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Surplus funds in Idaho.

When a property in Idaho 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

Tax-sale surplus: up to 25% of what you receive, shown in writing before you sign, $0 upfront, only if you are paid. We don't offer paid help for foreclosure surplus; you can claim it yourself, free. We don't offer paid help for Idaho surplus once it is presumed abandoned under Idaho's unclaimed-property law; you can claim it yourself, free.

Tax sale surplus

Tax-deed state. After the county sells tax-deeded property, excess proceeds go first to parties in interest (holders of recorded mortgages, liens, contracts or leases) by lien priority, then to the owner(s) of record when the tax deed was issued (Idaho Code §31-808). The county must notify parties in interest within 30 days after the sale, and their claims must be made within sixty days of receiving that notice. With the State Treasurer's consent, the county can instead transfer the money to the Treasurer, who handles it under Idaho's unclaimed property law.

Foreclosure surplus

Foreclosure type
Both
Who holds the surplus

Deed of trust (non-judicial): the trustee who conducted the sale. Mortgage (judicial): the sheriff conducts the sale and the proceeds are applied under the court's judgment.

After a trustee's sale the trustee pays sale expenses, the secured debt, and then persons with later recorded liens as their interests may appear, then pays any surplus to the grantor of the deed of trust or the successor entitled to it (Idaho Code 45-1507). The former owner claims it from the trustee. In a judicial mortgage foreclosure (Idaho Code 6-101) the court's judgment directs how sale proceeds are applied. No statutory claim deadline for foreclosure surplus was found; money left unclaimed may eventually go to the State Treasurer as unclaimed property.

Fees and assignments. No specific statute found capping foreclosure-surplus recovery fees. If funds reach the State Treasurer, Idaho Code 14-5-1301 (added in 2024) voids an agreement to locate the property if it is signed between the date the property was presumed abandoned and 24 months after it was paid or delivered to the Treasurer; an owner's agreement with an attorney to pursue a specific claim is excluded.

Published surplus lists

These official Idaho 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.

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Every Idaho county office(44)

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

What we do, and your other options

Filing yourself, your own attorney, or us. Our fee in Idaho is above.

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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).