California surplus funds claim kit
A free, step-by-step guide to claiming excess proceeds after a California county sold tax-defaulted property. You don't need to hire anyone to do this. Read how surplus funds work in California for the background.
The most important thing: your claim must be postmarked within one year after the tax deed was recorded. After that, the county can move unclaimed money into its general fund.
Who can claim
- Anyone with title of record to the property before the tax deed was recorded: the former owners.
- Their heirs, if the owner has died. Heirs may use a small estate affidavit under the Probate Code; ask the county what else it needs.
- Lienholders of record, such as a mortgage lender, who are paid before the owners.
Steps
- Call the county treasurer-tax collector (contacts below). Ask whether excess proceeds are held for the parcel, how much, the date the tax deed was recorded, and for the county's claim form. If you received a notice of your right to claim, have it with you.
- Fill in the claim form and include the proof the county asks for. Counties set their own requirements.
- Mail it so it's postmarked by the one-year deadline, or send it by an approved delivery service. Keep copies and proof of mailing.
- Wait for the decision. The county decides claims no sooner than one year after the deed was recorded and pays them in priority order. If your claim is denied, you have 90 days to ask a court to review the decision.
Know your rights: you can always claim directly from the county at no cost. Anyone filing on your behalf must show the county that they told you so, and told you the amount and where it came from. If someone asks you to sign over your right to claim, California law requires a dated, written document that says so explicitly, after they've told you everything they know about what it's worth.
If it was a mortgage foreclosure
This kit covers county tax sales. If a lender foreclosed through a trustee's sale, the trustee handles any surplus; ask the trustee named in the notice of sale.
County tax collector contacts
| County | Tax collector |
|---|---|
| Alameda County | 510-272-6800 |
| Alpine County | 530-694-2286 |
| Amador County | 209-223-6364 |
| Butte County | 530-552-3720 |
| Calaveras County | 209-754-6350 |
| Colusa County | 530-458-0440 |
| Contra Costa County | 925-608-9500 |
| Del Norte County | 707-464-7283 |
| El Dorado County | 530-621-5800 |
| Fresno County | 559-600-3496 |
| Glenn County | 530-934-6410 |
| Humboldt County | 707-476-2450 |
| Imperial County | 442-265-1270 |
| Inyo County | 760-878-0312 |
| Kern County | 661-868-3490 |
| Kings County | 559-852-2479 |
| Lake County | 707-263-2234 |
| Lassen County | 530-251-8218 |
| Los Angeles County | 213-974-2111 |
| Madera County | 559-675-7713 |
| Marin County | 415-473-6133 |
| Mariposa County | 209-966-2621 |
| Mendocino County | 707-234-6875 |
| Merced County | 209-385-7307 |
| Modoc County | 530-233-6223 |
| Mono County | 760-932-5480 |
| Monterey County | 831-755-5057 |
| Napa County | 707-253-4327 |
| Nevada County | 530-265-1285 |
| Orange County | 714-834-3411 |
| Placer County | 530-889-4120 |
| Plumas County | 530-283-6260 |
| Riverside County | 951-955-3900 |
| Sacramento County | 916-874-6622 |
| San Benito County | 831-636-4043 |
| San Bernardino County | 909-387-8308 |
| San Diego County | 877-829-4732 |
| San Francisco County | 415-554-4400 |
| San Joaquin County | 209-468-2133 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 805-781-5831 |
| San Mateo County | 866-220-0308 |
| Santa Barbara County | 805-568-2920 |
| Santa Clara County | 408-808-7900 |
| Santa Cruz County | 831-454-2510 |
| Shasta County | 530-225-5511 |
| Sierra County | 530-289-3286 |
| Siskiyou County | 530-842-8340 |
| Solano County | 707-784-7485 |
| Sonoma County | 707-565-2281 |
| Stanislaus County | 209-525-6388 |
| Sutter County | 530-822-7117 |
| Tehama County | 530-527-4535 |
| Trinity County | 530-623-1251 |
| Tulare County | 559-636-5250 |
| Tuolumne County | 209-533-5544 |
| Ventura County | 805-654-3744 |
| Yolo County | 530-666-8190 |
| Yuba County | 530-749-7840 |
Phone numbers from the State Board of Equalization's listing of county tax collectors, checked November 2, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
Want help?
If you'd rather not do this alone, call us at 9-SURPLUS-24 and we'll explain where things stand.