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

If a home in Warren County (county seat: Lebanon) 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 Warren County, Ohio, surplus funds from a mortgage foreclosure sale are held by the Warren County Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas), and excess funds from a tax foreclosure are held by the Warren 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 (513) 695-1120.
Mortgage foreclosure surplus
Warren County Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas)
Tax sale surplus funds
Warren County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts)
County phone
(513) 695-1120
Cost to check yourself
$0. It's public record
How sales happen
Online via RealAuction — ALL sheriff's sales (mortgage and tax) moved to the Warren County RealAuction website; no in-person courthouse sales
Our cost to you upfront
$0. Attorney and filing costs are on us

Is there a Warren County surplus funds list?

Warren 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 Warren County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts) at (513) 695-1300 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 Warren County sheriff sales, and how do I see the results?

Online via RealAuction — ALL sheriff's sales (mortgage and tax) moved to the Warren County RealAuction website; no in-person courthouse sales. See the current sale calendar on the auction site and the sheriff's sales search page (info line: (513) 695-2731, Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.). Location: Online at warren.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov (Sheriff's Office: 822 Memorial Drive, Lebanon, OH 45036). Sale listings and results are public. See the official Warren 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: Warren County sheriff sale: schedule and results.

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

  1. Look up your foreclosure case for free: Warren County Clerk of Courts Common Pleas case inquiry. Search by your name and note the case number and sale amount.
  2. Call the county directly: the Warren County Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas) at (513) 695-1120 or the Warren County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts) at (513) 695-1300. 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 Warren County

Warren County is unusually clear about leftover foreclosure money: the Common Pleas Court publishes its own explainer, 'What is Excess Proceeds from Foreclosure Sale?', and uses a county-named form — the 'Demand for Excess Proceeds' — filed with the Warren County Clerk of Courts at 500 Justice Drive, Lebanon. If excess funds exist after your sale, you are notified and complete that form to ask for the money; there is no cost to claim it yourself. Call the Clerk at (513) 695-1120 to ask whether excess proceeds are on deposit in your case and to request the form.

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) 695-1120. We encourage it.

How tax-sale surplus funds work in Warren County

Warren County's tax sales happen online too — every sheriff's sale, tax or mortgage, runs through warren.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov. If a tax-foreclosed home sells for more than the taxes and costs owed, the excess starts in the court case; under Ohio R.C. 5721.20, unclaimed money is then paid into the county treasury, where the owner has a limited demand window (about three years) before it is permanently forfeited. The Treasurer's office at 406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, (513) 695-1300, can confirm whether excess from your parcel is being held — checking is 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 Warren County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts) at (513) 695-1300.

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 Warren County

  • Warren County is one of the few Ohio counties with its own named claim form — the 'Demand for Excess Proceeds' — plus an official Common Pleas Court explainer PDF titled 'What is Excess Proceeds from Foreclosure Sale?'.
  • ALL sheriff's sales, mortgage and tax alike, are held online at warren.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov — the sheriff's site states this in bold; there are no in-person courthouse-steps sales.
  • You can look up your own sale result free at sheriff.warrencountyohio.gov/SheriffSales/Search/Index — search by your last name, case number, or property address to see the appraisal value, deposit, purchaser, and final sale price.
  • The sheriff's dedicated sale information line is (513) 695-2731, Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; the Clerk of Courts Common Pleas Division is (513) 695-1120 at 500 Justice Drive, Lebanon.

We help former homeowners throughout Warren County, including Mason, Lebanon, Springboro, Franklin, South Lebanon, Waynesville.

Related guides

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

Warren County questions

Straight answers, before you ask.

Warren County doesn't publish a public list online. Call the Warren County Treasurer (unclaimed tax-sale excess under R.C. 5721.20; funds start in the court case with the Clerk of Courts) at (513) 695-1300 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 Warren 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 Warren 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 (513) 695-1120, 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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