Nevada surplus funds claim kit
A free, step-by-step guide to claiming excess proceeds after a Nevada county sold a property for unpaid taxes. You don't need to hire anyone to do this. Read how surplus funds work in Nevada for the background.
The most important thing: your written claim must reach the county treasurer within one year after the treasurer's deed is recorded. After that, the county keeps the money for good.
Who can claim
- The owner, the person the property was assessed to, or someone with a contract to buy it before the county took it.
- Their successors, such as heirs or an estate, if the owner has died. Ask the treasurer what documents they need.
- Lienholders (mortgage lenders, judgment creditors, HOAs, cities, and the state Medicaid program) are paid before the owner, in lien order.
Steps
- Call the county treasurer (contacts below). Ask whether excess proceeds are being held for the parcel, how much, the date the deed was recorded, and for their claim form.
- Make your claim in writing. Use the county's form if it has one, and include anything the treasurer asks for. Counties may ask for records to prove your claim.
- Get it to the treasurer before the one-year mark, and keep copies.
- Wait for the decision. The treasurer decides within 30 days after the one-year claim period ends. If others claim too and the treasurer can't decide, it goes to mediation. If you disagree with the decision, you have 90 days to ask the district court to review it.
Know what to expect: the county keeps the first $300 of the excess and 10% of the next $10,000 before anything is held for claimants, so the amount you can claim is less than the sale price minus the taxes.
Fees: anyone helping you must have a written agreement you sign, and can charge no more than 10% of the excess due to you. Claiming it yourself costs nothing.
If it was a mortgage foreclosure
This kit covers county tax sales. If a lender foreclosed, ask the trustee who conducted the sale, or the district court clerk if there was a court case, whether there was surplus and where it is held.
County treasurer contacts
| County | Treasurer's office |
|---|---|
| Carson City | 775-887-2092 |
| Churchill County | 775-423-6028 |
| Clark County | 702-455-4323 |
| Douglas County | 775-782-9018 |
| Elko County | 775-738-5694 |
| Esmeralda County | 775-485-6309 |
| Eureka County | 775-237-5262 |
| Humboldt County | 775-623-6444 |
| Lander County | 775-635-5127 |
| Lincoln County | 775-962-8074 |
| Lyon County | 775-463-6501 |
| Mineral County | 775-945-2446 |
| Nye County | 775-482-8147 (Tonopah), 775-751-4200 (Pahrump) |
| Pershing County | 775-273-2208 |
| Storey County | 775-847-0969 |
| Washoe County | 775-328-2510 |
| White Pine County | 775-293-6506 |
Phone numbers from the Nevada Department of Taxation's county clerks and treasurers map (September 2023), with Clark and Washoe checked on their county websites and Douglas from its excess proceeds form, November 2, 2026. In several counties the clerk and treasurer share an office. 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.