The scam shield

They want 30% of money the county already says is yours. Here is their whole playbook.

Surplus-recovery (or 'asset recovery') companies find owners on public surplus lists and offer to 'recover' the money for 10–40% or more. The money is real. The claim is usually one form. And in several states, the fee they are asking for is capped — or flatly illegal. This page is the shield: how they work, what your state allows them to charge, and the paper you should never sign.

The playbook, step by step

How the letter on your doorstep was produced

What your state lets them charge

The free call that ends the pitch: call the office on your state page and ask two questions — 'Is a surplus held for [parcel]?' and 'What is the claim deadline?' You will get, free, the two facts the company is selling. Then decide with the deadline counted.

Included in the $49 TaxSaleDecoded Kit

  • The surplus claim pack: how to prove the house was yours (deed records, address history, ID), the claim-form path in your state, and what to do when the county says it has no record of your money
  • The redemption playbook: your state's window and cost formula worked step by step, who to pay, how to prove you paid, and the traps in the payoff figure (added fees and interest)
  • The heirs page: the house was a parent's — what changes, which papers prove you are an heir, and the point where it stops being simple
  • The scam shield: how surplus-recovery companies work, the fee caps your state sets for them, and the assignment papers you should never sign
  • The lookback module: what Tyler won, what Pung limited (the extra money is the sale price minus the debt — not your home's value), and the dated state lookbacks, including Illinois claims that die in July 2028

Get the TaxSaleDecoded Kit — $49

One payment of $49. No subscription. The kit is a web page you can return to and print — the claim pack, the redemption playbook, the heirs page, and the scam shield.

Scam-shield questions

A company says the county is holding $18,000 for me. How do they know?

Because the lists are public. Counties publish surplus and overage lists, and recovery companies work those lists the way telemarketers work phone books. The information in their letter is real — that is what makes the pitch work. What they don't say: the county will confirm the same figure to you, free, in one call.

Is a 30% fee normal?

It is common and it is the business model — not the market price of the work. The work is typically one claim form plus your proof documents. Some states cap the fee by law (below); where no cap exists, the fee is whatever the contract you sign says, which is why they want the signature before you make the free call.

What is an assignment, and why do they want one?

An assignment signs your claim itself over to the company — they become the claimant, collect 100%, and owe you whatever the contract says afterward. Several states void or restrict assignments (Oregon voids them; Washington and Michigan make the right non-transferable; Oklahoma voids assignments made after the resale starts). A fee-for-help agreement is one thing; signing the claim away is another. Never sign the second.

They say the deadline is about to expire and only they can file in time.

Urgency is the pitch's engine. Check the real deadline on the free checker — it takes a minute. Some deadlines are genuinely close; none requires a percentage to meet. If a deadline truly is days away, file the claim yourself that day and argue about proof after — a filed claim preserves rights a signed contract does not.