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Northeast

Surplus funds in Maryland.

When a property in Maryland 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

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.

Tax sale surplus

Lien-certificate state. After a court forecloses the right of redemption, the buyer pays the rest of the purchase price to get the deed, and any balance over taxes, interest, penalties and sale costs is paid by the tax collector to the person entitled to it, or to a court if disputed (Tax-Prop. § 14-818). Each county must have a claim process that needs no court order unless there is a dispute, and the collector must tell the prior owner of record about any balance within 90 days after delivering the deed.

Foreclosure surplus

Foreclosure type
Judicial
Who holds the surplus

The trustee or substitute trustee who conducted the sale holds the proceeds; distribution follows the court-ratified auditor's account

Maryland foreclosures (power of sale or assent to decree) are filed in and supervised by the circuit court. After the court ratifies the sale, a court auditor states an account of the sale showing any surplus due the homeowner (see Real Prop. §§ 7-301, 7-315); once the account is ratified the trustee pays the surplus as approved. A former owner (or other claimant) asks for the surplus in the foreclosure case; check the case file or the court for any deadline.

Fees and assignments. Real Prop. §§ 7-301, 7-314 and 7-315 regulate 'foreclosure surplus purchasers' who buy or take assignment of a homeowner's surplus: written contract in prescribed form, signed before the account goes to the auditor, mandatory notice, and the homeowner can rescind within 10 days after the audit account is stated. Foreclosure consultants (§ 7-307) cannot collect any fee until all services are fully performed. Unclaimed-property recovery agreements made within 24 months of delivery to the state are unenforceable (Com. Law § 17-325). No percentage cap found.

Published surplus lists

These official Maryland 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 Maryland county office(24)

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 Maryland 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).