Benton County surplus funds list
Washington · unclaimed money left over from tax deed and foreclosure sales.
Getting the Benton County list
Benton County posts yearly foreclosure sale PDFs but no list of surplus still held. Ask the Benton County Treasurer (Foreclosure@co.benton.wa.us) for the surplus list. Only the record owner when the certificate of delinquency was filed can claim, within 3 years of the sale (RCW 84.64.080); trustee-sale surplus is held by the Superior Court Clerk instead.
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Washington surplus funds rules
- Sales that create surplus
- Tax lien foreclosure by county treasurer (RCW 84.64.080); Non-judicial deed of trust trustee sale (RCW 61.24.080); Judicial mortgage foreclosure / sheriff sale (RCW 61.12.150); HOA/condo lien foreclosures (judicial or non-judicial)
- Who holds the money
- Tax sale: county treasurer. Trustee sale: the trustee deposits the surplus, less the filing fee, with the superior court clerk of the county of sale, indexed under the grantor's name. Judicial: the court or clerk.
- Unclaimed funds go to
- Tax sale: if no claim is made within 3 years after the sale, the treasurer must deposit the excess in the county current expense fund, which 'extinguishes all claims' (RCW 84.64.080(10); last amended 2019, so no post-Tyler fix). Court-held trustee surplus: eventually reportable as unclaimed property to the Dept. of Revenue under RUUPA, ch. 63.30 RCW. verify
- How owners claim
- Tax sale: application to the county treasurer. Only the record owner on the date the certificate of delinquency was issued qualifies; later assignments and deeds do not affect payment. Trustee sale: motion for disbursement in superior court, served on all parties notified of the surplus at least 20 days before the hearing; the clerk pays only on court order. — deadline: Tax sale: 3 years from the sale date. Trustee sale: no fixed statutory deadline in RCW 61.24.080.
- Agent / finder fee cap
- For property held by the state (DOR unclaimed property), RCW 63.30.790(2) makes any locate/recover agreement charging more than 5% of the value reasonably expected to be recovered unenforceable; attorney agreements are exempt. Old RCW 63.29.350 (5% cap) was repealed effective 1/1/2023 by 2022 c 225 and replaced by 63.30.780-.790, amended 2025 c 29. No fee cap was found for county tax excess or court-held trustee surplus.
Law: RCW 84.64.080(10); RCW 61.24.080(3); RCW 61.12.150; RCW 63.30.780, 63.30.790 (formerly 63.29.350)
Questions
Where does the Benton County surplus funds list come from?
From the official list published by Benton County (source). Surplus Funds HQ checks it daily and last found it updated Oct 12, 2026.
How do I claim surplus funds in Benton 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 Washington: Tax sale: 3 years from the sale date. Trustee sale: no fixed statutory deadline in RCW 61.24.080..
Can someone else claim the money for me?
Yes, recovery agents and attorneys do this for a fee, but Washington law may cap the fee or require a waiting period (For property held by the state (DOR unclaimed property), RCW 63.30.790(2) makes any locate/recover agreement charging more than 5% of the value reasonably expected to be recovered unenforceable). Read any contract carefully; you never need an agent to file.