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Surplus funds in Arizona.

When a property in Arizona sells at a tax sale or a foreclosure sale for more than what was owed, the extra can belong to the former owner. Here is who holds it, the law behind it, and every county office linked so you can check for yourself, free.

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Foreclosure sales here

Both judicial and non-judicial.

Our fee here

We don't offer paid help in Arizona. You can claim surplus here yourself, free; see below.

Tax sale surplus

Lien-certificate state, with post-Tyler reforms now in law (A.R.S. §42-18201, §42-18204). In the court action to foreclose the right to redeem, the owner (or the certificate holder) can ask the court for an "excess proceeds sale" at any time before the judgment takes effect. The owner must give the court a reasonable estimate of the property's market value, and the court grants the request only if the property is likely to sell for more than $2,500 above what is owed to the lienholder, other liens and sale costs (A.R.S. §42-18204, as amended in 2026, the version in effect until Oct. 1, 2028). If the court grants it, the property is auctioned, the lienholder, taxes and other liens are paid, and the rest goes to the former owner within 90 days; money unclaimed after 90 days goes to the state's unclaimed property program (A.R.S. §42-18236). If no one asks before judgment, or the court finds the request unreasonable, the lienholder takes the deed and there is no surplus to claim, so timing is everything.

Foreclosure surplus

Foreclosure type
Both
Who holds the surplus

The trustee after a deed-of-trust trustee's sale; if the trustee chooses, the county treasurer (trustee deposits the balance and files a superior court action). Mortgage foreclosures, and HOA lien foreclosures (which proceed 'in the same manner as a mortgage', A.R.S. 33-1256, 33-1807), go through court, and the court controls the proceeds.

Within 15 days after the sale the trustee must mail a notice of excess proceeds to the trustor, and within 90 days must either pay out by priority (costs, the loan, HOA lien, junior liens, then the trustor or record owner) or deposit the money with the county treasurer and file a civil action in superior court (A.R.S. 33-812(A)-(D), (K)). A former owner then files an application for distribution in that case and mails it to everyone on the trustee's list; others have 45 days to respond, and the court orders the treasurer to pay (the treasurer may deduct up to $100). Money left with the treasurer two years with no pending application is presumed abandoned. Amounts over $50 are reported to the Department of Revenue's unclaimed property program; amounts of $50 or less go to the county general fund and can no longer be claimed (33-812(L)-(N)).

Fees and assignments. A.R.S. 33-812(P): an agreement to pay a third party to recover, or help recover, excess proceeds on deposit with the county treasurer must be in writing, signed by the claimant, and notarized; any agreement signed before 30 days after the sale date is void; the fee must be reasonable, and a fee over $2,500 (excluding attorney fees and the costs of filing the claim and required notices) is presumed unreasonable and unenforceable unless the court approves more. The claimant can still contest any fee as unreasonable. Arizona voids agreements to recover property from the date it is presumed abandoned until 24 months after it is delivered to the State, then caps the fee at 30% (A.R.S. 44-327).

Published surplus lists

These official Arizona pages publish lists or lookups of unclaimed surplus or excess proceeds. If your name or parcel appears, the office that runs the list can tell you how to claim, free.

Lists change often and may be out of date. Checked October 2026.

Claiming it yourself

We don't offer paid help in Arizona. You can claim surplus here yourself, free.

See the free self-filing steps →

Every Arizona county office(15)

Surplus is public record. Call the office that held the sale with the parcel or case number; in most places it will confirm whether a surplus exists, how much, and the deadline. Self-filing is free. Each entry links the county's tax office and court clerk where the directory lists them, plus the full set of county offices.

Each dot is a county below. Pick one from the list to see it up close.© OpenStreetMap contributors

Check this yourself

This page is plain-language orientation, not legal advice. Statutes were checked against official sources in October 2026, and county links come from the NETR public-records directory, an independent resource. Laws and county procedures change, so confirm with the office before you rely on any of it. You can always file a claim yourself with no recovery fee (a court or notary may charge a small fee).