Michigan Tax Foreclosure Surplus Proceeds Settlement
By the Class Action Buddy Editorial Team · Last reviewed November 5, 2026
If you went looking for this claim form in the summer, you were told you had missed it. The form published on the settlement website says claims had to be postmarked by July 16, 2026. That date has been sitting there discouraging people ever since.
It is out of date. Judge David M. Lawson signed an order on August 25 extending the claim deadline to November 23, 2026. He gave a reason for it: the extension was consistent with maximizing participation of absent class members. The order supersedes the old schedule outright. So if you read the form and gave up, you have about three weeks left.
What is on offer is unusual. Most settlements hand back a fraction of what you lost. This one generally returns 125 percent of the surplus your county kept after it auctioned your tax-foreclosed property for more than you owed. Attorneys' fees awarded by the court come off that, and certain adjustments can apply.
Heirs can file too. These foreclosures reach back as far as 2013, so a good number of the people owed money have since died, and the claim form has a place for a beneficiary or heir to claim in their stead.
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Who Is Eligible?
You may be eligible to file a claim if you:
- You held an ownership interest in Michigan property that a participating county foreclosed for unpaid taxes between 2013 and 2020, and the county sold it at auction for more than the taxes, fees and costs owed.
- The surplus is the point. The counties kept the difference between what was owed and what the property fetched. The lawsuits allege that retaining those surplus proceeds violated the former owners’ rights.
- The 28 participating counties are Alcona, Alpena, Arenac, Bay, Cheboygan, Clare, Crawford, Genesee, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Isabella, Jackson, Lapeer, Lenawee, Macomb, Midland, Monroe, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Saginaw, Sanilac, St Clair and Tuscola. If your county is not on that list, call the administrator before assuming anything.
- Heirs and beneficiaries can claim. The claim form provides for someone claiming as the heir of a deceased owner, which matters when the foreclosure happened over a decade ago.
- Two cases, one website. Cheboygan and Monroe sit in Arkona; the other 26 counties sit in Fox.
How Much Can You Get?
Generally 125 percent of your surplus proceeds, less any attorneys’ fees and costs awarded by the court, and subject to certain potential adjustments.
Read that figure again. Most settlements return a fraction of the loss. This one is written to return more than the surplus the county kept, which is why the amount is tied to your own property rather than to a shared pot divided among whoever files.
Your number depends on your own auction. There is no flat payment and no published average, because the surplus on a parcel sold for a few hundred dollars over the tax bill and one sold for tens of thousands over are different claims.
How to File Your Claim
File with the administrator:
- Claims are due on or before November 23, 2026. This is the date set by the court’s order of August 25, 2026, and it supersedes the earlier schedule.
- Ignore the July 16, 2026 date printed on the claim form. The form on the settlement website was prepared under the old timetable and has not been reissued. The operative deadline is the one in the order.
- File online or by mail at surplusproceedssettlement.com. No Unique ID, or want paper? Contact RG/2 Claims Administration on 1 (866) 742-4955 or SurplusProceedsSettlement@rg2claims.com.
- Opting out and objecting closed April 30, 2026, long before the claim window. Filing is the remaining step.
- The fairness hearing is January 22, 2027 at the United States District Court in Bay City, Michigan. Attendance is not necessary.
- The cases are Fox v. County of Saginaw, No. 1:19-cv-11887, and Arkona, LLC v. Cheboygan County, No. 1:19-cv-12372, both before Judge David M. Lawson in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
File this one with the administrator
Class Action Buddy does not file this settlement for you — use the official claim process above. What the app does do is watch the open settlements list and tell you when a new one matches your profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline to file a claim for the Michigan Tax Foreclosure Surplus Proceeds Settlement?
The current deadline to file a claim is Nov 23, 2026. Claims sent by mail must be postmarked by this date, so allow about a week for delivery if you are not filing online.
How do I file a claim for the Michigan Tax Foreclosure Surplus Proceeds Settlement?
File directly with the settlement administrator, using the official claim form linked on this page. Class Action Buddy does not support this settlement in the app, so the administrator’s own claim process is the route. You do not need a Claimant ID or PIN to file.
The claim form says July 16, 2026. Have I missed it?
No. That form predates the current schedule. Judge Lawson signed an order on August 25, 2026 setting the claim deadline at November 23, 2026, and that order amends and supersedes the preliminary approval order wherever the two conflict. The court granted the extension to maximize participation by class members who had not come forward.
My parent lost the house and has since died. Can I claim?
Yes, if you are a beneficiary or heir of the deceased owner. The claim form has a specific declaration for it. Given the foreclosures run from 2013, this applies to a meaningful share of the class, and nobody will file on your behalf.
How is 125 percent possible?
The settlement is written that way rather than capped at the bare surplus, so the recovery generally exceeds what the county retained. Court-awarded attorneys fees and costs come off, and the agreement allows for certain adjustments, so treat 125 percent as the formula rather than a guarantee.
Does Class Action Buddy file this one?
No. The claim is tied to a specific parcel, an auction figure and in many cases proof that you are the owner or the owner’s heir, so it goes through the administrator directly.
Primary source: official settlement administrator — surplusproceedssettlement.com. The settlement details on this page were checked against the administrator’s official website.
Class Action Buddy is an independent directory and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the settlement administrator or the court. This page is general information, not legal advice. See how we verify settlements.
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