No Legal Advice Disclaimer

Legal advice is the application of law to a specific individual's specific facts and circumstances by a qualified professional who is authorized to practice law in the relevant jurisdiction. Legal advice involves analyzing how statutes, regulations, court rules, and case law apply to your particular situation and providing a recommendation or opinion about what you should do.

By contrast, general educational information about how excess proceeds work, what the claim process typically involves, what factors may affect recovery, what documents are commonly needed, and what deadlines may apply is not legal advice. This is the kind of information NEPEX provides.

Think of the difference this way: A library book about real estate law contains information, but reading it does not give you legal advice. A government pamphlet about filing a claim explains a process, but it does not tell you what to do in your specific situation. Similarly, NEPEX's website contains educational information, but it does not provide legal advice.

NEPEX cannot provide legal advice for several fundamental reasons:

• NEPEX is not a law firm. It is not authorized, licensed, or qualified to practice law in any jurisdiction. Only individuals and entities that are licensed to practice law may provide legal advice, and even then only within the jurisdictions where they are licensed.
• NEPEX does not employ attorneys in a legal practice capacity. Any attorneys who may be associated with NEPEX in an educational, advisory, or administrative role are not providing legal services to website visitors through NEPEX.
• Legal advice requires a specific client relationship. Legal advice is provided in the context of an attorney-client relationship, where the attorney has agreed to represent a specific client, has gathered specific facts, and has applied legal analysis to those facts.
• Laws vary dramatically by jurisdiction. What is true in one state or county may not be true in another. General educational information cannot account for the specific laws, rules, deadlines, and procedures that apply to your specific situation in your specific jurisdiction.

The information on this website is:

• Educational. It is designed to help you understand general concepts, terms, processes, and factors that may be relevant to excess proceeds, surplus funds, and related topics.
• General. It is not tailored to your specific facts, your specific jurisdiction, or your specific legal needs. It describes general principles that may or may not apply to you.
• Not authoritative. It reflects our best efforts to provide accurate general information, but it is not a substitute for statutes, regulations, court rules, or the advice of a qualified attorney.
• Not a recommendation. It does not tell you what you should do. It describes what is generally possible or common, not what you should do in your specific situation.
• Subject to change. Laws, regulations, court rules, and county procedures change. Information on this site may not reflect the most current developments.

When we describe a typical claim process, list documents that are commonly needed, or explain what deadlines generally apply, we are providing educational context — not instructing you on how to handle your specific matter.

Reading this website, submitting a form, sending an email, making a phone call, receiving a text message, participating in an educational review, or engaging in any other communication with NEPEX does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and NEPEX, or between you and any individual or entity affiliated with NEPEX.

An attorney-client relationship is a formal legal relationship that forms when a client engages an attorney to provide legal services and the attorney agrees to do so. It carries specific rights and obligations, including:

• Attorney-client privilege: The right to keep communications between attorney and client confidential, preventing them from being disclosed in legal proceedings
• Duty of confidentiality: The attorney's ethical obligation to protect client information
• Duty of loyalty: The attorney's obligation to act in the client's best interest, free from conflicts of interest
• Duty of competence: The attorney's obligation to provide services with the skill and knowledge expected of a reasonably competent attorney

None of these protections apply to your communications with NEPEX, because no attorney-client relationship exists between you and NEPEX. Information you share with NEPEX is not protected by attorney-client privilege and may not be treated as confidential under the rules that govern attorneys.

To help you understand the boundary between education and legal advice, here are examples of what NEPEX does and does not do:

What NEPEX does (educational):

• Explain what the term "excess proceeds" generally means
• Describe the typical types of property sales that can generate excess proceeds
• List categories of people who may have a claim (former owners, heirs, estates)
• Provide general information about documents that are commonly needed
• Describe general deadlines and why they matter
• Share general consumer protection tips
• Provide state-specific educational overviews

What NEPEX does not do (legal advice):

• Tell you whether you have a valid legal claim
• Advise you on whether you should file a claim, and how
• Interpret how a specific statute applies to your specific facts
• Recommend a specific course of legal action
• Draft, review, or file legal documents on your behalf
• Predict the outcome of your case
• Negotiate with government agencies or other parties on your behalf

NEPEX strongly recommends that you consult with a qualified attorney licensed in the relevant jurisdiction before taking any action related to an excess proceeds claim. Specifically, you should seek legal advice:

• Before signing any contract, agreement, retainer, assignment of rights, or fee arrangement with any person or company offering to help you recover excess proceeds
• Before filing any claim, motion, petition, or other legal document with any court or government agency
• Before making any decision that could affect your legal rights, claims, or interests
• Before accepting or rejecting any settlement offer or payment
• Before disclosing personal or financial information to any person or company
• If you receive communication from a court, government agency, or third party about funds that may be owed
• If you are uncertain about deadlines, documentation requirements, or procedures
• If multiple heirs, family members, or parties may have competing claims

An attorney can provide personalized advice based on your specific situation, your jurisdiction, and the applicable law. The cost of a consultation with an attorney is often modest compared to the value of the funds at stake — and compared to the cost of making a mistake that could jeopardize a valid claim.

When you submit information through our website for a preliminary educational review, you are asking us to help you understand whether excess proceeds may exist based on the general information available. This review is educational and administrative in nature. It is not a legal review, a legal analysis, or a legal opinion.

The review may help identify:

• Whether a property was sold through a type of sale that can produce excess proceeds
• Which county or court may hold any resulting funds
• What general types of claims may be possible
• What documents may need to be gathered
• Whether the matter may benefit from attorney involvement

It does not — and cannot — determine whether you have a valid legal claim, whether funds will be recovered, or what the outcome of any legal process will be.

If you need an attorney but do not have one, resources that may help you find qualified legal counsel include:

• Your state or local bar association's lawyer referral service
• Legal aid organizations in your area, if you qualify based on income
• Recommendations from trusted professionals such as accountants, financial advisors, or Realtors
• The American Bar Association's resources for finding legal help

When speaking with an attorney, ask about their experience with excess proceeds, surplus funds, or real estate matters in your specific county. Verify their license status with your state bar association. Ask about fees, costs, and the scope of services before engaging them.