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

If a home in Summit County (county seat: Akron) 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 Summit 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 Summit County Fiscal Office (Fiscal Officer Kristen M. Scalise CPA, CFE — Summit's charter-county equivalent of the Treasurer). 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 (330) 643-2211.
Mortgage foreclosure surplus
Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas)
Tax sale surplus funds
Summit County Fiscal Office (Fiscal Officer Kristen M. Scalise CPA, CFE — Summit's charter-county equivalent of the Treasurer)
County phone
(330) 643-2211
Cost to check yourself
$0. It's public record
How sales happen
Online via RealAuction (contract with the Ohio Department of Administrative Services)
Our cost to you upfront
$0. Attorney and filing costs are on us

Is there a Summit 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 Summit County Fiscal Office (Fiscal Officer Kristen M. Scalise CPA, CFE — Summit's charter-county equivalent of the Treasurer) at (330) 643-8056 and ask directly, or have us check the record for you free.

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

Online via RealAuction (contract with the Ohio Department of Administrative Services). Mortgage foreclosure sales Fridays at 10:00 AM; tax sales Tuesdays at 10:00 AM. Location: Online. Sale listings and results are public. See the official Summit 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: Summit County sheriff sale: schedule and results.

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

  1. Look up your foreclosure case for free: Summit County Clerk of Courts Public Records Search. Search by your name and note the case number and sale amount.
  2. Check the county's official surplus funds list: view the Summit 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 (330) 643-2211 or the Summit County Fiscal Office (Fiscal Officer Kristen M. Scalise CPA, CFE — Summit's charter-county equivalent of the Treasurer) at (330) 643-8056. 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 Summit County

Surplus money from a Summit County foreclosure stays under the court's control in your original Common Pleas case — the Clerk of Courts does not publish a foreclosure surplus list online, so call the Clerk at (330) 643-2211 with your case number to ask whether money is being held. To get paid, you file a motion in your foreclosure case at the courthouse, 205 S. High St., Akron; Ohio Legal Help offers a free Motion for Foreclosure Excess Funds form that takes about 10 minutes to complete. You can search your case documents free through the Clerk's Public Records Search.

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 (330) 643-2211. We encourage it.

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

How tax-sale surplus funds work in Summit County

In Summit County the Fiscal Officer — the charter county's treasurer-equivalent — serves as trustee of county unclaimed funds, which include sheriff sale proceeds. To claim, submit the notarized Unclaimed Funds Application with a photocopy of your photo ID by mail to Summit County Fiscal Office, Attn: Unclaimed Funds, 175 S. Main St., Room 406, Akron, OH 44308, or call (330) 643-8056. According to the Fiscal Office, under Ohio R.C. 5721.20 tax-sale excess is held for three years from the date of receipt and, if unclaimed, is forfeited to the Summit County Land Bank — you can confirm this directly with the county, and we encourage it.

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 Summit County Fiscal Office (Fiscal Officer Kristen M. Scalise CPA, CFE — Summit's charter-county equivalent of the Treasurer) at (330) 643-8056.

Official form: Unclaimed Funds Application (must be signed before a notary, with photo ID copy).

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 Summit County

  • Summit County publishes no online foreclosure-surplus list — the Clerk's annual unclaimed funds list (posted the first Monday of January) covers only uncashed bonds, restitution, garnishment, and vendor payments, so you must call (330) 643-2211 about case-held surplus.
  • Per USA TODAY Network's 'Foreclosed and Fleeced' investigation, Summit County's clerk said it sends notices of surpluses in all foreclosure cases — but notices mailed to a foreclosed address often never reach the former owner.
  • The Fiscal Office states that under the amended R.C. 5721.20, tax-sale excess funds are held three years from receipt and then forfeited to the Summit County Land Bank — a permanent, county-specific deadline.
  • Summit is a charter county: the office holding treasurer-side unclaimed funds is called the Fiscal Office, not the Treasurer — searching for a 'Summit County Treasurer' page will lead you in circles.
  • Sheriff sales run online on a split schedule: mortgage sales Fridays at 10:00 AM, tax sales Tuesdays at 10:00 AM, at summit.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov.

We help former homeowners throughout Summit County, including Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Green, Barberton, Hudson.

Related guides

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

Summit County questions

Straight answers, before you ask.

The county publishes its official list at https://fiscaloffice.summitoh.net/index.php/unclaimed-funds (web page). Not finding your name doesn't always mean no money exists. Lists update periodically, so confirm by calling the Summit County Fiscal Office (Fiscal Officer Kristen M. Scalise CPA, CFE — Summit's charter-county equivalent of the Treasurer) at (330) 643-8056, 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 Summit County Fiscal Office (Fiscal Officer Kristen M. Scalise CPA, CFE — Summit's charter-county equivalent of the Treasurer) (R.C. 5721.20). You can confirm either directly with the county at (330) 643-2211, 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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