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Midwest

Surplus funds in Michigan.

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

Tax sale surplus

After Rafaeli v Oakland County (2020), MCL 211.78t is the only way to claim remaining proceeds after a county tax foreclosure. For property sold or transferred after July 17, 2020, the claimant must send the notarized Treasury claim form to the foreclosing governmental unit by the July 1 immediately after the foreclosure takes effect, then file a motion in the circuit court foreclosure case between February 1 and May 15 after the sale (MCL 211.78t(2), (4)). Older sales follow a separate schedule (MCL 211.78t(6)). The right to claim cannot be transferred except by will or inheritance (MCL 211.78t(11)). We don’t offer paid recovery here, and we’ll tell you where to claim free.

Foreclosure surplus

Foreclosure type
Both
Who holds the surplus

The officer who conducted the sale (usually the county sheriff or deputy) for foreclosure by advertisement; the circuit court clerk if a junior lienholder files a sworn claim

A Michigan mortgage with a power of sale can be foreclosed by advertisement, with a sheriff's sale and no court case (MCL 600.3201 et seq.). Under MCL 600.3252, surplus left after paying the mortgage and foreclosure costs is paid on demand to the mortgagor or the mortgagor's legal representatives or assigns, unless a junior mortgage or lien holder files a sworn written claim; then the sheriff sends the surplus to the circuit court clerk and the court decides who gets it after a hearing. No fixed statutory deadline was found; a junior lienholder's claim must be filed at the time of the sale or before the surplus is paid over (MCL 600.3252).

Fees and assignments. No mortgage-foreclosure-surplus fee statute found. MCL 567.256 makes any agreement to recover unclaimed property unenforceable if made within 24 months after the property is delivered to the State Treasurer. Separately, for TAX-foreclosure surplus, MCL 211.78t(11) says the claim right cannot be transferred except by will or inheritance.

Claiming it yourself

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

See the free self-filing steps →

Every Michigan county office(83)

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).