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Surplus funds in Kentucky.

When a property in Kentucky 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

Judicial, through the courts.

Our fee here

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

Tax sale surplus

Lien-certificate state: Kentucky sells certificates of delinquency, not the property. The certificate holder can sue to enforce the lien, and the property can then be sold under a court foreclosure judgment, with a right of redemption (KRS 134.546). Any money left after the sale is handled by the court in that case; ask the circuit court clerk. In tax foreclosures under KRS 91.517 (cities of the first class), money left after distribution that no one claims within two years after the sale escheats to the state.

Foreclosure surplus

Foreclosure type
Judicial
Who holds the surplus

The circuit court in the foreclosure case: the master commissioner conducts the sale and reports it to the court, and sale proceeds (including any surplus) stay under the court's control until the court orders them paid out

Kentucky mortgages are foreclosed through a circuit court case, and the master commissioner sells the property after the court orders a sale; the court then confirms the sale (KRS 426.205 sets a faster track for vacant and abandoned property). After costs and the liens the court finds valid are paid by priority, the former owner asks the court by motion in the same case to release any surplus. Money a court holds that stays unclaimed may be sent to the State Treasurer one year after it becomes distributable and must be sent within five years (KRS 393A.040(9)).

Fees and assignments. No foreclosure-surplus-specific fee statute found. KRS 393.117 voids agreements to locate property made from the date it is presumed abandoned until 24 months after it is delivered to the state, caps fees at 10%, requires written, signed agreements, and requires a disclosure in advertising and agreements (393.117(5)). Court-held money can be presumed abandoned one year after it becomes distributable (KRS 393A.040).

Published surplus lists

These official Kentucky 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 Kentucky. You can claim surplus here yourself, free.

See the free self-filing steps →

Every Kentucky county office(121)

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).