When a property goes to tax sale for taxes owed and the bidders at auction pay MORE than the taxes owed it creates an Overage. Ex: $20,000 in back taxes are owed. Things get heated at the auction and someone bids $55,000... The first $20,000 of that goes to pay off the back taxes... what happens to the other $35,000?
It is SUPPOSED to go to the former owner of the property. But... they are usually long gone. By finding them and reclaiming the Overage you get to make a commission... usually between 31-39% of the Overage. In this example, you'd make about $12,000.