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Columbia County tax deed surplus funds

Star Thing Wind is a private company, not the Clerk or any government office. The Clerk’s own contact details are below.

If your Columbia County property sold at a tax deed auction for more than the taxes owed, the extra, after any liens are paid, can belong to you. Here is who holds it, the deadline that applies, and how to claim it yourself for free.

Who holds the money, and until when

Office holding the surplusColumbia County Clerk of Court & Comptroller

Deadline120 days from the date on the Clerk’s notice of surplus, under F.S. §197.582 (opens in a new tab). Lienholders are barred after day 120; the former owner has longer, until the funds are reported as unclaimed.

Fees the Clerk statesColumbia's Recording & Tax Deed fee schedule lists 'Disbursement of Excess Proceeds' at $10.00.

Charges before payoutStatutory Clerk charges under F.S. §28.24 (opens in a new tab) are deducted before you are paid (F.S. §197.582(2)(b) (opens in a new tab)).

Phone(386) 758-1342

Clerk’s address173 NE Hernando Avenue, Lake City, Florida 32055

Where to go

Columbia's Tax Deed Unclaimed Funds page states that excess monies are held by the Clerk for one year and then sent to the state as unclaimed property. The page does not post a claim form or a list of tax deed surplus amounts. Contact the Clerk at (386) 758-1342 for the claim form; under F.S. 197.582 claims are due within 120 days of the Clerk's notice.

Filing it yourself, step by step

Confirm the surplus exists and get the notice date. Call or write the Columbia County Clerk of Court & Comptroller and ask for the amount on deposit and the date the notice of surplus was mailed. That date starts the 120 days, not the auction date.
Ask for the county’s claim form. We could not find a claim form on the Columbia Clerk’s website, so ask the Clerk for its form, whether it must be notarized, and what proof to attach.
Attach your proof. Typically a government-issued photo ID and something showing you held title; lienholders need proof of the debt; estates need the probate order.
Keep proof you filed. Ask the Clerk to acknowledge your claim in writing, and keep the postmark or receipt.

Foreclosure surplus

Columbia posts a Foreclosure Surplus Listings page (case number, surplus amount, one-year mark): Columbia Clerk: Foreclosure surplus listings (opens in a new tab). Claims under F.S. 45.032 are filed in the foreclosure case. The statewide rules are in F.S. §45.032 (opens in a new tab).

The Florida rules behind all of this

These apply statewide, not just in Columbia County:

The surplus is yours, after liens. When a tax deed sale brings more than the taxes owed, F.S. §197.582 (opens in a new tab) pays government liens of record first, then mortgage and lien holders who file on time, then the former owner. Since Tyler v. Hennepin County (2023) (PDF) (opens in a new tab), 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.
Governmental liens are paid first. Under §197.582(2)(a) the Clerk pays governmental units holding liens of record before anyone else. Florida Attorney General Opinion 2020-01 (opens in a new tab) (an opinion, not a court ruling) reads those units as entitled to payment even if they never file a request, so a county code lien may reduce your net whether or not it makes a claim.
Private lienholders are barred after 120 days. §197.582(5) bars every claim except the property owner’s after the 120th day. If a mortgage servicer, HOA or judgment creditor misses it, that interest is waived.
If nobody claims, the owner is presumed entitled. §197.582(9) creates a conclusive presumption in the titleholder’s favour when no claims arrive, and the Clerk then processes the funds under Chapter 717 (opens in a new tab). Once the money is with the State, we don’t offer paid help; you can claim it yourself, free, at ClaimYourCashFL.gov.
A code enforcement lien only counts if it runs against your parcel. In Green Terrace E33, LLC v. Abruzzo (opens in a new tab) (Fla. 4th DCA 2024) the former owner beat a city code lien because the lien ran against condominium common elements, not the unit. Worth checking against any lien claimed on your property.

Nothing here is legal advice. It is the statute and the county’s own published process, with links so you can read both yourself.

Want it handled?

You stay the legal claimant and the named payee on the Clerk’s disbursement.
You sign the county’s claim form; we send the signed form at your direction.
If a court filing is needed, the attorney you hire files it.
Your signature may need to be notarized; you choose the notary.
We tell the Clerk we’re assisting you and show our agreement if asked.
We verify the surplus, assemble your documents, and track the 120-day deadline — and we’re paid only after you are: up to 25% of recovered funds, combined with any attorney’s fee and shown in writing before you sign, $0 upfront.
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. Where a state caps recovery fees below that, the cap applies instead.
We don’t offer paid help for Florida foreclosure surplus; you can claim it yourself, free, in the foreclosure case.
You don’t need an attorney to claim it yourself.
Your exact total is set in writing before you sign, and before you sign we give you in writing the sale price, any liens, the surplus amount and the share the county records show as yours.
You can cancel within three business days; to cancel, email [email protected] or call or text (917) 920-5868.

Ask us to check for surplus in Columbia County →

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Check this yourself

County process last checked 2026-10-22. Counties revise forms and procedures without notice; confirm with the Clerk before you rely on any of it.