New Client Funnel
The process in the correct order: (1) locate the State / County / City that holds the funds and check the property for a Yes/No, (2) the visitor opts in to become a client, (3) the back end emails the contract with a locked Kit link, (4) verify the signed contract and a valid government ID to send back a code that unlocks the Kit, and (5) auto-produce the claim paperwork.
Leads & Clients
Every property you are working. Click a row to open it.
Add a Lead
Fill in whatever you know. Blanks show up as [PLACEHOLDERS] in the report so you know what is still missing.
1. The Owner (the person owed the money)
2. The Property
3. The Sale
4. Liens & Encumbrances — entities, charges, debts, possible claimants
Add each lien or claimant you find. Junior liens get paid before the owner, so they lower the net surplus. See How Claims Work for where to search, and use the Skip Trace tab to locate people.
5. Estimated Net Surplus
6. Claim & Client Tracking
Skip Trace — find an owner's current contact info
Type a name (and last known city/state). This builds free public-record and people-search links, and gives you a place to record what you find. Save it to the open lead when you're done.
Record what you find
Paid skip-trace services (optional, more complete)
Free searches find a lot. For harder cases, professional providers give better coverage (subscription or per-hit fees). Compare before you commit.
Find a County's Free Lists
There is no single national database — each county publishes (or doesn't) its own lists. This helper points you to the right office and builds ready-to-click searches for any county.
Verified Starter Directory
Real county/state pages confirmed to post free surplus / excess-proceeds or sale lists.
.gov or county domains. If a page asks you to pay to see a public list, it is not the county.Claim Report
Pick a lead, then print or save it as a PDF. Blanks appear as yellow [PLACEHOLDERS].
How Surplus Claims Work
Plain-language background. This is general education, not legal advice.
What "surplus" or "excess proceeds" means
When a property is sold at a tax sale or a mortgage/foreclosure sale, it sometimes sells for more than the debt plus costs. That leftover money — surplus funds / excess proceeds — legally belongs to the former owner (and certain lienholders), not the government or the lender.
The waterfall — who gets paid, in order
- Costs of the sale (auction, clerk, court, advertising).
- The foreclosing lien — unpaid taxes, or the foreclosing mortgage. Whatever is left is the surplus.
- Surviving senior liens (unpaid property taxes, HOA "super-lien," some government liens).
- Junior lienholders in priority order — second mortgages, HELOCs, judgment liens, IRS/state tax liens.
- The former owner (or heirs) — last in line. What remains is the net surplus.
Liens & claimants that can lower the net surplus
Second mortgages & HELOCs, judgment liens, IRS federal tax liens (with a special 120-day redemption right), state tax liens, mechanic's/contractor's liens (priority can date back to when work began), HOA/COA liens, child-support liens, and municipal/code-enforcement or utility liens (often not in the recorder's index — check the city separately).
Rules, fees & licensing — protect yourself and the client
- Fee caps & who may charge: Example — Texas caps an attorney's excess-proceeds fee at 25% or $1,000 (whichever is less); non-attorneys may not charge for that service at all. Many states cap finder fees (often 5%–20%).
- Waiting periods / no solicitation: Some states restrict contacting owners after the sale (Texas: no assignment for 36 days; no solicitation-based assignments).
- Licensing / registration: Some states require it (e.g., North Carolina).
- Full disclosure & cancellation: States like California require telling the owner, in writing, that they can file for free themselves; many require a cancellation/rescission period in the contract.
- Scam warnings: FTC and state agencies warn about excessive fees and upfront-fee scams. Stay well within the law.
Confirm each state's current rules with the statute or an attorney before charging a fee, contacting anyone, or using the contract.
Settings — your business details
These fill in automatically on the client email, the Kit link, and the contract. They are already filled in with your real E.A.R.R. details — you only need to change something if it is wrong.
Help & Backing Up Your Data
Written for first-time users. Take it one step at a time.
The New Client Funnel, in plain words
- Eligibility — a few yes/no questions tell you whether a person likely has a claim worth pursuing.
- Locate — choose the State, then County, then City.
- Leads — pick the matching property from your list (or add a new one).
- Verify liens — confirm the debts and claimants, and see the net surplus.
- Opt-in — record the client's name, address, contact, and property (address, PIN, or lot #).
- Send the Kit — one click fills the welcome email (with your Kit link) and the contract, ready for you to send and e-sign.
Backup & restore
Common questions
Does the email really send by itself?
In this "tool" version, one click fills the email and opens it in your email program (or copies it) with the Kit link and a note that the contract is attached — then you press send. Truly automatic sending needs an online website with paid services; see the Automation & Website Plan document that came with this app.
Is the eligibility result a guarantee?
No — it's a first-look screen to decide whether to dig deeper. Always confirm the surplus, the deadline, and the rules with the county.
Can this search all 3,300 counties automatically?
No tool can — counties don't share one database. This app points you to the right office, builds the searches that work, keeps a verified directory, and organizes every lead and the paperwork.