Service
Estate & Heir Surplus Funds Recovery
When the former owner has passed away, the surplus does not disappear — it generally becomes an asset of the estate or passes to the heirs under state law. These are among the most common unclaimed cases, because the people entitled to the money often never learn it exists.
Heir cases take longer and require more documentation. Many of them need a probate filing or a court determination of heirship before a custodian will release funds.
Who this is for
- Children, spouses and other heirs of a deceased former property owner
- Executors, administrators and personal representatives of an estate
- Families who inherited a property that was later foreclosed
What we do
- Confirm the surplus, the custodian and the deadline
- Trace the chain of ownership and identify the likely heirs or estate representative
- Explain exactly what the custodian requires — letters, orders, affidavits or a probate case
- Coordinate with a probate attorney where the jurisdiction requires one
- Prepare and track the estate's claim through disbursement
What we typically need from you
- Death certificate for the former owner
- Government photo ID for each claiming heir or representative
- Will, letters testamentary or letters of administration, if they exist
- Documents showing the family relationship (birth or marriage records)
- Deed or other proof the deceased owned the property
Important to know
- We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. Probate and heirship determinations are handled by licensed counsel.
- Where multiple heirs exist, custodians usually require all of them to be accounted for before releasing funds.
Free records search. No upfront fees — our fee is deducted only if and when funds are successfully recovered. Rules, eligibility and deadlines are set by each state and county.
Check your state's process
Who may claim, how long they have and which office holds the money changes by state.
Open the Surplus Recovery State GuideOther services
- Mortgage Foreclosure Surplus Funds Recovery
- Tax Foreclosure & Tax Sale Excess Proceeds Recovery
- HOA & Condo Foreclosure Surplus Recovery
- Multiple-Owner Surplus Claims