People who owned homes that Washington County, Oregon, foreclosed for unpaid property taxes, and the heirs of those owners, have until Nov. 30 to claim surplus equity from a $1.5 million settlement. The money covers foreclosures between Oct. 12, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2025.
The settlement, Brackett v. Washington County, is in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. The county denies wrongdoing, and the court has not ruled on the merits. A payment goes only to people who file a valid claim.
Why tax-foreclosed owners are owed anything at all
Surplus equity is the gap between what a property is worth or sells for and what was owed in taxes, fees and costs. The settlement site defines it as the difference between the sale price, or real market value, and the unpaid taxes and related costs…