survey. Trend signal on whether new housing demand is accelerating or contracting in this market.

Indicator Value
Total housing units permitted (2025)2,707
Year-over-year change (2024 → 2025)+16.0%
Single-family share of permits (2025)88.2%
Single-family units permitted2,387
Multifamily units permitted (2+ units per building)320

Source: US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual cumulative data. Why this matters: permits trending up signals strong demand for new inventory; permits contracting at the same time foreclosure activity rises indicates broader market softening (deals price differently). Multifamily share shows whether the market is densifying or holding to single-family stock.

Macro context: state home prices and national delinquency

Union County filings should be read against the broader housing-market backdrop. North Carolina state home-price trend and the national mortgage-delinquency rate are the two macro signals most directly relevant to foreclosure exposure.

IndicatorValuePeriod
North Carolina home price index (year-over-year)+2.4%2026-01-01
North Carolina home price index (cumulative since 2020)+72.0%2026-01-01
National mortgage delinquency rate (30+ day, single-family)1.89%2026-01-01

Sources: Federal Housing Finance Agency state house price indices (FRED series NCSTHPI); Federal Reserve Board, Mortgage Delinquency 30+Day Rate on Single-Family Residential Mortgages (FRED series DRSFRMACBS). Updated quarterly. Free public data.

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Filing velocity by case type

How each distress category is trending — are foreclosures accelerating while divorces cool, or vice versa? This breakdown is only possible with direct court-record data.

Case type Total Share Trend
Lien 2781 68.6% +20.8%
Divorce 527 13.0% +12.5%
Eviction 460 11.3% -28.7%
Contract 103 2.5% -18.2%
Pre-Foreclosure 49 1.2% +0.0%
Probate 41 1.0% --
Real Estate Dispute 37 0.9% -10.0%
Other 14 0.3% -28.6%
Personal Property 10 0.2% +0.0%
Child Support 7 0.2% --
Tax Sale 6 0.1% --
Negligence 6 0.1% --
Guardianship 5 0.1% --

Trend = recent 2-3 month volume vs prior 2-3 months (current partial month excluded). Positive = accelerating; negative = cooling.

Seasonal filing patterns

Court filings peak in Jan and are lowest in Oct. The 3.4x peak-to-trough ratio suggests strong seasonal patterns — investors who time their outreach around Jan can reach more distressed homeowners.

Month Avg filings Relative
Jan 489
100%
Feb 184.5
38%
Mar 285
58%
Apr 312
64%
May 294
60%
Jun 387
79%
Jul 193
39%
Aug 291
60%
Sep 185.5
38%
Oct 143
29%
Nov 272
56%
Dec 306
63%

Average filings per calendar month across all observed years. Relative column shows each month as a percentage of the peak month (Jan), with a 3.4x peak-to-trough ratio.

ZIP code distress hotspots

Distress is geographically dispersed across 5 ZIP codes, with no single area dominating.

ZIP Area Filings Share Median value
28173 6 0.1% $656,850
28110 2 0.0% $184,250
28103 2 0.0% $286,150
28104 1 0.0% $252,900
28112 1 0.0% $156,100

Top 5 of 5 ZIP codes with filings.

Non-resident owner analysis

Most filings (100%) involve owner-occupied properties. The relatively low absentee rate suggests distress is primarily hitting homeowners, not institutional investors.

0.0%
Non-resident owners
Case type Total filings Non-resident %
Lien 2781 0.0%
Divorce 527 0.0%
Eviction 460 0.0%
Contract 103 0.0%
Pre-Foreclosure 52 0.0%
Probate 41 0.0%
Real Estate Dispute 37 0.0%
Other 14 0.0%
Personal Property 10 0.0%
Tax Sale 9 22.2%
Child Support 7 0.0%
Negligence 6 0.0%
Guardianship 5 0.0%

Non-resident = owner's mailing address differs from the property address. Could indicate out-of-state landlords, inherited estates, second homes, or in-transition properties.

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Distress composition and shifts

Lien share is rising. Eviction share is declining. Low diversity — distress is dominated by one or two case types, suggesting a concentrated driver.

Case type Recent share Earlier share Shift
Lien 82.7% 65.7% +17.0pp (rising)
Divorce 12.7% 13.1% -0.4pp
Contract 1.4% 2.8% -1.4pp
Pre-Foreclosure 1.0% 1.3% -0.3pp
Real Estate Dispute 0.7% 1.0% -0.3pp
Other 0.6% 0.3% +0.3pp
Negligence 0.4% 0.1% +0.3pp
Tax Sale 0.3% 0.1% +0.2pp
Personal Property 0.1% 0.3% -0.2pp
Child Support 0.1% 0.2% -0.1pp
Eviction 0.0% 13.8% -13.8pp (falling)
Custody 0.0% 0.0% +0.0pp
Alimony 0.0% 0.0% +0.0pp
Probate 0.0% 1.2% -1.2pp
Guardianship 0.0% 0.1% -0.1pp

Distress diversity score: 0.93 (Shannon entropy; higher = more diverse distress sources). "Recent" = last 2 complete months; "Earlier" = all prior months.

