Free, honest help for Manatee County property owners facing tax or mortgage foreclosure — plus how to claim surplus funds you may be owed after a sale. House or land, keep it or sell it. No pressure, no fees.
Call or text — free, no pressure1-833-2-OPTIONS6 7 8 4 6 6 7Tell us a little about your situation. We'll send a clear, no-pressure breakdown of every option available to you in Manatee County.
There's rarely just one answer. Here are the real options Manatee County property owners have — including the ones that don't involve us at all.
House, land, or commercial — the process differs, and so does the surplus. We cover all three here, in Manatee County and across Florida.
Mortgage foreclosure on a home in Bradenton or nearby — your rights, the Circuit Court timeline, and how to keep it or sell before the sale.
Vacant lot or acreage behind on taxes? Tax-deed foreclosure on Manatee land works differently — and surplus funds are common here.
Storefront, office, or multi-unit in trouble? Your options for commercial property in Manatee County, including a fast, clearly-disclosed cash sale.
When a property in Manatee County sells at a mortgage-foreclosure or tax-deed auction for more than the debt owed, the leftover — called surplus funds — is held by the Manatee County Clerk of Courts and often belongs to you, the former owner.
But there's a catch: the clock is ticking — generally 60 days from the clerk's notice under Fla. Stat. §45.032 — and others comb these records to claim it first. Most owners never even know it exists.
Check if you're owed money in Manatee County
Photo: Ebyabe / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)Foreclosure cases in Manatee County are heard in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court, and the Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller conducts the sales. The clerk holds judicial sales online at manatee.realforeclose.com, with auctions starting at 11:00 a.m. and bidders other than the lender required to post a 5% good-faith deposit. Understanding the process early gives you the best chance to respond, whether by negotiating with your lender, getting legal advice, or claiming any surplus funds after a sale.
Bradenton sits along the Manatee River near the Gulf and is home to the De Soto National Memorial commemorating the 1539 Spanish landing.
Official Manatee County resources: Clerk of Court · foreclosure auction portal
Yes. Florida is a judicial foreclosure state, so a Manatee County mortgage foreclosure goes through the Circuit Court and the sale is conducted by the Manatee County Clerk of Courts.
If a Manatee County property sells for more than was owed, the surplus is held by the Clerk of Courts. Under Fla. Stat. §45.032 the former owner has priority to claim it — generally within 60 days of the clerk's notice. You file a claim with the Manatee County Clerk with proof of prior ownership.
In most cases yes — you can sell any time before the foreclosure auction, and a sale that pays off the debt stops the foreclosure. We'll help you understand the Manatee County timeline.
It costs nothing and commits you to nothing. A real person reviews your situation and lays out every option available to you in Manatee County — made for your exact situation.
💡 Free official help: Reach a HUD-approved housing counselor near Bradenton at no cost — 1-800-569-4287 or the CFPB counselor finder. Manatee County foreclosure & tax-deed sales are administered by the Manatee County Clerk of Courts. We always point you to these — even though they aren't us.