Skip to content
Your Recovery
Advocate
Talk to us

Money left over after a tax sale or foreclosure may still be yours.

When a property sells for more than what was owed on it, the difference — the surplus — is held by the county or the court until the former owner claims it. We find that money, prepare and file the claim, and are paid only if you actually receive it.

Did we contact you? Verify us firstHow it works

No upfront cost. Contingency only — if you don't get paid, neither do we.

Verify us

Did we contact you? Check us out first.

If you got a letter, a call, or a text out of the blue, skepticism is the right instinct. Here is exactly how to confirm we are who we say we are — and what we will never ask you for.

  • Look up the businessMichael Drawe LLC is registered with the Utah Division of Corporations. Search the name yourself at secure.utah.gov/bes.
  • Email us on our own domainReal businesses write from their own domain, not a free webmail account. Ours is michael@yourrecoveryadvocate.com.
  • Call the number on this siteNot a number from a message you are unsure about. If the person you spoke to is us, we will pick up at +1-385-787-6279.
What we will and won't ask for
  • Your name and mailing address
  • The address of the property that was sold
  • A signed agreement before anything else happens
  • A notarized claim form, signed in front of the notary we send
  • A copy of your ID — only after the agreement is signed
  • Never a payment, deposit, or "processing fee"
  • Never your bank login, card number, or PIN
  • Never your Social Security number or ID by text message or plain email
  • Never pressure to sign today

Sensitive documents — your ID, or any tax-ID form the paying office requires — are collected only after a signed agreement, and only in person, by the notary we send to you. Never by text or email.

What we do

What are surplus funds?

When a home or piece of land is sold at a county tax sale or a foreclosure sale, it sometimes sells for more than the taxes, mortgage, and costs that were owed. That extra money is called the surplus (you may also hear "overage" or "excess proceeds"). It does not belong to the county. It belongs to the former owner — or, in some cases, their heirs or other parties with a legal interest.

Where it comes from
A property is sold to satisfy a debt. If the sale price is higher than what was owed, the leftover amount is set aside rather than kept by the buyer or the lender.
Who holds it
Depending on the sale, the money sits with the county treasurer, the foreclosure trustee, or the court. It waits there until someone files a proper claim — and after a deadline, it can be forfeited.
What we do
We research the sale record, confirm you are the person entitled to the funds, prepare the claim with the exact paperwork that office requires, and follow it through until the money is paid to you.

How it works

Four steps, with you in control of each one

No jargon, no homework, no surprises. Here is the whole process.

  1. You hear from us
    You get a letter, a call, or a text about a specific property sale. We explain what we found in plain language. We ask nothing of you at this point.
  2. You check us out
    Look up our business registration, call the county yourself, talk it over with family or your own attorney. Take as long as you want.
  3. You sign one agreement — we do the rest
    A mobile notary comes to you, at our expense. We prepare and file the claim. We ask for identity documents only after the agreement is signed.
  4. You get paid
    The county or court pays out the funds. Our fee comes only out of what is recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

We do the work, cover the costs, and carry the risk. Notary, filing, and research costs are ours whether or not the claim succeeds. We are paid only if you are.

Why use an advocate

You could do this alone. Here is what we take off your plate.

The claim can be filed without us, and we will say so plainly. What you are paying for, only if it succeeds, is the work between finding out and getting paid.

Research
We confirm the surplus exists, how much it is, and that you are the person entitled to it — before you sign anything.
Paperwork and deadlines
Each county and court has its own forms, notarization rules, and cut-off dates. Miss one and the money can be forfeited. We handle all of it.
Follow-through
We track the claim, answer the office's questions, and keep after it until it pays out.
Costs carried by us
Notary, filing, research, postage. You pay nothing unless money reaches you.

Fees

One fee, in writing, only if you get paid

There is nothing to pay to get started and nothing to pay if the claim fails. Our fee is a percentage of the money actually recovered. The percentage is agreed with you and written into your agreement before you sign anything.

Our fee is a percentage of the amount recovered, agreed in writing before you sign — and never more than your state allows.

Some states cap what a recovery service may charge. Where a cap applies, our fee stays within it, and the exact percentage for your claim is stated in your written agreement.

  • Contingency only. No upfront charges, no hourly billing, no invoices along the way.
  • A percentage of the amount recovered — agreed with you and stated in the agreement.
  • We pay the costs. Notary, filing, research, and postage are ours, whatever the outcome.
  • Nothing happens before a signed agreement. You see the terms in writing before you commit.
  • You can cancel. Any time before the claim is filed with the county or court, at no cost.
  • If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing. Not a fee, not an expense, nothing.

Who we are

A real person, here to help

Michael Drawe, founder of Your Recovery Advocate

Michael Drawe

Founder, Michael Drawe LLC · West Jordan, Utah

For 16 years I worked in technical support. My whole job was helping people find solutions to their problems: listening until I understood what they actually needed, then walking them through it, patiently, until it was handled. I started Your Recovery Advocate to do that same thing with surplus funds from tax sales and foreclosures — do the research, handle the paperwork, and guide you through the process. There is no upfront cost and no pressure; I am paid only if you are. And when you work with us, you work directly with me, not a call center.

Certified Tax Payer Refund Recovery Specialist, with training focused on tax sale and foreclosure surplus claims.

Questions & answers

The things people ask us most

It is completely fair to ask. Look up Michael Drawe LLC on Utah's business entity search, call the number on this site, and ask us anything. We never ask for money upfront and we never need bank details or passwords. You can walk away at any point with nothing owed. The Verify us section above lists everything you can check independently.

Get in touch

Let's talk it through

Have a question, or want to confirm something we discussed? Reach out any way that is comfortable — there is no pressure and no obligation.

By sending this you agree to our privacy policy. Prefer to talk now? Call or text us at +1-385-787-6279.