Your state’s surplus-funds deadline and process
Foreclosure surplus and tax-sale overage laws are set state by state — even county by county. Use the finder to see how it works where your property was sold, then confirm the exact deadline with that court or county before you act. Prefer a list? Go to the state-by-state table.
See how to claim your surplus — by state
Pick your state and the type of sale. We’ll show the claim route, the deadline (with the statute where we’ve verified it), where the money goes if it’s left unclaimed, and a free do-it-yourself checklist.
Educational tool — not legal advice. Nothing you select leaves your device.
Surplus funds by state: statute, deadline and where to file
This table covers all 50 states and Washington, D.C. So far 5 entries are checked against the statute text: California (mortgage foreclosures and property-tax sales), Florida (mortgage foreclosures and property-tax sales) and Texas (property-tax sales). Every other cell reads “Not yet verified”. That is deliberate: a guessed legal deadline can cost you the money.
Full state guides: Florida, California and Texas.
If your state reads “Not yet verified”, the finder above still gives you the general process and your state’s unclaimed-property office. Before you rely on any date, ours included, confirm it with the court, trustee or county treasurer that handled the sale.
| State | Type of sale | Statute | Claim deadline | Where to file | Finder-fee rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Alaska | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Arizona | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Arkansas | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| California | Mortgage foreclosureVerified | Cal. Civ. Code §2924j | Your claim must reach the trustee within 30 days of the trustee’s notice of potential surplus. | The trustee, by written claim. If the trustee cannot settle priority within 90 days, the funds go to the court, which decides. | Foreclosure consultants may not contract to help release trustee-sale surplus (Civ. Code §2945.4(h)); California-licensed attorneys acting as attorneys are excluded (§2945.1(b)). |
| Property-tax saleVerified | Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §4675 | Postmarked on or before 1 year after the tax deed to the buyer is recorded. | The county (treasurer-tax collector), on the county’s claim form. | No percentage cap found. Assignments need a dated written instrument after full disclosure, and anyone filing for you must show you were told you can file free (§4675(b)-(c)). | |
| Colorado | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Connecticut | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Delaware | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| District of Columbia | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Florida | Mortgage foreclosureVerified | Fla. Stat. §45.032 | Claim before the clerk reports undisbursed surplus to the state as unclaimed property, 1 year after the sale. | The clerk of court, by claim. | A surplus assignment is honored only if total compensation is at most 12% of the surplus, among other conditions (§45.033). Once with the state: 30% cap (§717.135). |
| Property-tax saleVerified | Fla. Stat. §197.582 | 120 days from the date of the clerk’s notice. Late lienholder claims are barred; if no one claims, the surplus goes through unclaimed property (ch. 717). | The clerk of court, by written claim. | Not yet verified | |
| Georgia | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Hawaii | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Idaho | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Illinois | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Indiana | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Iowa | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Kansas | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Kentucky | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Louisiana | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Maine | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Maryland | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Massachusetts | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Michigan | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Minnesota | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Mississippi | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Missouri | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Montana | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Nebraska | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Nevada | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| New Hampshire | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| New Jersey | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| New Mexico | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| New York | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| North Carolina | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| North Dakota | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Ohio | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Oklahoma | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Oregon | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Pennsylvania | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Rhode Island | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| South Carolina | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| South Dakota | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Tennessee | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Texas | Mortgage foreclosure | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Property-tax saleVerified | Tex. Tax Code §34.04 | Before the 2nd anniversary of the sale. After that, the excess goes to the taxing units. | A petition in the court that ordered the sale. | Attorney fee capped at 25% of the amount obtained or $1,000, whichever is less; a non-attorney may not charge a fee (§34.04(i)). | |
| Utah | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Vermont | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Virginia | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Washington | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| West Virginia | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Wisconsin | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Wyoming | Mortgage or tax sale | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
About the finder-fee column. Many states cap what a recovery company may charge, or limit fee agreements for a period after the sale. We have checked the fee rules for Florida, California and Texas against their statutes; every other state reads “Not yet verified” until we do. Before you sign a recovery agreement, read recovery companies: fees and red flags.
Verified entries were checked against the statute when this guide was built in June 2026, and the Florida, California and Texas entries were re-checked in October 2026. Laws change, so confirm the current text before you act. A linked state name opens that state’s full guide.
Deadlines are the thing people miss
The single most common reason former owners lose their surplus is a missed deadline. The money doesn’t vanish — it’s moved to the state as unclaimed property — but recovering it then is slower and harder. Find your deadline and act before it. See the step-by-step claim guide → Already missed it? The escheated-funds route still works →
Surplus funds by state — FAQ
Which states have the shortest deadline to claim surplus funds?
Does unclaimed surplus go to the state?
How do I find my state’s surplus funds process?
Why don’t you show a specific deadline for my state?
This page is general information, not legal advice. Surplus-funds rules vary by state and county and change over time. Verify your deadline and process with the court, county, or a licensed attorney. Sources on our sources page.