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Surplus funds in District of Columbia.
When a property in District of Columbia 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 District office linked so you can check for yourself, free.
Star Thing Wind is a private company, not the Clerk or any government office.
Foreclosure sales here
Both judicial and non-judicial.
Our fee here
We don't offer paid help in District of Columbia. You can claim surplus here yourself, free; see below.
Tax sale surplus
Lien-sale system. D.C.'s post-foreclosure equity process (D.C. Code §47-1382.01) covers owner-occupied properties with 5 or fewer units: after the court forecloses redemption, a court-appointed trustee sells the property and, after costs, taxes and the buyer's allowed costs plus 10% of the remainder or $20,000 (whichever is less), pays the rest to the owner or estate. For other properties, D.C.'s tax-sale statute sets no comparable payment to the owner; check with the Office of Tax and Revenue or a lawyer for any later change.
Foreclosure surplus
The trustee (or noteholder) that conducted a power-of-sale foreclosure; in a judicial foreclosure, the court-supervised trustee. For condominium assessment-lien sales, the proceeds go to unpaid assessments, then foreclosure costs, then the balance to whoever is legally entitled (D.C. Code 42-1903.13(c)(6)).
Deeds of trust can be foreclosed out of court under a power of sale, but residential foreclosures first require a notice of default, a mediation certificate, and a 30-day notice of intent to foreclose sent to the borrower and the Mayor (D.C. Code 42-815, 42-815.02); judicial foreclosure is also available. No D.C. statute was found that sets a surplus-claim procedure or deadline for mortgage foreclosures; the former owner requests the surplus from the trustee, and disputes go to D.C. Superior Court. For condominium assessment-lien sales, the statute pays unpaid assessments, then foreclosure costs, and the balance to whoever is legally entitled (42-1903.13(c)(6)).
Fees and assignments. No specific statute found regulating fees or assignments for recovering foreclosure surplus in D.C.
Published surplus lists
These official District of Columbia 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.
- OTR Real Property Tax Lien Sale page (index of all buyers books and bid-back reports) statewide
- DC unclaimed property search (Office of Finance and Treasury) statewide
Lists change often and may be out of date. Checked October 2026.
Claiming it yourself
We don't offer paid help in District of Columbia. You can claim surplus here yourself, free.
See the free self-filing steps →Every District of Columbia District office(1)
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.
- WashingtonWashington Office of Tax and Revenue (202) 727-4829All county offices (NETR)Map: Washington
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).