The following is based on Connecticut law. The terms "In Rem" and "In Personam" relate to the jurisdiction which the court has over the person (In Personam Jurisdiction) or his property located within the forum state (In Rem Jurisdiction" Very often the individual may not be a resident of the forum state but may own property therein. The court may be unable to exert in personam jurisdiction over the individual through its long arm statute, but would be able to exert in rem jurisdiction over his property.
If the court is able to get in personam jurisdiction over the individual, the judgment attaches to the individual and follows him. The judgment of the forum state may be enforced in the other 49 sister states through the Full Faith and Credit doctrine of the U S Constitution. Each state has its own civil procedure for enforcing foreign judgments.
With in rem jurisdiction the judgment attaches only to the property located within the forum state...not to the individual.
A foreclosure action based on In Rem jurisdiction is fully enforecable against the subject property. However if the property value is less than the debt, it is questionable whether the plaintiff could seek a deficiency judgment against the individual without In Personam jurisdiction.
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