Star Thing Wind

A surplus recovery brand of Star Thing LLC, a technology company.

Painting of a boy and men sailing a small catboat through choppy waterWinslow Homer, Breezing Up (A Fair Wind), 1873–1876. National Gallery of Art (open access).

Money from the sale of your property may be yours.

Claim windows are set by law and vary by state.

This sends your county to us; it doesn't search county records.

Star Thing LLC is not a law firm and is not the government. You can file a claim yourself with no recovery fee (a court or notary may charge a small fee).

Examples from public county surplus lists. Not our results, and not what any one person will receive.

What should I know first?

Before you sign.

Four things every former owner should know.

  1. The surplus is yours.

    When a property sells at a tax sale or a foreclosure sale for more than what was owed, the extra, after any liens are paid, can belong to the former owner. Since Tyler v. Hennepin County (2023), a government that sells property for unpaid taxes can't keep the surplus from a fair sale; how you claim it depends on your state.

  2. You can file it yourself, free.

    The county accepts owner-filed claims at no cost. Self-filing and hiring a recovery service are both valid paths. The choice is yours.

  3. Confirm it's real first.

    Surplus is public record. In most counties the office holding it will confirm whether it exists, and how much, to anyone with the case or file number.

  4. You pay nothing until you're paid.

    No recovery, no fee, and no costs. You can cancel within 3 business days for any reason, or longer where your state's law gives you more time. To cancel, email [email protected] or call or text (917) 920-5868.

Why not do it myself?

Your options, side by side.

Four ways to claim your surplus.

File it yourselfYou + your own attorneyWith usWith us + a licensed attorney (where the state or court requires one)
CostFree to file; court filing fees may applySet by your agreement with the attorney (hourly, flat or a percentage)Up to 25% of what you receiveOur fee plus the attorney's own fee, never more than 25% combined (state rules may set lower)
Upfront$0, plus any filing feesDepends on your agreement$0$0 from us; the attorney's terms are in their own agreement
If nothing is recoveredYou've spent your timeDepends on your agreementYou owe nothingYou owe us nothing; the attorney's terms are in their own agreement
Confirming the surplus is realYouDepends on what you hire them forWe doWe do
Checking liens and debts against itYouDepends on what you hire them forWe doWe do
PaperworkYouThe attorneyWe prepare it for your signatureWe prepare it for your signature; the attorney you hire files in court
Court filingsYou (some courts require an attorney)The attorneyYou sign the county's form; we send it at your directionA licensed attorney
Deadline trackingYouThe attorneyWe doWe do
Who stays the claimantYouYouYouYou
Fee set in writing before you signn/aYesYesYes

File it yourself

Cost
Free to file; court filing fees may apply
Upfront
$0, plus any filing fees
If nothing is recovered
You've spent your time
Confirming the surplus is real
You
Checking liens and debts against it
You
Paperwork
You
Court filings
You (some courts require an attorney)
Deadline tracking
You
Who stays the claimant
You
Fee set in writing before you sign
n/a

You + your own attorney

Cost
Set by your agreement with the attorney (hourly, flat or a percentage)
Upfront
Depends on your agreement
If nothing is recovered
Depends on your agreement
Confirming the surplus is real
Depends on what you hire them for
Checking liens and debts against it
Depends on what you hire them for
Paperwork
The attorney
Court filings
The attorney
Deadline tracking
The attorney
Who stays the claimant
You
Fee set in writing before you sign
Yes

With us

Cost
Up to 25% of what you receive
Upfront
$0
If nothing is recovered
You owe nothing
Confirming the surplus is real
We do
Checking liens and debts against it
We do
Paperwork
We prepare it for your signature
Court filings
You sign the county's form; we send it at your direction
Deadline tracking
We do
Who stays the claimant
You
Fee set in writing before you sign
Yes

With us + a licensed attorney (where the state or court requires one)

Cost
Our fee plus the attorney's own fee, never more than 25% combined (state rules may set lower)
Upfront
$0 from us; the attorney's terms are in their own agreement
If nothing is recovered
You owe us nothing; the attorney's terms are in their own agreement
Confirming the surplus is real
We do
Checking liens and debts against it
We do
Paperwork
We prepare it for your signature; the attorney you hire files in court
Court filings
A licensed attorney
Deadline tracking
We do
Who stays the claimant
You
Fee set in writing before you sign
Yes

Self-filing is always an option, and it's free with the county. We never charge upfront.

How does it work?

How it works.

From the sale to your payout.

  1. It's held in your name, for now.

    The county or court holds it. Lienholders are paid first, by priority, then you.

  2. If no one claims it in time, it goes elsewhere.

    In many states it goes to the state's unclaimed-property program, where you can still claim it yourself, free (we don't offer paid help there); in some, the county or taxing units keep it for good. See your state's page.

  3. If the State holds it, you can still get it back.

    Where it went to a state unclaimed-property program, you can claim it yourself, free. We don't offer paid help for money already with a state program; we point you to the state's free claim.

Where we help: every step; where the law requires a lawyer, the attorney you hire handles court filings.

Read more: How it works.

What a claim with us looks like.

Example only Every case is different; your state’s page has the real steps and deadlines.

  1. Us

    We confirm the surplus with the office holding it, and check the liens paid first.

  2. You

    You get it in writing: sale price, liens, surplus and your share, plus our fee and any attorney’s fee.

  3. You

    You sign the county’s claim form. You can cancel within 3 business days for any reason.

  4. Us or your attorney

    The signed form goes in, sent by us at your direction, or filed by your attorney where a court requires one.

