Recovery guides

Straight answers for a bad week.

Everything here is written the way we’d explain it across a kitchen table — no legalese, no fear tactics, no invented numbers. Just how the money actually works and how to get yours back.

The basics 9 min

What Are Surplus Funds? Foreclosure Overages, Explained in Plain English

Surplus funds — also called overages or excess proceeds — are the money left over when a foreclosure, tax sale, or repossession sale brings in more than the debt owed. Here is how they work, who holds them, and how to claim yours.

June 2, 2026Read
Foreclosure 10 min

I Just Lost My House to Foreclosure — Now What? The First 30 Days

A practical, judgment-free checklist for the first month after a foreclosure sale: where you stand legally, what to do about the move, and the money question almost nobody mentions — surplus funds.

June 18, 2026Read
Repossession 8 min

My Car Was Repossessed and Sold — Do They Owe Me Money?

If your repossessed car, truck, or motorcycle sold at auction for more than your loan balance, federal commercial law says the lender owes you the surplus. How UCC 9-615(d) works and how to demand what is yours.

July 6, 2026Read
Tax sales 9 min

Tax Sale Overages: How to Claim the Excess After a Tax Foreclosure

When a county sells a property for back taxes, anything above the tax debt — the overage or excess proceeds — can belong to the former owner. How tax-sale overages work, the deadlines that kill claims, and how to claim yours.

July 20, 2026Read
Foreclosure 7 min

HOA Foreclosed on Your Home? The Surplus Rules Are Different — and Often Better

HOA and condo association foreclosures are usually over small debts, which makes big surpluses common. How HOA foreclosure surplus works and why these cases are unusually strong for former owners.

August 1, 2026Read
Boats & RVs 7 min

Boat or RV Repossessed (or Lien-Sold)? You May Be Owed the Surplus

Boats, RVs, and campers follow the same surplus law as cars: if the sale beat the debt, the lender or lienholder owes you the difference. How marina liens, storage liens, and repo sales work for big-ticket toys.

August 8, 2026Read
Protect yourself 8 min

Surplus Funds Scams: 6 Red Flags, and What Legitimate Recovery Looks Like

The surplus recovery industry has real predators — upfront-fee hustlers, deed thieves, and number-inventors. Six red flags to protect yourself, the questions that expose a scammer in one phone call, and the structural protections a legitimate firm offers.

July 12, 2026Read
The process 6 min

How Long Does Surplus Funds Recovery Take? Honest Timelines by Stage

The honest answer on surplus recovery timelines: what happens in week one, what the court controls, why most cases pay out in months, and what can make a claim faster or slower.

July 28, 2026Read
The process 7 min

Do I Need a Lawyer to Claim Surplus Funds? State by State, Honestly

Whether you need an attorney to claim foreclosure surplus or tax sale overages depends on the state: many run administrative claims with no lawyer required, others mandate court motions. How to tell which you are in — and how contingency changes the math.

August 5, 2026Read
Estates & heirs 8 min

Claiming Surplus Funds for a Parent or Relative Who Passed Away

Surplus funds do not die with the owner — they belong to the estate and pass to heirs. How heir claims work, the documents that prove entitlement, and how families recover money from a foreclosure or tax sale years later.

August 12, 2026Read

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