Kentucky surplus funds list
Unclaimed overages from tax deed and foreclosure sales.
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Kentucky surplus funds rules
- Sales that create surplus
- Judicial mortgage foreclosure; Tax: certificates of delinquency sold to third-party purchasers; Execution sales by sheriff (KRS 426.500: cash excess paid to defendant/owner); HOA/condo lien judicial foreclosure
- Who holds the money
- Master commissioner/circuit court clerk holds surplus pending a court order of distribution; sheriff pays execution-sale excess to the owner (KRS 426.500(2)).
- Unclaimed funds go to
- KRS 393A.040(9): property held by a court may be paid to the State Treasurer 1 year after it becomes distributable and must be paid no later than 5 years after (amended 2025 Ky. Acts ch. 124, eff. July 1, 2025).
- How owners claim
- File a motion in the foreclosure case asking the circuit court to order the master commissioner/clerk to disburse surplus; commissioner cannot release without a judge's order. After transfer, claim with State Treasurer (treasury.ky.gov unclaimed property). — deadline: KRS 426.510: motions under KRS 426.010-426.500 within 2 years after cause accrues (execution sales). For court-held surplus, practical deadline is before transfer to Treasury (1-5 yrs); then no deadline.
- Agent / finder fee cap
- None found in current KRS 393A (KY adopted RUUPA in 2018; KRS 393A.760 only lets owner designate an agent in a signed record). Former KRS 393.117 (10% cap) appears superseded - whether any cap survives. verify
- Waiting period
- Former KRS 393.117 voided fee terms for property held <24 months; current 393A has no equivalent located - . verify
- Registration
- No finder registration/licensing statute found - . verify
- Getting the list
- No statewide surplus list. Check master commissioner sale results/reports per county (e.g., Jefferson Circuit Court Master Commissioner, Fayette Master Commissioner) and KY CourtNet/case dockets; open records request to the master commissioner for funds held. Treasury unclaimed search after transfer.
Law: KRS 426.500, 426.510, 393A.040(9), 393A.760 · confirm details with the county; rules change.
Questions
Is there a free Kentucky surplus funds list?
Counties publish or provide lists on request; Surplus Funds HQ links to the official sources and is adding Kentucky lists.
Who gets surplus funds in Kentucky?
The former owner first (and lienholders in order of priority). The money is held by: Master commissioner/circuit court clerk holds surplus pending a court order of distribution.
What is the recovery agent fee cap in Kentucky?
None found in current KRS 393A (KY adopted RUUPA in 2018; KRS 393A.760 only lets owner designate an agent in a signed record). Former KRS 393.117 (10% cap) appears superseded - whether any cap survives.