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Surplus funds lists by county

After a tax deed sale, a tax sale or a foreclosure sale, money left over after the debt is held for lienholders and the former owner. Some clerks, courts and state offices publish the list. HeritageDeed updates the lists below every night from official county records, shows each amount with its sale and claim deadline, and explains how to claim under each state's statute. Last refreshed Oct 26, 2026.

Official surplus funds lists we track

Surplus funds on each county's official list
CountySale typeAmounts listedTotalRefreshed
Duval County, FLTax deed sale156$4,588,309Oct 26, 2026
Hillsborough County, FLTax deed sale55$2,874,408Oct 26, 2026
Pasco County, FLTax deed sale73$592,790Oct 26, 2026
Citrus County, FLlist only: no HeritageDeed title search here yetTax deed sale272$3,319,990Oct 26, 2026
Hernando County, FLlist only: no HeritageDeed title search here yetTax deed sale92$1,867,114Oct 26, 2026
Martin County, FLlist only: no HeritageDeed title search here yetTax deed sale52$794,958Oct 26, 2026
Walton County, FLlist only: no HeritageDeed title search here yetTax deed sale186$895,844Oct 26, 2026
Levy County, FLlist only: no HeritageDeed title search here yetTax deed sale276$1,607,285Oct 26, 2026
Indian River County, FLlist only: no HeritageDeed title search here yetTax deed sale38$733,280Oct 26, 2026
Marion County, FLlist only: no HeritageDeed title search here yetTax deed sale880$9,494,579Oct 26, 2026
Charlotte County, FLlist only: no HeritageDeed title search here yetTax deed sale597$5,648,083Oct 26, 2026
Ector County, TXTax sale63$1,379,042Oct 26, 2026
Hamilton County, OHSheriff's sale221$3,085,249Oct 26, 2026
Montgomery County, OHSheriff's sale408$6,914,435Oct 26, 2026
Pulaski County, ARTax sale390$3,412,144Oct 26, 2026
Utah County, UTTax sale107$1,369,404Oct 22, 2026

Amounts are as published by each office and change as claims are paid.

Arkansas: every county on the Commissioner's list

The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands publishes statewide excess proceeds from its tax sales. Pulaski County is in the table above; every other county has its own page from the same statewide list (list only: HeritageDeed searches title in Pulaski County only).

What surplus funds are

A tax deed or tax sale sells a property to recover unpaid property taxes; a foreclosure or sheriff's sale sells it to pay a judgment. When the winning bid is more than what is owed, the law keeps the difference for the people who had an interest in the property. In Florida the Clerk holds tax deed surplus under Fla. Stat. 197.582; in Texas excess proceeds from a tax sale are paid into the registry of the court that ordered the sale (Tex. Tax Code 34.03); in Ohio the sheriff delivers the balance to the Clerk of Courts (R.C. 2329.44).

Florida foreclosure sales follow a separate statute: after a judicial sale, the owner of record on the date the lis pendens was filed is presumed entitled to the surplus after subordinate lienholders who filed a timely claim (Fla. Stat. 45.032).

Who can claim, and who is paid first

Lienholders come before the former owner. Florida's claim form itself says the Clerk must pay all valid liens before distributing surplus to a titleholder. A Texas court pays taxing units for later taxes, then other lienholders by priority, then former owners who were defendants in the tax suit. So the first question for any claim is what is recorded against the property: mortgages that were never released, judgment liens, code enforcement liens and tax liens.

Deadlines and how to claim, by state

Florida

Fla. Stat. 197.582 (tax deed sales)

Paid first
The Clerk pays governmental liens of record, then other liens by priority, then the former titleholder.
Deadline
120 days from the date of the Clerk's mailed notice of surplus. A lienholder who misses it is barred; the former owner's claim is not, and unclaimed money is handled as unclaimed property for the titleholder.
How to claim
A notarized claim on the Clerk's form, filed with the Clerk (the statute sets out the form).

Texas

Tex. Tax Code 34.03 and 34.04 (tax sales)

Paid first
The court pays taxing units for later taxes, then lienholders by priority, then former owners who were defendants in the tax suit (or their heirs and close relatives).
Deadline
A petition must be filed before the second anniversary of the sale; after two years the District Clerk distributes the money to the taxing units.
How to claim
A petition in the court that ordered the sale, under the tax suit's cause number, served on the parties at least 20 days before the hearing.

