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Surplus funds in South Carolina.

When a property in South Carolina 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

If a tax sale brings in more than the taxes, assessments, penalties and costs, the overage first pays any outstanding municipal tax liens on the property. The rest belongs to the owner of record immediately before the end of the redemption period, to be claimed or assigned. It is payable 90 days after the tax deed is executed unless another claimant sues during that time. If it is not claimed or assigned within 5 years of the tax sale, it goes to the general fund of the governing body (S.C. Code § 12-51-130). Some county delinquent-tax offices publish overage lists.

Foreclosure surplus

Foreclosure type
Judicial
Who holds the surplus

The master-in-equity (or other court officer, such as a special referee) who conducted the court-ordered foreclosure sale holds any surplus under SCRCP Rule 71(b)-(c).

South Carolina mortgage foreclosures go through the courts, and the master-in-equity sells the property. When there is a surplus, the master sends a notice to the parties who appeared in the case when filing the report of the sale. Any party, or anyone who had a lien on the property at the time of sale, must file a verified claim (or one supported by an affidavit) with the master within 45 days after the statement of receipts and disbursements is filed; late claims are treated as abandoned and waived. If no claims are filed, the money goes to the mortgagor or lienor entitled to it, and if that person cannot be found it is handled as abandoned funds under state law. On lienholder priority: in BAC Home Loan Servicing v. Kinder (2012) the SC Supreme Court held that the assignee of a junior note and mortgage could recover surplus from the foreclosure of a prior mortgage.

Fees and assignments. No specific statute found capping or banning fees or assignments for recovering South Carolina foreclosure surplus. Rule 71(c) says nothing about fees. S.C. Code 27-18-360 applies once property is reported, paid or delivered to the state as unclaimed property: finder agreements made within 24 months after that are unenforceable, and locator fees are capped at 15%; breaking it is a misdemeanor.

Published surplus lists

These official South Carolina 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 South Carolina county office(46)

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 South Carolina 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).