Free Investor Tool
Tax Sale Surplus Recovery Fee Calculator
Estimate the net proceeds left from tax-sale surplus after a state-specific recovery fee. Pick a state, enter the winning sale price and the payoff, and see the surplus, the maximum fee that state allows, and the net payout.
Your Scenario
Florida caps recovery/assignee compensation (around 12% for assignees). Owners can also file the claim themselves for free.
What the property sold for at auction.
The amount the sale paid off. Surplus is anything above this.
Estimated Outcome
We don't have a verified statutory fee cap for Florida in our rules registry, so we show the full surplus rather than guess a fee. Some states bar non-attorney recovery entirely or vary by county. Verify the cap with the county and an attorney before signing any fee agreement.
Estimates only. Fee caps, licensing rules, and claim procedures vary by state and county and change over time; some states bar non-attorneys from charging any fee. Verified caps shown here cover TX, FL, CA, CO, and AZ; all other states show a "verify" badge. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before signing a fee agreement or filing a claim. This is not legal or financial advice.
How surplus recovery fees work
1. The surplus
When a tax sale clears for more than the taxes, penalties, and costs owed, the extra money — the surplus or excess proceeds — belongs to the former owner or other lienholders, not the county. Surplus = winning sale price minus total payoff.
2. The fee cap
Recovery agents and attorneys charge a percentage to claim the funds, but states cap it. Texas bars non-attorney fees (attorneys: lesser of 25% or $1,000), Florida ~12%, California the greater of $2,500 or 5%, Colorado 20%, Arizona 30%. Unverified states show a "verify" badge instead of a number.
3. The net payout
The net payout is the surplus minus the maximum allowed fee. It is the realistic ceiling on what a recovery deal nets — and a reminder that the owner can often claim the full surplus directly for free.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is tax-sale surplus (excess proceeds)?
When a property sells at a tax sale for more than the taxes, penalties, and costs owed, the leftover money is called surplus or excess proceeds. By law it belongs to the former owner (or other lienholders), not the county. This calculator estimates how much of that surplus is left after a recovery fee.
How is the surplus amount calculated?
Surplus is simply the winning sale price minus the total payoff (the taxes, penalties, interest, and fees that the sale satisfied). If the sale price is at or below the payoff there is no surplus. Enter both numbers and the calculator shows the surplus before any recovery fee.
What is a recovery fee, and how much can a company charge?
A recovery fee is what a surplus-recovery agent or attorney charges to claim the funds on the owner's behalf — usually a percentage of the amount recovered. The cap varies sharply by state. Texas bars non-attorneys from charging at all (attorneys are capped at the lesser of 25% or $1,000); Florida caps assignee compensation around 12%; California caps it at the greater of $2,500 or 5%; Colorado caps it at 20%; Arizona at 30%. For states without a verified cap in our data, the calculator shows a "verify" badge instead of a number.
Why does my state show "fee cap unknown"?
We only display a numeric cap for states whose cap is recorded in our single-source-of-truth rules registry. For every other state the law either has no statewide statutory cap, bars non-attorney recovery entirely, or varies by county. Rather than guess a number that could be wrong (and legally risky), we show a badge telling you to verify with the county and an attorney. A missing cap is never a claim that any fee is allowed.
Can the owner claim the surplus themselves for free?
In most states, yes. The former owner can usually file the excess-proceeds claim directly with the county or court and pay no recovery fee at all. Recovery agents add value through skip-tracing, paperwork, and deadline tracking — but the fee is negotiable and capped by state law. This tool is educational and is not legal or financial advice.
Is this tool free, and is my data stored?
Yes, it is completely free with no signup and no usage cap. The calculator runs entirely in your browser — we only log anonymous, aggregate usage (state, the amounts entered, and the resulting net payout) so we can improve the tool. No property records or personal identifiers are involved.
Want the bigger picture? Learn more about surplus funds or browse surplus funds by county.