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Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade 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 surplusClerk of the Court and Comptroller of Miami-Dade County

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.

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)).

Phone305-375-3990 (Tax Deed Unit); main 305-275-1155

Clerk’s addressClerk of the Court and Comptroller of Miami-Dade County, 20 NW 1st Avenue, Miami, FL 33128 (Tax Deed Unit, Suite 7.209)

Where to go

Miami-Dade's Property Tax Deeds page covers auctions, the lands-available list and Administrative Order 13-05, but does not publish a tax deed surplus list, claim form or claim instructions. The Clerk's Tax Deed Unit (Suite 7.209, telephone 305-375-3990) is the office to contact for the surplus procedure. Claims are governed by F.S. 197.582, including the 120-day window after the Clerk's notice of surplus.

Some details for this county could not be confirmed on the Clerk’s own website when we checked, so they are left out. Call the Clerk to confirm anything before you rely on it.

Filing it yourself, step by step

Confirm the surplus exists and get the notice date. Call or write the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller of Miami-Dade County 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 Miami-Dade 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

For foreclosure surplus, the Clerk tells former owners to contact its Foreclosure Unit and posts an 'Owner's Claim for Mortgage Foreclosure Surplus' form filed in the circuit court case; it states owners need no lawyer and need not assign their rights, and a $50.00 reopening fee may be charged. If lienholders file claims, the court sets a hearing to determine distribution. 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 Miami-Dade 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.

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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.