Butler County surplus funds: how to check the list and claim what's yours

If a home in Butler County (county seat: Hamilton) 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 Butler County, Ohio, surplus funds from a mortgage foreclosure sale are held by the Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas), and excess funds from a tax foreclosure are held by the County Auditor, Finance Department (Excess Proceeds Fund). The money legally belongs to the former owner, but it is not mailed out automatically. You must file a claim, and you can check whether money exists for free by calling (513) 887-3278.
Mortgage foreclosure surplus
Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas)
Tax sale surplus funds
County Auditor, Finance Department (Excess Proceeds Fund)
County phone
(513) 887-3278
Cost to check yourself
$0. It's public record
How sales happen
Online via RealAuction — the Sheriff directs all foreclosure bidding to the county's official auction site
Our cost to you upfront
$0. Attorney and filing costs are on us

Is there a Butler County surplus funds list?

Yes. The county publishes its official surplus funds list here (web page). 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 County Auditor, Finance Department (Excess Proceeds Fund) at (513) 887-3126 and ask directly, or have us check the record for you free.

When are Butler County sheriff sales, and how do I see the results?

Online via RealAuction — the Sheriff directs all foreclosure bidding to the county's official auction site. Sales are listed on the auction site and advertised on Sundays in the Hamilton Journal / Middletown Journal (Journal-News). Location: Online. Sale listings and results are public. See the official Butler 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 surplus funds this page is about. Full details: Butler County sheriff sale: schedule and results.

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

  1. Look up your foreclosure case for free: Butler County Area Courts Record Search. Search by your name and note the case number and sale amount.
  2. Check the county's official surplus funds list: view the Butler County list (Web Page). Look for your name or the property address.
  3. Call the county directly: the Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas) at (513) 887-3278 or the County Auditor, Finance Department (Excess Proceeds Fund) at (513) 887-3126. 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 Butler County

Leftover money from a Butler County sheriff's sale starts out with the Clerk of Courts in your foreclosure case — look your case up free at docket.bcohio.gov or call the Clerk's Legal Division at (513) 887-3278. To claim it while it is still with the court, file a motion in your case asking the judge to release the money (R.C. 2329.44 — public information you can verify with the county). If it goes unclaimed, Butler County moves it into an Excess Proceeds Fund managed by the County Auditor's Finance Department, where you claim it with a one-page form by mail or email.

According to publicly available Ohio statute (R.C. 2329.44), when a sheriff's sale brings in more than the judgment and costs, the balance belongs to the former owner, and the clerk must send notice when the surplus is $500 or more. The claim is made by motion in your original foreclosure case. You can confirm any of this directly with the county at (513) 887-3278. We encourage it.

Official form: Motion for Foreclosure Excess Funds (free statewide form assistant, Ohio Legal Help).

How tax-sale surplus funds work in Butler County

Butler County deposits unclaimed money from sheriff's sales — including tax sales — into an Excess Proceeds Fund managed by the County Auditor's Finance Department. Check the Auditor's published Excess Proceeds List online, then send the completed claim form with supporting documents by mail (Butler County Auditor, Attn: Finance, 130 High Street, 4th Floor, Hamilton, OH 45011) or email to auditor@bcohio.gov. Questions go to the Finance office at (513) 887-3126 — Ohio's tax-sale claim window is limited under R.C. 5721.20, so check early.

According to publicly available Ohio statute (R.C. 5721.20), excess from a tax foreclosure is held for the former owner, but unclaimed money can be permanently forfeited three years after it is paid into the county treasury. This is the one deadline in Ohio you cannot miss. You can confirm any of this with the County Auditor, Finance Department (Excess Proceeds Fund) at (513) 887-3126.

Official form: Unclaimed Funds Application (Butler County Auditor claim 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 Butler County

  • Butler County routes unclaimed sheriff's-sale money to the County Auditor's Finance Department — not the Treasurer or Clerk — via a dedicated Excess Proceeds Fund, with a named contact: Jennifer Manning, Account Specialist, (513) 887-3126.
  • The Auditor publishes both an Excess Proceeds List and an Unclaimed Funds List online (files.bcohio.gov) and accepts claims by email (auditor@bcohio.gov) as well as mail.
  • Sheriff foreclosure sales are held online at butler.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov and advertised three weeks in advance in the Sunday Journal-News.
  • Court records including foreclosure cases from 2000 to present are free to search at docket.bcohio.gov; the Clerk's Legal Division (315 High St., 5th Floor) closes for lunch from 12:00 to 1:00.

We help former homeowners throughout Butler County, including Hamilton, West Chester, Middletown, Fairfield, Oxford, Monroe.

Related guides

Nearby counties: Cuyahoga County, Delaware County, Franklin County, Hamilton County, Lorain County, Lucas County, or see all of Ohio.

Butler County questions

Straight answers, before you ask.

The county publishes its official list at https://files.bcohio.gov/s/xCepSTTo8SfnS5o (web page). Not finding your name doesn't always mean no money exists. Lists update periodically, so confirm by calling the County Auditor, Finance Department (Excess Proceeds Fund) at (513) 887-3126, or request a free record check from us.

Mortgage foreclosure surplus is held by the Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas) in the original foreclosure case (per publicly available Ohio statute R.C. 2329.44). Excess money from a tax foreclosure is handled through the County Auditor, Finance Department (Excess Proceeds Fund) (R.C. 5721.20). You can confirm either directly with the county at (513) 887-3278, and we encourage it.

It depends on which kind of sale it was. Mortgage-foreclosure surplus stays with the clerk until 90 days after the last notice, then moves to the county treasurer, who holds it for the owner; under R.C. 9.39, money unclaimed there for five years reverts to the county's general fund. Tax-foreclosure excess is stricter: according to R.C. 5721.20, it is permanently forfeited three years after it is paid into the county treasury. Don't wait. Confirm your dates with the county, and read our deadline guide.

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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