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Surplus funds in Iowa.

When a property in Iowa 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 Iowa. You can claim surplus here yourself, free; see below.

Tax sale surplus

Lien-certificate state: the county sells a tax sale certificate, not the property (Iowa Code ch. 446). If the owner does not redeem, the certificate holder can obtain a tax deed (chs. 447–448). Iowa's tax-sale chapters do not provide for paying any surplus or equity to the former owner. Whether a former owner has a constitutional claim after Tyler v. Hennepin County (2023) and Pung v. Isabella County (2026) is a question for a lawyer. We tell you plainly if there is nothing to claim.

Foreclosure surplus

Foreclosure type
Both
Who holds the surplus

The sheriff who conducts the foreclosure sale; if lienholders claim the surplus, the sheriff pays it to the clerk of the district court, which distributes it by court order.

In a judicial foreclosure, the sheriff sells the property. If money is left after the mortgage and costs are paid and there are no other liens, the overplus is paid to the mortgagor (Iowa Code 654.7). If other lienholders claim it, the sheriff pays it to the clerk of the district court and the court decides who gets it (Iowa Code 626.82); the former owner then asks the court in the foreclosure case for an order. Non-judicial options also exist (Iowa Code 654.18 and ch. 655A). No specific statutory claim deadline was found.

Fees and assignments. No specific statute found for foreclosure surplus. For funds that reach the State Treasurer as unclaimed property, Iowa Code 556.11(10) voids recovery agreements for 24 months, then caps the fee at 15% and requires a private-investigation license.

Claiming it yourself

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

See the free self-filing steps →

Every Iowa county office(100)

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).