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Surplus funds in Utah.

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

Tax sale surplus

Money from a county tax sale above the delinquent taxes, charges, penalties, interest and costs is treated as unclaimed property under Utah's Unclaimed Property Act (Utah Code §59-2-1351.1(7)). Ask the county auditor or treasurer first; once it has gone to the State Treasurer's Unclaimed Property Division, the owner can file a claim there directly.

Foreclosure surplus

Foreclosure type
Both
Who holds the surplus

Trust-deed (non-judicial) sales: the trustee, who may pay the surplus out directly or deposit it with the clerk of the district court in the county of sale (the clerk then places it with the state treasurer under court control). Judicial mortgage foreclosures: the court, which may order the surplus deposited with it.

If the trustee deposits the surplus, it files an affidavit listing known claimants and the clerk notifies them within 15 days. A claimant files a petition for adjudication of priority ($50 filing fee) and notifies the other claimants. They have 60 days to contest; if no one does, the court orders payment without a hearing, and if someone does, the court holds a hearing within 20 days. A person who does not appear and assert a claim is barred once the court rules. In judicial foreclosures the court orders the surplus paid to whoever is entitled (78B-6-904).

Fees and assignments. No Utah statute specifically caps fees for recovering foreclosure surplus held by a trustee or court. If the money reaches the state Unclaimed Property Division: any locate/recover agreement made within 24 months after delivery to the state is void, a fee found unconscionable can be cut by a court (Utah Code 67-4a-1302), and the agreement must meet the disclosure rules in 67-4a-1301. Utah Admin. Code R966-1-37 allows no finder fee until the property has been in state custody for 24 months, then limits it to 20% of the amount collected, and a finder charging a contingent fee must hold a Utah private detective license (attorneys and CPAs are exempt).

Published surplus lists

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

See the free self-filing steps →

Every Utah county office(29)

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).