Rensselaer County surplus funds list
New York · unclaimed money left over from tax deed and foreclosure sales.
Getting the Rensselaer County list
Rensselaer County pays in rem tax-foreclosure surplus to former owners after a Legislature resolution authorizing the Chief Financial Officer to issue it; it posts no running list. Ask the Rensselaer County Finance Department for surplus from recent tax-foreclosure auctions.
Get new Rensselaer County surplus the day it's posted
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New York surplus funds rules
- Sales that create surplus
- Judicial mortgage foreclosure sale by court-appointed referee (RPAPL Art. 13; In rem / tax foreclosure sale by county or city enforcing officer (RPTL Art. 11 Title 6, RPTL 1194-1197, added by L.2024 c.55 Part BB); No non-judicial trustee sales (NY is judicial-only)
- Who holds the money
- Court funds: county treasurer (in NYC, Commissioner of Finance, Court Assets unit) holds mortgage-foreclosure surplus paid into court. Tax foreclosure: enforcing officer must determine surplus within 45 days of sale, report to court, and pay surplus into court (RPTL 1196).
- Unclaimed funds go to
- Mortgage surplus in county treasurer hands: deemed abandoned after 3 years and paid to State Comptroller under Abandoned Property Law 600 (statute text says three years; confirm current amendment). Tax-foreclosure surplus unclaimed at end of RPTL 1197 proceeding is deemed abandoned and paid to the TAX DISTRICT (not the Comptroller), which must use it to reduce its levy; for residential property the proceeding stays open at least 3 years from confirmation of the report of sale for a former homeowner.
- How owners claim
- Mortgage foreclosure: motion/notice of claim in the surplus money proceeding under RPAPL 1361 in the Supreme Court action (often referred to a referee). Tax foreclosure: file a claim with the court having jurisdiction under RPTL 1197 (handled like an RPAPL Art. 13 surplus proceeding); enforcing officer must notify former owner within 10 days of filing its surplus report. After escheat to Comptroller: claim through OSC unclaimed funds. — deadline: RPAPL: none fixed, but money becomes abandoned property after 3 yrs with treasurer (APL 600). RPTL 1197: no fixed deadline; residential former homeowner protected for at least 3 years after confirmation of report of sale.
- Agent / finder fee cap
- 15% of value of recoverable property — but only for property held by the State Comptroller (APL 1416(4)). No statutory fee cap found for surplus still in court/county treasurer or in RPTL 1197 proceedings (courts review claims and may scrutinize assignments).
Law: N.Y. Abandoned Property Law 1416 (finders, comptroller-held funds); APL 600 (court funds); RPAPL 1361; RPTL 1196-1197 · confirm details with the county; rules change.
Questions
Where does the Rensselaer County surplus funds list come from?
From the official list published by Rensselaer County (source). Surplus Funds HQ checks it every week and last found it updated Oct 12, 2026.
How do I claim surplus funds in Rensselaer County?
The former owner (or heirs) files a claim with the office that holds the funds, usually with ID and proof of ownership. It is free to do yourself. See how to claim surplus funds; in New York: RPAPL: none fixed, but money becomes abandoned property after 3 yrs with treasurer (APL 600). RPTL 1197: no fixed deadline.
Can someone else claim the money for me?
Yes, recovery agents and attorneys do this for a fee, but New York law may cap the fee or require a waiting period (15% of value of recoverable property). Read any contract carefully; you never need an agent to file.