Chatham County excess funds: how to check the list and claim what's yours

If a home in Chatham County (county seat: Savannah) sold at a foreclosure or tax sale for more than was owed, the leftover money may belong to you. Here's exactly who holds it, how to check for free, and how to claim it.

County contacts verified July 2026
In Chatham County, Georgia, excess funds from a tax sale are held by the Chatham County Tax Commissioner, and surplus from a mortgage foreclosure starts with the foreclosing lender's attorney before any court deposit. The money legally belongs to the former owner, but you must file a claim to get it, and you can confirm whether money exists for free by calling (912) 652-7100.
Mortgage foreclosure surplus
Foreclosing attorney/lender first; disputed funds deposited with the Clerk of Superior Court (interpleader)
Tax sale excess funds
Chatham County Tax Commissioner
County phone
(912) 434-8920
Cost to check yourself
$0. It's public record
How sales happen
In-person cry-out tax sale conducted by the Tax Commissioner with advance online bidder registration; payment due by 2:00 PM the day of sale. Mortgage foreclosure auctions are conducted separately by foreclosing attorneys on the first Tuesday.
Our cost to you upfront
$0. Attorney and filing costs are on us

Is there a Chatham County excess funds list?

Yes. The county publishes its official excess funds list here (pdf). It shows sales that left money behind; look for your name or the property address. The county's file can be hard to read and is only updated periodically, so if you don't find yourself on it, that does not mean no money exists: call the Chatham County Tax Commissioner at (912) 652-7100 and ask directly, or have us check the record for you free.

When are Chatham County foreclosure sales, and how do I see the results?

In-person cry-out tax sale conducted by the Tax Commissioner with advance online bidder registration; payment due by 2:00 PM the day of sale. Mortgage foreclosure auctions are conducted separately by foreclosing attorneys on the first Tuesday.. First Tuesday of the month at 10:00 AM, when a sale is scheduled (next sale listed: July 7, 2026). Location: Savannah Civic Center, 2nd floor Bryan Meeting Room, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave, Savannah, GA 31401. Sale listings and results are public. See the official Chatham County sale site. Every result matters for one reason most people miss: if a home sold for more than the debt owed, the difference belongs to the former owner. That's the excess funds this page is about. Full details: Chatham County foreclosure sales: schedule and results.

How to check if you're owed money from a Chatham County sale

  1. Look up your foreclosure case for free: Chatham County Superior Court Clerk records portal. Search by your name and note the case number and sale amount.
  2. Check the county's official excess funds list: view the Chatham County list (PDF). Look for your name or the property address.
  3. Call the county directly: the Foreclosing attorney/lender first; disputed funds deposited with the Clerk of Superior Court (interpleader) at (912) 434-8920 or the Chatham County Tax Commissioner at (912) 652-7100. Ask whether excess or surplus funds are being held from your sale. This call is free, and you owe nothing to anyone for making it.
  4. Prefer someone to check for you? We'll review the public record at no cost: request a free review. No upfront costs, ever.

How mortgage foreclosure surplus works in Chatham County

Georgia foreclosures happen outside of court, so no Chatham County office automatically holds your leftover money — the surplus starts with the law firm that ran the sale, named on your foreclosure letters and on the deed recorded after the auction. Under O.C.G.A. 44-14-190, whatever is left after the lender and priority liens are paid belongs to you. If the firm cannot tell who should be paid, it deposits the money with Chatham County Superior Court and a judge decides — call the Clerk at (912) 434-8920 and ask whether an interpleader case names you.

According to publicly available Georgia statute (O.C.G.A. § 44-14-190), after the foreclosing lender and priority liens are paid, the surplus must be paid to the former owner. Because Georgia foreclosures happen outside of court, the money starts with the foreclosing attorney, and nobody is required to chase you down to hand it over. You can confirm any of this directly with the county at (912) 434-8920. We encourage it.

