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

If a home in Delaware County (county seat: Delaware) 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 Delaware County, Ohio, surplus funds from a mortgage foreclosure sale are held by the Delaware County Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas), and excess funds from a tax foreclosure are held by the Delaware County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts). 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 (740) 833-2500.
Mortgage foreclosure surplus
Delaware County Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas)
Tax sale surplus funds
Delaware County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts)
County phone
(740) 833-2500
Cost to check yourself
$0. It's public record
How sales happen
Online via RealAuction for mortgage foreclosures; real-estate tax sales held in person
Our cost to you upfront
$0. Attorney and filing costs are on us

Is there a Delaware County surplus funds list?

Delaware County does not publish a public surplus fundslist online. That doesn't mean no money is held. It means you have to ask. Call the Delaware County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts) at (740) 833-2480 with your name and the property address (the call is free), or request a free record checkand we'll confirm what the county is holding.

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

Online via RealAuction for mortgage foreclosures; real-estate tax sales held in person. Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. (both online foreclosure sales and in-person tax sales); legal ads run in the Delaware Gazette on Wednesdays. Location: Online at delaware.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov; in-person tax sales in the first-floor lobby of the Hayes Services Building, 145 N. Union St., Delaware, OH 43015. Sale listings and results are public. See the official Delaware 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: Delaware County sheriff sale: schedule and results.

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

  1. Look up your foreclosure case for free: Delaware County court records (eServices) search. Search by your name and note the case number and sale amount.
  2. Call the county directly: the Delaware County Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas) at (740) 833-2500 or the Delaware County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts) at (740) 833-2480. 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.
  3. 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 Delaware County

After a Delaware County foreclosure sale, leftover money sits with the Clerk of Courts in your case file at the county courthouse, 117 N. Union St. in downtown Delaware. You claim it by filing a motion in your foreclosure case asking the court to distribute the balance to you — Ohio Legal Help's free form tool prepares that motion, and the Clerk can tell you if your county requires a proposed order with it. Look your case up free on the county's eServices court records portal, or call the Clerk's Legal Division at (740) 833-2500 to confirm whether funds are being held.

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 (740) 833-2500. We encourage it.

Official form: Motion for Foreclosure Excess Funds (free statewide form via Ohio Legal Help; filed in your foreclosure case).

How tax-sale surplus funds work in Delaware County

Delaware County holds real-estate tax sales in person on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. in the first-floor lobby of the Hayes Services Building, 145 N. Union St. — the same building where the Treasurer's office sits. If the sale brings more than the taxes and costs owed, the leftover money starts in the court case; under Ohio R.C. 5721.20, unclaimed amounts are paid into the county treasury and permanently forfeited if not demanded within the statutory window (about three years). Call the Treasurer at (740) 833-2480 or the Sheriff's Sales Coordinator at (740) 833-2868 to check your parcel for free.

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 Delaware County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts) at (740) 833-2480.

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 Delaware County

  • Delaware County splits its sales two ways: mortgage foreclosure sales run online at delaware.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m., while tax sales stay in person in the Hayes Services Building lobby, 145 N. Union St. — same day and time.
  • The county has a dedicated Sheriff's Sales Coordinator reachable at (740) 833-2868 or sheriffsales@co.delaware.oh.us — a direct human for 'what did my house sell for?' questions.
  • The sheriff's sale page publishes every result — appraisal value, deposit, purchaser, and final sale price, case by case — and legal ads run in the Wednesday Delaware Gazette, so you can verify your own sale without paying anyone.
  • Foreclosure case dockets and filed documents are free to search on the county's eServices portal at court.co.delaware.oh.us; the Clerk of Courts Legal Division ((740) 833-2500, Mon–Fri 8:00–4:30) is in the county courthouse at 117 N. Union St.

We help former homeowners throughout Delaware County, including Delaware, Powell, Lewis Center, Sunbury, Westerville (northern part), Galena.

Related guides

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

Delaware County questions

Straight answers, before you ask.

Delaware County doesn't publish a public list online. Call the Delaware County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts) at (740) 833-2480 with your name and property address (the call is free), or request a free record check from us and we'll confirm what the county is holding.

Mortgage foreclosure surplus is held by the Delaware County 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 Delaware County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts) (R.C. 5721.20). You can confirm either directly with the county at (740) 833-2500, 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.

Free case review

Start with a free review. No cost, no obligation.

Share a few details and a case manager will check the public record for your property and tell you what may be there, in plain language, before you decide anything.

  • Nothing to pay to request a review
  • You can verify us with the county before you sign anything
  • If there's nothing there, we'll tell you that too

Request your free review

A case manager will reach out within one business day.

Text messages (optional)

Both boxes are optional and you can submit this form without checking either. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Capital Quest Groupis a private recovery company, not a law firm, government agency or court. We don't guarantee any recovery or eligibility. A free review creates no obligation.

Call (888) 301-1182Free review