Ohio

Ohio R.C. 2329.44 (sheriff's sales) and 5721.20 (tax foreclosures)

Paid first
The sheriff gives the balance left after the writ, interest and costs to the Clerk of Courts; it is paid out by court order in the case.
Deadline
The Clerk notifies the former owner; a balance still unclaimed 90 days after the last notice is handled as unclaimed money (R.C. 2335.34). Excess from a tax foreclosure unclaimed 90 days after notice goes to the county treasury, where the owner can demand it for three years (R.C. 5721.20).
How to claim
An application for distribution of excess funds in the foreclosure case, served on every party, with a hearing and a signed order (Hamilton County Clerk's outline).

Arkansas

Commissioner of State Lands (tax sales)

Paid first
The record owner at the time of the sale may apply after the one-year escrow.
Deadline
Held two years for parcels sold after July 1, 2018 (three years for July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2018); then returned to the county.
How to claim
The Commissioner's claim form, requested from the Commissioner's excess proceeds list or from the office.

Utah

Utah Code 59-2-1351.1 (May tax sales)

Paid first
The excess is unclaimed property under the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act.
Deadline
Utah County holds it at least 90 days after the Commission ratifies the sale, then sends it to the Utah State Treasurer's Unclaimed Property Division.
How to claim
Within the 90 days, a petition to the district court and notice to the county (Utah County Ordinance 3.04.150); afterwards, a claim through the State's unclaimed property program.

South Carolina

S.C. Code 12-51-130 (tax sales)

Paid first
The overage is applied to outstanding municipal tax liens; what remains belongs to the owner of record immediately before the end of the redemption period.
Deadline
Payable ninety days after the tax deed is executed; if neither claimed nor assigned within five years of the tax sale, it escheats to the county's general fund.
How to claim
Ask the county office that runs the tax sale (in Horry County, the Treasurer's Delinquent Tax Department). No overage list is posted for Horry County.

Assignments and recovery agents

Some states regulate who may take over an owner's claim. In Texas an assignment is valid only if it is taken at least 36 days after the money is deposited, is not the result of an in-person or telephone solicitation, pays the owner at least 80% of the claim on the day of the assignment, and carries a sworn statement from the owner (Tex. Tax Code 34.04(f)). Utah County requires a fee finder who is not a licensed attorney or CPA to give the County a notarized copy of the contract with the claimant (Utah County Ordinance 3.04.150). Horry County, South Carolina's Master-in-Equity warns owners not to assign a surplus claim without independent legal advice.

HeritageDeed is not a surplus recovery company and does not file claims. Claims are filed with the clerk, court or state office named on each county page, whose instructions describe claimants filing for themselves; a lawyer is optional.

Covered counties with no public list

HeritageDeed searches title records in more counties than publish a surplus list. These counties do not publish one we can show:

Properties set for an upcoming tax deed, tax lien, tax foreclosure or sheriff's sale are on the official lists at tax sale lists, with each sale's date and bidding rules.

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Questions

What are surplus funds?

When a property is sold at a tax deed sale, a tax sale or a foreclosure sale for more than the taxes, debt and costs owed, the difference is held by the clerk, court or treasurer for the people who had an interest in the property. Florida calls it surplus, Texas excess proceeds, Ohio excess funds and South Carolina overages.

Who gets surplus funds first, the owner or the lienholders?

Lienholders. Florida's Clerk pays governmental liens, then other liens by priority, before the former titleholder (Fla. Stat. 197.582). A Texas court pays taxing units and lienholders before former owners (Tex. Tax Code 34.04). The liens of record on the property decide how much is left for the former owner.

How long do I have to claim surplus funds?

It depends on the state: 120 days from the Clerk's notice in Florida (lienholders are barred after that; the former owner is not), before the second anniversary of the sale in Texas, and 90 days after the last notice in Ohio before the money is handled as unclaimed. Each county page shows the deadline the list publishes or the estimate the statute allows.

Do I need a lawyer or a recovery company to claim?

No law cited here requires one. Florida's statute sets out a claim form the claimant files with the Clerk, and the Hamilton County, Ohio Clerk's outline describes proceeding with or without an attorney. Texas law and Utah County regulate assignments of an owner's claim and fee agreements. HeritageDeed is not a recovery company and does not file claims.

Why does a title search matter for a surplus claim?

Because liens are paid first. A mortgage, judgment or tax lien recorded against the property can take part or all of the surplus. A HeritageDeed report lists the mortgages, releases and liens of record for the address, and names any surplus funds on the official list for it.

Why are owner names shown as initials?

The official lists publish former owners' names. HeritageDeed shows individual owners as initials on public pages and shows business names in full. The case number lets you check the full entry with the county.

Legal references

Updated nightly from official county records. Facts, not legal advice: a claim is decided by the clerk, court or state office that holds the money.