How tax-sale excess funds work in Chatham County

Download the Excess Funds Request Form, attach the documents listed on page two, and mail it to the Tax Commissioner at PO Box 8092, Savannah, GA 31412 — or email everything to excessfunds@chathamcounty.org. Staff review takes about 3-4 weeks, and you sign a notarized Release Form before a check is issued. The office will not correspond with asset-recovery firms or power-of-attorney holders: you claim directly yourself, or a licensed attorney files for you. Unclaimed excess funds transfer to the Georgia Department of Revenue after 5 years.

According to publicly available Georgia statute (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-5), the county must notify the record owner within 30 days of the sale, and unclaimed excess funds are sent to the Georgia Department of Revenue after five years. After that, only a court order can release them. You can confirm any of this with the Chatham County Tax Commissioner at (912) 652-7100.

Official form: Excess Funds Request Form.

You can do all of this yourself, for free.The county will never charge you to check, and you don't need anyone's permission to file your own claim. Where we help is when it gets complicated: a deceased owner, competing liens, missed deadlines, or a court hearing. Our licensed attorneys handle the entire claim with no upfront costs: attorney fees, filing fees, and court costs are on us, and you pay nothing unless money is recovered.

Good to know in Chatham County

  • Chatham County tax sales are NOT held on the courthouse steps — they moved to the second floor of the Savannah Civic Center (Bryan Meeting Room, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave), first Tuesday at 10 AM.
  • The Tax Commissioner runs a dedicated excess-funds email (excessfunds@chathamcounty.org) and publishes a PDF excess funds report that was updated June 30, 2026.
  • The office explicitly refuses to recognize 'representation' by asset recovery firms or power-of-attorney holders — claims come from the owner directly or through a licensed attorney.
  • Approved claimants must sign a notarized Release Form before a check is cut; typical documentation review is 3-4 weeks.
  • Excess funds are generally not disbursed until the 12-month redemption window resolves, and the county's official legal organ is the Savannah Morning News.
  • Also, the Clerk of Superior Court's office relocated to 400 W. Oglethorpe Avenue, Suite 178 — not the old 133 Montgomery Street courthouse address.

We help former homeowners throughout Chatham County, including Savannah, Pooler, Port Wentworth, Garden City, Tybee Island, Bloomingdale.

Related guides

Nearby counties: Bibb County, Cherokee County, Clayton County, Cobb County, DeKalb County, Forsyth County, or see all of Georgia.

Chatham County questions

Straight answers, before you ask.

The county publishes its official list at https://tax.chathamcountyga.gov/ExcessFunds (pdf). Not finding your name doesn't always mean no money exists. Lists update periodically, so confirm by calling the Chatham County Tax Commissioner at (912) 652-7100, or request a free record check from us.

Tax-sale excess funds are held by the Chatham County Tax Commissioner (per publicly available Georgia statute O.C.G.A. § 48-4-5). Mortgage-foreclosure surplus starts with the foreclosing lender's attorney and, if disputed, is deposited with the Superior Court. You can confirm directly with the county at (912) 652-7100, and we encourage it.

According to O.C.G.A. § 48-4-5, tax-sale excess funds unclaimed for five years are sent to the Georgia Department of Revenue, after which recovery requires a court order. The earlier you act, the simpler the claim. Confirm your sale date with the county and see our deadline guide.

Most Georgia counties accept claim forms only from the owner or a licensed attorney representing the owner, not from recovery firms or power-of-attorney holders. That is exactly how we work: a licensed Georgia attorney files your claim, with no upfront costs to you.

Yes. You never need to pay anyone to find out if money exists or to file a claim. The county process is free apart from routine court costs. Our guide on claiming surplus funds yourself walks through it. Where claims get complicated (a deceased owner, competing liens, missed notices), our attorneys handle everything with no upfront costs, and you pay nothing unless money is recovered.

Heirs can usually claim, but the money is treated as part of the estate, so counties and courts typically require probate paperwork before paying anyone. See our guide for heirs. This is one of the situations where attorney help matters most, and ours costs nothing upfront.

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