Surplus funds in North Carolina: the rules, straight.
We recover vehicle, boat, and RV repossession surplus here; real-estate surplus claims are reviewed case-by-case with licensed counsel.
Foreclosure / mortgage surplus
State law routes this stream through licensed attorneys — when that is your case, counsel on our bench handles it, or we tell you straight if there is no lawful path.
Clerk of superior court; special proceeding (§§ 45-21.31/.32) with service + hearing.
G.S. 116B-78 voids a recovery agreement from the day the money is payable until 24 months after it reaches the Treasurer — the whole time the clerk holds it — except the owner's own agreement with an attorney. Fee ≤ lesser of $1,000 / 20%. Owner hires NC counsel directly; we do not paper NC.
Tax sale overages
State law routes this stream through licensed attorneys — when that is your case, counsel on our bench handles it, or we tell you straight if there is no lawful path.
Same clerk special-proceeding rail (§§ 105-374/375).
G.S. 116B-78 voids our agreement while the clerk holds the surplus (owner–attorney agreements only); fee ≤ lesser of $1,000 / 20%. Do not paper NC.
Courtroom requirement: Claims here move by court motion. Licensed local attorneys on our bench handle the courtroom work inside the same contingency deal — you never pay hourly legal bills.
If nobody claims it: Court-held funds ~1 yr → unclaimed property (§ 116B-78).
Cars, boats & RVs in North Carolina: Vehicle/boat/RV repo surplus: UCC § 9-615(d) obliges the LENDER to return the surplus; § 9-616 explanation on request; § 9-625(c)(2) statutory damages for noncompliance. Demand-letter work against the secured party — no county, no state surplus-fee cap in this table.
This page summarizes public statutes for general information — it is not legal advice, rules change, and unverified items are confirmed by our desk (and counsel where needed) before any agreement is papered. Primary source: https://ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_116B/GS_116B-78.html · https://www.nccash.gov/documents/forms-and-guides/property-finder-registration-packet/download?attachment=
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