About this project
We help former homeowners understand and claim foreclosure surplus funds and tax-sale overages — and keep 100% of what’s theirs.
Why we exist
When a foreclosed or tax-sold home sells for more than the debt owed, the leftover money belongs to the former owner. Yet the people most entitled to it — those who just lost a home — are often the last to find out, and the first to be contacted by “recovery” companies offering to claim it for a 30–50% cut. We built this site to give that money’s rightful owners clear, honest, source-cited information so they can decide for themselves.
What we are — and what we’re not
Independent. We are not a surplus-recovery or finder company. We have nothing to take from your money and nothing to sell. We don’t take a percentage, we don’t buy claims, and we don’t sell leads to finders. Our only goal is to make the process understandable so you can claim what’s yours, ideally for free.
Who runs this site
Melih Koray
Founder & Editor
Melih Koray founded Foreclosure Surplus and edits it. He is a designer and web-visibility specialist with more than 20 years in web, design and SEO, including eight-plus years at McKinsey & Company as a Senior Graphic Specialist. Today he is a Senior Designer and Web Optimization Specialist, and he has trained professionals in web design and SEO since 2008.
On this site he researches the statutes and claim procedures, verifies them against primary sources such as the statute text and court self-help pages, and edits the content. He owns and runs the site.
He is not a lawyer, and nothing here is legal advice. No attorney or housing counselor reviews the site yet. Treat every deadline and procedure on these pages as a starting point, and confirm it with the court, the county or a licensed attorney before you act.
How we research
Our guidance is grounded in primary and authoritative sources: state statutes, court self-help portals, legal-aid organizations, consumer-protection agencies, and U.S. Supreme Court rulings. For our State Surplus Claim Finder and the state-by-state table, we only mark a deadline as “verified” when we’ve confirmed it against the statute; everywhere else we give the general process and tell you to confirm the exact deadline with your county. You can review our sources.
How the site is funded
Foreclosure Surplus earns nothing at present. It runs no advertising and no affiliate links, takes no percentage of anyone’s surplus, buys no claims and sells no leads.
The law firms on our find-a-lawyer page are there on editorial judgment. None pays to be listed, and none pays a referral fee. Messages sent through the contact form come to the editor and are not passed on to recovery companies or law firms.
Important limits
This is general educational information, not legal or financial advice, and using this site does not create an attorney–client relationship. Laws and deadlines vary by state and county and change over time. Always verify with your county clerk, trustee, treasurer, your state’s unclaimed-property office, or a licensed attorney before acting. See our disclaimer.
Review and corrections
Melih Koray edits every page. We are working to add a named attorney or housing-counselor reviewer, and until one has actually reviewed the content, no page will claim a review. If a statute, court page or county notice shows we are out of date, write to [email protected] or use the contact page, and include the source.
Independent. We are not a surplus-recovery or finder company. We have nothing to take from your money and nothing to sell. Edited by Melih Koray. Last updated October 11, 2026. General information, not legal advice.