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From someone who's been on your side of this.
From someone who's been on your side of this.
Davis SL Group LLC — San Diego, California
Did you get a postcard or letter from me? Verify it here.
Did you get a postcard or letter from me? Verify it here.
If you received a postcard or letter from me, the details on it should match exactly what is listed below. If something does not match, it did not come from me — please be careful.
Name: Sheldon Davis
Business: Davis SL Group LLC
Location: San Diego, CA
Phone: (760) 415-3854
Email: Davisslgroup@icloud.com
What I will never do:
What I will never do:
• I will never claim to be the county or a government agency.
• I will never ask for upfront payment for surplus-funds help.
• I will never invent a deadline or pressure you.
• I will never ask you to sign blank forms.
Sheldon Davis, Founder of Davis SL Group LLC. Army Veteran. San Diego, CA.
Why I Started Davis SL Group
Why I Started Davis SL Group
I'm Sheldon Davis, and I started this company because my family lived this. While I was serving in the Army, my grandmother's home was foreclosed on. We were not careless people. We simply did not know what options existed, and nobody explained them until it was already too late.
That stayed with me. When my service ended, I made it my work to learn how this process actually runs. The deadlines. The programs. The choices most homeowners never get told about. I wanted to be the person my family needed back then.
When you call, that is who you are talking to. Someone who has been on your side of this, and who will walk you through every option you have, starting with the ones that keep you in your home.
Facing Back Taxes or Foreclosure? (California)
Facing Back Taxes or Foreclosure? (California)
What "tax-defaulted" means: If you fall behind on your property taxes, the county lists your property as tax-defaulted. That simply means the taxes are past due — it does not mean you have already lost your home.
In California, once a home has been tax-defaulted for five years or more, it becomes subject to the tax collector's power to sell it (California Revenue and Taxation Code §3691). In most cases, though, you can still pay what is owed — called "redeeming" the property — up until the day before the sale.
How to check what you owe: Contact your county Tax Collector's office, or look up your property on their website using your parcel number or address. Ask for the full payoff amount, including any penalties and fees.
Questions worth asking the Tax Collector:
Questions worth asking the Tax Collector:
• What is the exact total I owe today, including penalties and fees?
• Has my property been scheduled for a tax sale? If so, when?
• Do I qualify for an installment plan or a postponement program?
• What paperwork do I need to get started?
Your options — in order:
Your options — in order:
1. Pay the back taxes and keep your home.
2. Set up an installment plan with the county Tax Collector.
3. Ask about postponement and assistance programs you may qualify for.
4. Selling the property — only if that's what feels right for you.
Please hear this: there is no pressure here. Selling is listed last on purpose. Most people I talk with keep their home using one of the first three options.
Excess Proceeds (Surplus Funds): Money That May Be Owed to You
Excess Proceeds (Surplus Funds): Money That May Be Owed to You
When a property sells at a tax sale or foreclosure sale for more than the taxes, penalties, costs, and liens owed on it, the leftover money is called surplus funds or excess proceeds. That money belongs to the former owner and other parties of interest, in priority order — not to the county, and not to me.
How it generally works:
How it generally works:
1. The sale happens, and the office that conducted it (the county, clerk, or trustee) holds the leftover funds.
2. A notice is mailed to the former owner's last known addresses. Many owners have moved by then — which is why so many never learn this money exists.
3. Interested parties usually have a limited window to file competing claims. Deadlines vary by state and county.
4. The former owner files a claim: a signed claim form (often notarized), a government-issued ID, and proof of ownership.
5. The office holding the funds verifies the claim, resolves any competing claims, and disburses the money, minus any lawful fees.
6. If the money sits unclaimed long enough, it may be transferred to the state's unclaimed property program, where it may still be recoverable.
Please know: you can file a claim yourself, for free, with the office holding the funds. If you'd rather have help, I charge nothing upfront for surplus-funds help — I'm paid a contingency percentage only if money is actually recovered.
Things to watch out for:
Things to watch out for:
• If the owner has died, the claim belongs to the heirs or the estate's personal representative.
• If the property was held in a trust, the trustee files the claim.
• I will never sign anything on your behalf.
Please note: Rules, forms, and deadlines vary by state and county. This is general information, not legal advice — I'll help you check the exact rules for your property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file for surplus funds myself?
Can I file for surplus funds myself?
Yes — and it's free. The office holding the funds (county, clerk, or trustee) can give you the claim form and instructions. I'm glad to point you to the right office whether you use my help or not.
How do you get paid?
How do you get paid?
Never upfront. For surplus-funds help, I'm paid a contingency percentage only if money is actually recovered for you. If nothing is recovered, you owe me nothing.
What if the owner has died?
What if the owner has died?
The claim doesn't disappear. It belongs to the owner's heirs or the estate's personal representative, who files with documents such as a death certificate and estate paperwork. I can help you work out who the right claimant is.
What if the property was in a trust?
What if the property was in a trust?
Then the trustee files the claim on behalf of the trust, usually with a copy of the trust documents showing they serve as trustee.
How do I know this isn't a scam?
How do I know this isn't a scam?
Check this page against your postcard or letter — my name, phone number, and email should match exactly. You can also look up Davis SL Group LLC as a registered business. And remember my promises: I never ask for upfront payment, never ask you to sign blank forms, and never claim to be the county or any government agency. If anything doesn't match, please don't proceed.
What if I still live in the home, or I want to keep it?
What if I still live in the home, or I want to keep it?
Then start with options 1–3 above: pay the back taxes, set up an installment plan with the Tax Collector, or ask about postponement and assistance programs. Keeping your home comes first — selling is the last option, and only if it's what you want.
Contact Me
Contact Me
Call or text me: (760) 415-3854 — you'll reach me directly.
Email: Davisslgroup@icloud.com
I'll walk you through all of this with zero pressure. Together, we'll find a solution that puts you in a better position.
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