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Surplus funds in Oregon.

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

Tax sale surplus

Since HB 2089 (2025), effective September 26, 2025, surplus from county tax foreclosures is claimed through the State Treasurer's Unclaimed Property program (ORS 312.500-312.560). The claimant is the owner at the time of the county's foreclosure, or that owner's estate, heirs or successor. Lienholders and creditors may also claim based on a valid lien or debt, and an assignment of the claim is void unless it protects the claimant, as in bankruptcy, a power of attorney or a guardianship (ORS 312.500, 312.540(5)). The law reaches claims where the owner got the foreclosure notice on or after May 25, 2023. Where the law allows paid help, it runs through an independent licensed attorney, within Oregon's rules; otherwise we'll point you to the right office, free.

Foreclosure surplus

Foreclosure type
Both
Who holds the surplus

After a non-judicial trustee's sale under a trust deed (the usual method), the trustee holds the sale proceeds and pays any surplus. After a judicial foreclosure (sheriff's execution sale), the sheriff delivers the net proceeds to the circuit court administrator, who pays any remainder as the court orders.

In a trustee's sale, the trustee pays sale expenses, then the secured debt, then later recorded lienholders in order of priority, and any surplus goes to the grantor of the trust deed or the grantor's successor in interest (ORS 86.794). The former owner asks the trustee for the surplus. After a judicial sale, the court enters an order of distribution and the court administrator pays any remaining proceeds as that order directs (ORS 18.950), so the former owner asks the court for the money. No specific claim deadline was found; funds held by a court or government body that stay unclaimed for more than two years are presumed abandoned (ORS 98.336), and other unclaimed funds generally after three years (ORS 98.342). Either way they go to the State Treasury's Unclaimed Property program, where they can still be claimed.

Fees and assignments. No specific statute found capping or banning fees or assignments for recovering mortgage/trust-deed foreclosure surplus. Oregon's Mortgage Rescue Fraud Protection Act (ORS 646A.702-646A.750) regulates foreclosure consultants and equity purchasers (for example, compensation is limited until services are performed, and interest or other compensation over 9% per year is barred), but its list of covered services covers stopping a sale, redemption and similar help before a sale; it does not mention surplus recovery. Separately, for TAX-foreclosure surplus, ORS 312.540(5)(b) makes any assignment of a surplus claim void.

Published surplus lists

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

See the free self-filing steps →

Every Oregon county office(36)

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).