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

If a home in Lucas County (county seat: Toledo) 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 Lucas 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 Treasurer (Excess Foreclosure Proceeds, after transfer from the court). 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 (419) 213-4484.
Mortgage foreclosure surplus
Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas)
Tax sale surplus funds
County Treasurer (Excess Foreclosure Proceeds, after transfer from the court)
County phone
(419) 213-4484
Cost to check yourself
$0. It's public record
How sales happen
Online via RealAuction — mortgage foreclosure sales online since December 16, 2020; tax foreclosure sales moved online effective March 12, 2026
Our cost to you upfront
$0. Attorney and filing costs are on us

Is there a Lucas 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 Treasurer (Excess Foreclosure Proceeds, after transfer from the court) at (419) 213-4305 and ask directly, or have us check the record for you free.

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

Online via RealAuction — mortgage foreclosure sales online since December 16, 2020; tax foreclosure sales moved online effective March 12, 2026. Mortgage foreclosure sales: Wednesdays, 10:00 AM; tax foreclosure sales: monthly (typically the second Thursday), 10:00 AM. Location: Online only. Sale listings and results are public. See the official Lucas 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: Lucas County sheriff sale: schedule and results.

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

  1. Look up your foreclosure case for free: Lucas County Foreclosure Search (dedicated free case lookup). Search by your name and note the case number and sale amount.
  2. Check the county's official surplus funds list: view the Lucas 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 (419) 213-4484 or the County Treasurer (Excess Foreclosure Proceeds, after transfer from the court) at (419) 213-4305. 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 Lucas County

Leftover money from a foreclosure sale is held by the Lucas County Clerk of Courts in your case file, and the Clerk posts public notices listing unclaimed and excess funds (most recently updated May 2026). To claim it, file a motion for an order of distribution with the Court of Common Pleas through the Clerk at 700 Adams Street — you can call (419) 213-4484 to confirm what is on deposit in your case. If nobody claims the money within 90 days of the Clerk's notice, it transfers to the Lucas County Treasurer, where you can still claim it through the Treasurer's excess-funds process.

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 (419) 213-4484. We encourage it.

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

How tax-sale surplus funds work in Lucas County

The Lucas County Treasurer runs a dedicated Excess Foreclosure Proceeds page with a downloadable list of cases that have money on deposit (updated April 2026) and an online claim form. Submit the claim form with documents proving you owned the property; eligibility and distribution are determined by the court and Treasurer under Ohio law (R.C. 5721.20 — publicly available, and you can confirm anything at (419) 213-4305). Submitting a claim does not guarantee payment, so include complete documentation.

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 Treasurer (Excess Foreclosure Proceeds, after transfer from the court) at (419) 213-4305.

Official form: Excess Funds Claim Form (online form linked from the Treasurer's page).

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 Lucas County

  • The Treasurer maintains a dedicated 'Excess Foreclosure Proceeds' page — rare among Ohio counties — with a downloadable list of cases holding money (updated April 2026) and an online claim form.
  • Unclaimed money from court-ordered property sales transfers from the Clerk of Courts to the Lucas County Treasurer 90 days after the Clerk's public notice — where you claim depends on how much time has passed.
  • Tax foreclosure sales moved online on March 12, 2026; bidders in tax auctions must submit a notarized Delinquent Tax Affidavit to the Sheriff by 10:00 AM the Wednesday before the Thursday auction.
  • Lucas County has a dedicated free foreclosure case search app (lcapps.co.lucas.oh.us/foreclosure/search.aspx), separate from the general court docket — you can look up your own sale result there.

We help former homeowners throughout Lucas County, including Toledo, Oregon, Sylvania, Maumee, Waterville, Holland.

Related guides

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

Lucas County questions

Straight answers, before you ask.

The county publishes its official list at https://www.lucascountytreasurer.org/excess-funds (web page). Not finding your name doesn't always mean no money exists. Lists update periodically, so confirm by calling the County Treasurer (Excess Foreclosure Proceeds, after transfer from the court) at (419) 213-4305, 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 Treasurer (Excess Foreclosure Proceeds, after transfer from the court) (R.C. 5721.20). You can confirm either directly with the county at (419) 213-4484, 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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