Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where did this surplus come from?
A: A surplus comes about when your property is foreclosed on, and the bank that financed your loan is paid all of the outstanding balance to satisfy their judgement, as well as any other lienholders on the property. As a result, there could be money left over, that the property owner is entitled to receive. So a surplus comes about when the property sells for more than is owed, and this money is referred to as surplus funds.
Q: Why can’t I just get the surplus funds on my own?
A: In theory it is possible, however, foreclosure attorneys work for the banks, and they are notoriously overzealous when filing foreclosure lawsuits, which leaves a very tedious and cumbersome process to work through. They typically inflate the overall summary judgment amounts, which are paid to the “the Bank” and miscellaneous creditors. When this happens, it distorts the accounting based on unrelated outstanding liens that may or may not be valid within the foreclosure lawsuit. Navigating past these obstacles is very difficult.
Frankly, it is best to hire our firm in order to maximize the results of your overall return. Collectively, our staff and attorney network exceeds 100 years of real-estate experience. Lastly, our clients’ cases are all filed electronically, and go directly to the local court Civil Division, which will ensure faster response times for the initial appearance and hearing. Depending on the state you reside in, you will not have to utilize valuable paid time from work, because our attorney will appear on your behalf, saving you further additional time and money. We utilize every aspect of automation in order to insure that your checks are made payable and delivered to you much more quickly than any of our industry competitors.
Q: Why didn’t the bank or the County notify me that there were surplus funds available?
A: After the banks and lienholders collect their portion of the sale proceeds, they really have no interest in the remaining surplus; so basically the surplus funds are kept in the County treasury where your property is located until it is claimed. The county will usually send the previous owners one notice to inform them of the surplus funds available, but that notice gets mailed to the address of the foreclosed property. So unless the homeowner left a forwarding address, in most cases they will not even see the notice. And if the County receives no response, then the money will remain there for approximately two years, then it would be marked as unclaimed, and would be forfeited by the homeowner. Also, the notice that the county sends out usually have the same appearance as a foreclosure notice, and if the homeowner doesn’t read it carefully, they might mistake it for something negative, instead of positive.
Q: How did you get my phone number?
A: Our office works closely with the county courts for properties that have been foreclosed upon in the States that we operate in which are Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Texas. We use various skip tracing tools which allow us to pin point valid phone numbers, addresses and etc. the data is populated from old and recent credit reporting data and other demographics designed to locate individuals. These methods are totally legal, and resemble similar methods used by collection agencies. In some cases we contact family members or close friends who may know how to reach the individual we’re looking for.
Q: How much does your firm charge?
A: There is a nominal service fee that our firm charges, however, it is only paid after the funds are released to you by the judge. Our firm absorbs all the legal costs, court filing fees and any registration fees. There are no up-front fees required of you whatsoever. Also, our fees are substantially lower than other firms in the industry.
Q: How long will it take for me to receive my surplus funds?
A: We have a very transparent and speedy process. On average, our cases are completed in 14 to 21 days depending upon the State. However, you can always reach a partner at our firm for an updates via phone or text.
Q: How can I be assured that your firm is not scamming me?
A: Our business is incorporated and in good standing with over 15 years of solid online credentials and client testimony, with zero complaints. Our legal team of attorneys are all licensed within their respective States, as well as we are in good standing with the Secretary of State, Dun & Bradstreet and the Better Business Bureau. Our attorney information will be provided upon request as well as listed on our general service agreements respectively.