- How sales run
- In-person cry-out auction — bidders or a representative must be present (no mail, phone, or fax bids); certified funds due in full by 1:00 PM the day of sale; sales advertised in The Times (Gainesville) legals section every weekend and Wednesday for four weeks before the sale
- Schedule
- First Tuesday of the month (in months a sale is planned) at 10:00 AM; if the first Tuesday is a legal holiday, the sale moves to Wednesday
- Location
- Hall County Commissioners Meeting Room, 2nd floor, Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville, GA 30504
- Results are
- Public record, free to look up
Where do I see Hall County foreclosure sale listings and results?
- The official sale site: Hall County foreclosure sale listings & results for upcoming sales, minimum bids, and sold prices.
- The legal ads: Georgia law requires four weeks of advertising in the county's official legal organ (newspaper) before each first-Tuesday sale. The ad names the property, the borrower, and the foreclosing law firm.
- For tax sales, the Hall County Tax Commissioner publishes outcomes on its excess funds list.
- By phone: call the Foreclosing attorney/lender first; disputed funds deposited with the Clerk of Superior Court (interpleader) at (770) 531-7025. Sale results are public, and asking is free.
What happens to the extra money when a home sells for more than owed?
This is the part of every foreclosure sale that goes unexplained. The winning bid first pays the debt and costs. If anything is left over, that money (called excess funds, also known as excess proceeds or an overage) belongs to the former owner, not the bank and not the county. According to publicly available Georgia statute (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-5 for tax sales and § 44-14-190 for mortgage foreclosures), that money must be paid to the former owner, but nobody is required to chase you down to deliver it. The notice usually goes to the foreclosed property's address, the one place the former owner no longer lives. That's why so much of this money is never claimed.
If your home, or a family member's, was sold at a Hall County foreclosure sale, check what it sold for using the steps above, then see the full Hall County excess funds guide for who holds the money and how to claim it free. Or request a free record check. Our licensed attorneys handle everything with no upfront costs; you pay nothing unless money is recovered.
Is the sale final?
For mortgage foreclosures, yes: final when the bidding ends. Georgia tax sales are the exception: a 12-month redemption right (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-40) lets the former owner buy the property back at the price plus a premium. Either way, if the sale brought in more than the debt, the excess belongs to the former owner, and there are deadlines to claim it. This page is education, not legal advice. For decisions about your situation, talk to a licensed attorney.
Other counties: Bibb County, Chatham County, Cherokee County, Clayton County, Cobb County, DeKalb County, or see all Georgia counties.