Court Docket Activity

Across 66 tracked cases, the average case has 12 docket entries (median 13). 40.9% of cases are in the "mid-process (6-15 events)" stage. Pre-Foreclosure cases are the most court-active at 17.1 events on average. Higher docket activity signals that courts are actively processing the case, which can indicate timeline urgency for investor outreach.

12.4
Avg. docket entries per case
13
Median entries per case
48
Most active case
Activity level Cases Share
Early stage (1-5 events) 18 27.3%
Mid-process (6-15 events) 27 40.9%
Advanced (16+ events) 21 31.8%
Docket activity by case type
Case type Avg. events Cases tracked
Pre-Foreclosure 17.1 23
Guardianship 10.2 5
Probate 9.9 38

Based on 66 cases with docket event tracking from Union County court records. Docket entries include filings, hearings, orders, and motions.

Property Value Profile

The median assessed value of properties in court filings is $435,800. Divorce filings involve the highest-value properties (median $554,600), while Real Estate Dispute filings trend lower (median $278,300). The largest segment (55.8%) falls in the $250K - $500K range.

$435,800
Median assessed value
$525,171
Average assessed value
1042
Properties with values
Value range Properties Share
Under $100K 10 1.0%
$100K - $250K 67 6.4%
$250K - $500K 581 55.8%
$500K - $1M 326 31.3%
Over $1M 58 5.6%
Value breakdown by case type
Case type Median value Avg value Properties
Lien $433,800 $518,120 836
Divorce $554,600 $629,663 103
Eviction $437,800 $503,957 28
Pre-Foreclosure $333,600 $468,272 25
Contract $492,100 $545,891 22
Real Estate Dispute $278,300 $519,189 9
Probate $290,800 $333,500 5

Based on county assessor records for 1042 properties with court filings (25.7% of total filings). Values are tax-assessed amounts, not market listing prices.

Distress Capital Analysis

$547,228,300 in assessed property value is currently tied up in 1042 court-filed properties. Lien filings represent the largest capital pool ($433,148,100 across 836 properties).

$547M
Total Value at Risk
1042
Properties Valued
$435,800
Median Value

Capital at Risk by Filing Type

Filing Type Total Value Properties Avg Value High Equity %
Lien
$433,148,100
836 $518,120 --
Divorce
$64,855,300
103 $629,663 --
Eviction
$14,110,800
28 $503,957 --
Contract
$12,009,600
22 $545,891 --
Pre-Foreclosure
$11,706,800
25 $468,272 --
Real Estate Dispute
$4,672,700
9 $519,189 --
Child Support
$1,802,700
4 $450,675 --
Probate
$1,667,500
5 $333,500 --
Other
$1,161,600
3 $387,200 --
Tax Sale
$699,800
3 $233,267 --

Based on 1042 properties with assessor valuations (25.7% of 4054 total filings). Values are county assessor estimates. Equity calculated from estimated value vs outstanding mortgage balance where available.

Market Absorption & Turnover Analysis

4,048 court filings tracked with 0 resolved (0.0% absorption rate). The court system is accumulating cases faster than they resolve, creating a growing backlog of 4,048 active cases.

0.0%
Absorption Rate
4,048
Active Case Backlog
Month New Filings Resolved Net Inflow Absorption
Sep 2020 1 0 +1
0.0%
Oct 2020 1 0 +1
0.0%
Feb 2025 1 0 +1
0.0%
Jul 2025 62 0 +62
0.0%
Aug 2025 291 0 +291
0.0%
Sep 2025 370 0 +370
0.0%
Oct 2025 285 0 +285
0.0%
Nov 2025 272 0 +272
0.0%
Dec 2025 306 0 +306
0.0%
Jan 2026 489 0 +489
0.0%
Feb 2026 368 0 +368
0.0%
Mar 2026 285 0 +285
0.0%
Apr 2026 312 0 +312
0.0%
May 2026 294 0 +294
0.0%
Jun 2026 387 0 +387
0.0%
Jul 2026 324 0 +324
0.0%

Resolution by Case Type

Case Type Filed Resolved Absorption Avg Days
Lien 2738 0 0.0% n/a
Divorce 527 0 0.0% n/a
Eviction 460 0 0.0% n/a
Contract 103 0 0.0% n/a
Other 57 0 0.0% n/a
Pre-Foreclosure 49 0 0.0% n/a
Probate 41 0 0.0% n/a
Real Estate Dispute 37 0 0.0% n/a
Personal Property 10 0 0.0% n/a
Child Support 7 0 0.0% n/a
Tax Sale 6 0 0.0% n/a
Negligence 6 0 0.0% n/a
Guardianship 5 0 0.0% n/a

Absorption rate measures the percentage of filed cases that have reached a terminal resolution (judgment, dismissal, settlement, or sale). A low absorption rate indicates a growing backlog of active cases in the court system. Resolution timing based on 0 resolved cases out of 4048 total filings.

