The Families You Help May Be Owed Money After The Sale

What Housing Counselors Often See

Housing counselors frequently encounter families after foreclosure — when the focus has shifted from saving the home to rebuilding financially. At this stage, it is easy to assume the property loss is complete and final. But if the property sold at auction for more than the mortgage balance, tax obligations, and related costs, surplus funds may exist — and the family may have a valid claim.

Why This Matters For Your Clients

Excess proceeds can represent significant money — sometimes tens of thousands of dollars — that the family is legally entitled to but doesn't know exists. For a family in financial recovery after a foreclosure or tax sale, this could be transformative. And yet, without someone to explain the process and help navigate the claim, the money often goes unclaimed until deadlines pass and the funds are permanently lost.

How To Identify A Potential Situation

Signs that a client may have a potential excess proceeds situation include: a property that was sold at a foreclosure auction or tax sale (not a traditional sale), a sale that occurred during a period of high property values, or a situation where the client moved on quickly and never followed up on the sale outcome. County records can confirm whether a forced sale occurred and, in many cases, what the sale price was.

The Referral Pathway

Housing counselors don't need to become experts in excess proceeds law to help. Your role is to recognize the potential situation, educate the family that surplus funds may exist, and refer them to NEPEX for an educational intake review. We handle the research, education, and documentation coordination — and in qualifying matters, we coordinate referral to independent attorneys who handle the legal claim.

In qualifying matters, attorney fees may be advanced from recovered funds — meaning no upfront cost to the family. Attorney approval is required. Recovery is not guaranteed.

No Obligations For the Counselor

Referring a family to NEPEX for educational review creates no obligation for you or for them. It is simply an additional resource you can offer to families who may have been in a forced sale situation. The referral is educational in nature — the family learns whether funds may exist and decides how to proceed on their own terms.