Your old house may have left money behind.
When a property sells at a tax sale or foreclosure for more than was owed, the county or court holds the extra money until the people entitled to it claim it. Often that includes the former owner.
We prepare the claim papers. You sign and file them in your own name, and the office that holds the money pays you directly.
Where the money comes from
When property taxes or a mortgage go unpaid, the county or a court can sell the property at auction. The sale pays what was owed. Anything the buyer paid above that is left over.
The county or court holds the leftover money for the people entitled to it, until they claim it or the time limit runs out. Others with a claim on the property, such as a mortgage lender, may claim the same money.
Counties call it excess funds, surplus funds or overage.
See how a sale leaves money over
- Paid from the sale$11,400
- Left over, held by the county$50,600
These numbers are made up, to show how it works. The real amount is the one on your county's list.
You don't have to pay anyone to claim this money.
You can file the claim yourself, without us. The office that holds the money takes claims directly from owners, and you don't need to hire anyone to do it.
Find your county's own page to check its list and see what it asks for. A claim can still cost a little, such as a notary's fee or postage.
What we offer is the paperwork, done for you. If you'd rather do it yourself, please do.
How to claim it on your own
- Open your county's pageEach county posts its own list of the money it holds. The ones we cover are linked here.
- Look for your nameLists show the former owner's name, along with a property address, parcel number or case number.
- Get the county's claim formThe county's page says what to fill in, and which ID and documents to send with it.
- Sign it and send it inSee a notary if the county asks for one. Then send or file the claim with the office that holds the money.
In some Ohio counties the claim is a written request filed in the foreclosure case, called a motion, instead of a form.
What we prepare
At your direction, we put together the claim packet your county asks for. Tap each part to pull it from the stack.
You read it, sign it and file it yourself, in your own name. The office pays you, not us.
- We never take a percentage
- We never ask you to sign your claim over to us
- We never ask for a power of attorney
How it works
We work by text and email only. We don't make phone calls, and we answer your questions in writing.
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You reply to our message, or write to us
Our first message names the county and links its list, so you can check it before you answer.
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We check
We look for your name on the county's list and ask the office to confirm the amount it holds.
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You decide
We tell you the price for your claim. If you want to go ahead, you pay, and send us a photo of your ID and the details the form needs.
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We prepare your packet
We send it to you as a PDF by email, or by mail if you prefer.
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You sign and file
You sign, see a notary if your county requires one, and send or file the claim yourself. The office reviews it and pays you directly.
One flat price, told to you before you pay
- Owed under $10,000: $199 for a claim on the county's own form, or $299 for an Ohio claim filed as a motion in the foreclosure case.
- Owed $10,000 or more: $399 for any claim we prepare.
- The amount owed is the amount the office confirms to us.
- You pay up front, but only after we've found your name on the county's list and the office has confirmed the amount, and before we prepare anything.
- If the county sends your packet back because of a mistake in our documents, we fix it and send it again at no charge.
- Notary fees, postage and any court or notice costs are yours to pay. They are not part of our price.
- Our price is a flat fee. It is never a percentage of your money.
Who we can't help right now
- Family or heirsFamily members or heirs of an owner who has died. We can't prepare estate claims at this time.
- BusinessesBusinesses, or property that was owned by a company.
- Other countiesCounties we don't cover yet. See the counties we cover.
If you're in one of these situations, we'll tell you so plainly, and you won't be charged.
Who we are
Porchlight Claims is a brand of Tx Civil Help Inc, a Texas corporation that has prepared court documents for people sued over debts since 2025.
We are a document-preparation service. We are not a law firm, and we are not part of any county, court or state office.
- The company is on the public recordTx Civil Help Inc, Texas Secretary of State file no. 806499657, 5900 Balcones Dr #13025, Austin, TX 78731. Search the name on the Texas Comptroller's website.
- The county's list is public tooYou can check whether your name is on the county's own list before you answer us. Every county we cover is linked.
- Everything is in writingWe work by text and email, so you keep a record of everything we tell you.
Words you'll see
County pages and forms use their own terms. Tap a word to see what it means.