Case Aging & Stall Analysis

66 cases (1.6%) have been active for over a year without resolution. 322 filings in the last <30 days represent fresh opportunities.

66
Cases stalled 1yr+
1.6%
of all filings
4,048
Total tracked
Age Total Resolved Still active Resolution rate
<30 days 322 0 322 0.0%
30-90 days 625 0 625 0.0%
3-6 months 932 0 932 0.0%
6-12 months 2,103 0 2,103 0.0%
1-2 years 64 0 64 0.0%
2+ years 2 0 2 0.0%
Resolution speed by case type
Case type Total Resolved Rate Median days
Lien 2,738 0 0.0%
Divorce 527 0 0.0%
Eviction 460 0 0.0%
Contract 103 0 0.0%
Pre-Foreclosure 49 0 0.0%
Probate 41 0 0.0%
Real Estate Dispute 37 0 0.0%
Other 13 0 0.0%
Personal Property 10 0 0.0%

Case aging computed from filing date to present for unresolved cases. Resolution classified from court docket entries (judgments, settlements, dismissals, sheriff sales). Cases with a resolution event are removed from the stall count.

Municipality filing concentration in Union County

Court filings in Union County span 8 municipalities. Monroe leads with 14 filings (53.8% of total), predominantly Probate (42.9%). Filing activity is geographically concentrated — the top 3 municipalities account for 73% of all filings.

8
Municipalities
73.0%
Top 3 share
Concentrated
Geographic spread
Municipality Filings Share Top case type
Monroe 14 53.8% Probate (42.9%)
Matthews 3 11.5% Probate (66.7%)
Waxhaw 2 7.7% Pre-Foreclosure (100.0%)
Wingate 2 7.7% Probate (100.0%)
Indian Trail 2 7.7% Probate (100.0%)
Schertz 1 3.8% Pre-Foreclosure (100.0%)
Marshville 1 3.8% Probate (100.0%)
Pageland 1 3.8% Probate (100.0%)

Top 8 of 8 municipalities with court filings. Data from 26 filings (1% of total). Municipality names from county assessor records.

Property Value Distribution

The median property value in distressed filings is $435,800, with the largest concentration (47.3%) in the $300K–$500K range. Divorce filings have the highest median value ($549,800) while Pre-Foreclosure filings are lowest ($333,600).

$435,800
Median value
$525,570
Average value
1,028
Properties valued
Price range Count Share Distribution
Under $50K 4 0.4%
$50K–$100K 7 0.7%
$100K–$150K 11 1.1%
$150K–$200K 26 2.5%
$200K–$300K 114 11.1%
$300K–$500K 486 47.3%
$500K+ 380 37.0%
Value by case type
Case type Median value Average value Properties
Lien $433,800 $519,130 821
Divorce $549,800 $623,613 104
Eviction $437,800 $503,957 28
Pre-Foreclosure $333,600 $468,272 25
Contract $489,300 $545,890 22

Assessed property values from county assessor records for 1,028 properties (25.4% of total filings). Values reflect tax-assessed amounts, not market price.

Repeat litigation patterns in Union County

Of 3,605 unique property owners in court filings, 305 (8.5%) appear in multiple cases, including 69 with 3 or more filings. The most active repeat filer has 13 cases spanning 7 months. Real Estate Dispute cases have the highest repeat rate at 23.3%.

3,605
Unique owners
305
Repeat filers (2+ cases)
8.5%
Repeat rate
69
Serial filers (3+ cases)

Repeat rate by case type

Case type Repeat owners Total owners Repeat rate
Lien 259 2388 10.8%
Eviction 42 402 10.4%
Contract 6 102 5.9%
Other 10 57 17.5%
Pre-Foreclosure 5 47 10.6%
Real Estate Dispute 7 30 23.3%

Analysis based on 3,605 unique owner names across court filings. Repeat filers are property owners appearing in 2 or more distinct cases.

Serial distressed properties in Union County

Of 776 unique properties in court filings, 103 (13.3%) have multiple filings (averaging 2.4 filings per property). Average time between repeat filings: 3 months. Eviction properties have the highest repeat rate at 26.3%.

776
Unique properties
103
Repeat-filing properties
13.3%
Serial distress rate
3 mo
Avg time between filings

Serial distress rate by case type

Case type Serial properties Total properties Serial rate
Lien 98 614 16.0%
Pre-Foreclosure 2 23 8.7%
Eviction 5 19 26.3%
Contract 4 19 21.1%

Analysis based on 776 unique property addresses across court filings. Serial distressed properties have 2 or more distinct case filings at the same address.

Methodology and data sources

Related North Carolina guides

North Carolina foreclosure process How to find leads in North Carolina Top foreclosure counties in North Carolina North Carolina statewide analysis

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Cite: Keystone Court Data, "Union County North Carolina Court Filings Intelligence," 2026-08-03, https://keystonecourtdata.com/reports/union-nc-court-filings-intelligence · Download data (CSV)