  5. County

    The office holding the money pays you directly. You stay the named payee.

  6. Us

    We invoice, no earlier than 7 business days after the money reaches you.

What we take off your plate.

  • Working with your own attorney

    Where a court or state requires an attorney, you choose and hire an independent licensed attorney in your state, and you pay them directly. We don't pay or receive referral fees. The attorney you hire handles court filings; we confirm the surplus, look up the recorded liens, prepare the county's claim form for your signature and track the deadline. You can check any attorney's license with your state's bar.

  • We confirm it's real

    In most counties the office holding it will confirm whether surplus exists and how much. We check with that office for you and tell you who is holding it.

  • We look up the recorded liens

    We look up the liens recorded against the property and show you what's on record. Which liens get paid first is decided by the Clerk or court, or by your attorney.

  • We prepare the paperwork

    Your claim documents are prepared for your signature, using the county's own claim form wherever it accepts one.

  • We track the deadline

    Claim windows are strict and vary by state. We track yours from the notice date.

  • We handle the back-and-forth

    We handle the back-and-forth with the county office and keep you updated; court filings are made by you or your attorney. We tell the Clerk we're assisting you and show our agreement if asked.

  • We check for class actions

    We check public records for any class action or settlement involving your property and tell you what we find, in writing.

You stay the claimant and the named payee, start to finish.

Ask us to check

Get county surplus alerts.

We email you when your county posts a new surplus list. Free. Unsubscribe any time.

Covers 92 counties whose lists we check automatically; we’ll say if yours isn’t one of them. You’ll confirm by email first.

What does it cost?

What we charge.

Up to 25% of what you receive. $0 upfront.

  1. Our rate: up to 25%.

    Never more than 25%, for tax-sale surplus in the 14 states where we offer paid help. Your exact total is set in writing before you sign. If your claim needs an attorney, you hire and pay them directly under their own agreement. Our fee is set separately, and before you sign we show you both fees and the total in writing, never more than 25% combined. If your attorney's fee alone reaches that, we charge nothing. Before you sign, we also give you in writing the sale price, any liens, the surplus amount and the share the county records show as yours.

  2. Foreclosure surplus is free.

    We don't offer paid help for foreclosure surplus, in any state. You can claim it yourself, free; your state's page shows how.

  3. No paid help on money already with a state.

    If your money has already gone to a state unclaimed-property program, we don't offer paid help for it; you can claim it yourself, free, from the state.

No recovery, no fee, and no costs. Our fee is invoiced no earlier than 7 business days after the money reaches you.

Read more: What we charge.

Which states?

Where we work.

Information for all 50 states and DC; paid help for tax-sale surplus in 14 states.

Florida, all 67 counties →Every Clerk of Court linked, so you can verify your surplus directly.Every U.S. state and DC →The state-by-state list, with known deadlines and the attorney-only states.

Every state runs its own process and deadlines. Florida is our home base and deepest coverage.

Read more: Where we work.

Your situation.

Some claims need extra steps. Find yours.

  1. Heir or estate.

    If the former owner has died, the claim usually needs a death certificate and proof of who inherits, sometimes through probate.

  2. More than one owner.

    Co-owners each have a share. Each owner signs their own claim, or one signs with the others' written authority, as the office allows.

  3. Lienholder.

    Mortgage holders, HOAs and other lienholders are paid from the surplus first, by priority. If you hold a lien, you claim it directly with the office holding the money.

  4. Money already with a state.

    If the surplus went to a state unclaimed-property program, you can claim it yourself, free. We don't offer paid help for it. Unclaimed money search, by state.

Start here

How do I start?

Check if you have surplus funds.

Give us your name, county and state, and a phone number. We verify directly with the county and usually call or email you back within one business day.

Name, county and state, and phone are required.

We use your phone number and email to reply to your request.

Star Thing LLC is not a law firm and is not the government. You can file a claim yourself with no recovery fee (a court or notary may charge a small fee).

More questions

Where does this come from?

Where our information comes from.

We don’t write the rules; we link to them.

  • Laws and court rules

    Every statute and case we name links to its full text, on the official legislature or court site wherever one is available.

  • County offices

    County office links come from the NETR public-records directory; confirm with the office before you rely on them.

  • County locations

    County map positions come from the U.S. Census Bureau; map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.

  • Unclaimed money

    Each state’s search goes to that state’s own official unclaimed-property program.

Recent changes to surplus law.

  • NEW Illinois. Tax-deed properties now sell at a judicial tax-deed auction, and the county treasurer holds the surplus (Public Act 104-0553).

    Illinois →

  • Colorado foreclosures. The public trustee now holds an unclaimed overbid for two years from the sale, up from six months (HB26-1098).

    Colorado →
Show all 6 changes

  • Colorado tax sales. The treasurer’s-deed overbid law was rewritten (SB26-144); unclaimed overbids of $25 or more are held two years from the auction.

    Colorado →

  • Oregon. Surplus from county tax foreclosures is now claimed through the State Treasurer’s unclaimed property program (HB 2089).

    Oregon →

  • New Jersey. A new law applies to every tax-certificate foreclosure in which no final judgment was entered before that date.

    New Jersey →

  • U.S. Supreme Court. In Tyler v. Hennepin County, the Court held that a government can’t keep the surplus from a tax sale.

    Read the decision →

See every state

  1. Or as each state's rules allow, combined with any attorney's fee, shown in writing before you sign. In some states and situations we don't offer paid help; the state pages say where. ↑
  2. See What we charge. ↑
  3. 3 business days for any reason, longer where your state's law gives you more time. ↑