Star Thing WindAsk us to check

Star Thing Wind › States › North Dakota

Midwest

Surplus funds in North Dakota.

When a property in North Dakota 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.

Star Thing Wind is a private company, not the Clerk or any government office.

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

After the county sells tax-forfeited land, it keeps any excess over the taxes, special assessments, penalties, interest and costs for 90 days. If the record owner files an undisputed claim within those 90 days, the county pays the owner. Disputed or multiple claims go to the clerk of district court. If no claim is filed, the money goes to the state unclaimed property administrator. If the owner had several parcels foreclosed, the excess is figured on all of them together (N.D.C.C. § 57-28-20).

Foreclosure surplus

Foreclosure type
Judicial
Who holds the surplus

The surplus from the sheriff's sale is brought into the district court (clerk of district court), subject to court order. Foreclosure by advertisement (power of sale) is allowed only for mortgages held by the state; for those, the officer making the sale holds the surplus for 30 days and then pays it to the mortgagor or into court.

In a judicial foreclosure, the surplus is paid into court, and the former owner applies to the court for an order releasing it. Important deadline: if the surplus is under $1,000 and no application is filed within 60 days after it is deposited, the court must order it forfeited to the county general fund (N.D.C.C. 32-19-10). Surplus of $1,000 or more not applied for within 90 days may be deposited at interest for the owner's benefit (32-19-11).

Fees and assignments. No specific statute found for foreclosure surplus held by the court. If the money reaches the state's unclaimed property administrator, N.D.C.C. 47-30.2-68 makes a locator agreement enforceable only if it is written, the fee is 10% or less of the amount recovered, it carries required disclosures, and the locator complies with chapter 43-30. Under 47-30.2-69, an agreement made between the date the property is presumed abandoned and 24 months after delivery to the administrator is void.

Want it handled?

Ask us to check →

Every North Dakota county office(53)

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 North Dakota is above.

What we take off your plate → · Compare your options →

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).