Questions
Including the four this industry avoids
If an answer here would embarrass us in front of your lawyer, it does not belong on the page.
The basics
What are surplus funds?
When a property is sold at a foreclosure or tax sale, the sale can bring more than the debt, costs, and taxes owed. That difference is the surplus, also called excess proceeds. It does not belong to the county, the lender, or the buyer. It belongs to the former owner, or to their heirs if the owner has died, subject to any valid junior liens.
Am I entitled to it?
You may be if you were on the deed at the time of the sale, or you are an heir of someone who was. Junior lienholders and certain creditors can be entitled ahead of you. The only way to know is to read the sale record and the title, which is where every case starts.
How long does it take?
An uncontested claim in a cooperative county: roughly two to five months from filing to payment. Contested claims, or claims requiring a probate, run six to eighteen months. Anyone promising you a number faster than that has not read your file.
What documents do I need?
Government identification, the deed, and the sale record. If the owner has died: the death certificate, the will or letters of administration, and an heirship affidavit naming every heir. If there was a divorce, bankruptcy, or a transfer into a trust, we will need those records too.
The four nobody answers
Is this a scam, and how do I check that you're real?
Assume it might be. The category attracts operators who will not print a fee, will not name a person, and pressure you to sign on the first call. Check anyone who contacts you, including us.
Ask for the legal entity name and look it up in the Secretary of State business registry for the state of formation. Ask for the name and bar number of the attorney who will file, then verify it with that state bar. Ask for the fee as a percentage, in writing, before you sign anything. Call the county clerk yourself and ask whether surplus funds exist — the clerk will tell you for free and will not charge you a percentage.
Our entity registration number and business address are not yet published on this site, and we say so plainly on Who we are. Ask us for them and decide for yourself.
Can I do this myself?
Yes, in most counties, at no cost. We wrote the steps out in full, including the exact question to ask the clerk and who holds the money in each state we cover.
What exactly do you charge, and when?
30%* *Our fees include the legal support given by our law partners who represent our clients to claim their surplus. of the funds actually recovered, deducted when the county or court pays, and never before. No retainer, no upfront payment, no charge for filing costs, title work, notary, or counsel. If we recover nothing, you owe nothing.
*Our fees include the legal support given by our law partners who represent our clients to claim their surplus.
What happens if someone else claims the same funds?
It happens often. Junior lienholders, second mortgage servicers, HOAs, judgment creditors, tax authorities, and occasionally the auction purchaser file against the same fund. The court decides priority, and a claim that is senior and valid is paid before you.
The problem is that stale, unperfected, or already-released claims are frequently paid too, simply because nobody appeared to contest them. We answer those claims, obtain releases, and appear at the disbursement hearing. This is the single largest reason a surplus claim pays less than the sale record suggests, and it is the main thing we are actually for.
If you heard from us first
How did you get my name?
From public county records: the recorded deed for the property and the sheriff's sale or tax sale record filed with the county. Both are open records that anyone can request. We did not buy a list from a data broker and we hold nothing about you that the county does not publish.
How do I stop all contact?
Reply STOP to any text, or use the opt-out form on our privacy page. One request covers mail, calls, and texts. We do not call to talk you out of it and we do not pass your details to another recovery firm.