- Excess funds
- The money left after a sale pays what was owed. Counties also call it surplus funds, overage or excess proceeds.
- Tax sale
- A sale of a property by the county because its property taxes went unpaid.
- Sheriff sale
- An auction of a property run by the county sheriff, usually ordered by a court in a foreclosure case.
- Foreclosure
- The court case or legal process a lender or county uses to have a property sold for an unpaid debt.
- Parcel number
- The county's ID number for a piece of land. Lists often show it instead of a street address.
- Affidavit
- A written statement you swear is true, usually signed in front of a notary. Many county claim forms are affidavits.
- Notary
- A person authorized by the state to check your ID and watch you sign. Many banks and shipping stores have one.
- Motion
- A written request asking a court to order something. Here, it asks the court to order the leftover money paid to you.
- Lienholder
- A person or company with a legal claim on the property for a debt, such as a mortgage lender. A lienholder may claim the same money.
- The office that holds it
- In Georgia, the county Tax Commissioner holds money left over from tax sales. In Ohio, it is the Clerk of Courts, or later the county Treasurer, Auditor or Fiscal Office.
Common questions
Something we didn't answer? Write to us and we'll answer in writing.
Is this a scam?
It's right to ask. Some companies that contact owners about this money charge large fees, and some aren't honest. Here's how to check us:
- Open your county's own list and look for your name. Every county we cover is linked here.
- We never ask you to sign your claim over to us, never ask for a power of attorney, and never take a percentage.
- You pay only after we've confirmed the money is on the list and the office has confirmed the amount.
- Porchlight Claims is a brand of Tx Civil Help Inc, a Texas corporation. You can look the company up on the Texas Comptroller's website.
How did you find me?
Counties publish lists of the money they hold after tax sales and foreclosure sales. Most lists show the former owner's name and the amount. We read those lists.
To reach you, we look up a current email or mailing address through commercial data providers that collect public and commercial records.
Why would I pay you if I can do it myself?
You don't have to, and you're welcome to file it yourself. People pay us to save time and guesswork: finding the right form, filling it in, knowing which ID and notary steps the county wants, and having someone to ask by text or email until it's filed.
Are you a law firm or a government office?
No. Porchlight Claims prepares documents at your direction. We are not a law firm, we are not lawyers, and we can't give legal advice.
We are not a government agency, and we are not connected with any county, court or state office.
Is there a time limit?
Yes. It depends on the state and the kind of sale:
- Georgia tax sales: unclaimed excess funds are held for five years, then sent to the state (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-5).
- Ohio tax foreclosures: the county treasurer pays the owner on demand within three years of receiving the money. After that, it is forfeited (Ohio Rev. Code § 5721.20).
- Other Ohio sheriff sales: money that isn't claimed in time moves into the clerk's unclaimed-money process (Ohio Rev. Code § 2329.44).
Your county's page may give its own dates.
Can I call you?
We don't take or make phone calls. We work by text and email only. If you'd like to talk something through, write to us and we'll answer in writing.
How do I stop your messages?
Reply STOP to any text and we won't text you again. Every email has an unsubscribe link, or you can write to uma@porchlightclaims.com.
Get updates by text
Give us your mobile number and we'll text you about your claim: answers to your questions, and word when your packet is ready. You can stop at any time.
Text message terms and consent
How you sign up. We text only people who asked us to. You can ask us for texts by sending this form, by texting us first, or by giving us your mobile number when you write to us.
What we send. Answers to your questions, and updates about your claim packet. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply.
How to stop. Reply STOP to any text and we stop, permanently. Reply HELP for help, or email uma@porchlightclaims.com.
Your privacy. We do not sell your mobile number. No mobile information is shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. We give your number only to the messaging provider that delivers our texts, and where the law requires it. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
Agreeing to texts is not a condition of any purchase. The full details are in our privacy policy and terms of service.
Porchlight Claims is a brand of Tx Civil Help Inc, 5900 Balcones Dr #13025, Austin, TX 78731.
Ask us anything first.
Write to us and we'll check your county's list with you before you decide anything. We answer in writing, by text or email.