Philadelphians who have lost their houses through sheriff’s sales can be entitled to get money back once the house has been sold. If your house was sold as a result of a tax debt or mortgage foreclosure, and the house sold for more than you owed, you are entitled to receive the excess amount.

For years, the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office has kept these surpluses—stealing money that belongs to Philadelphia residents and making the harm caused by a sheriff’s sale even worse. And where did that money go? Directly into the pockets of the Sheriff and her office.

For everyday Philadelphians living and dying in poverty, the excess proceeds from a sheriff’s sale would change their lives. They’ve already lost their homes—how people build generational wealth—and now they’re being robbed by the very people who are supposed to be protecting them.

It’s Robin Hood in reverse—but the Sheriff is still the villain.

As City Controller, Alexandra Hunt is committed to returning this stolen money to the people who are owed it.

This page is a demonstration—for illustrative purposes only—of the type of search feature that Alexandra would implement as City Controller. Her goal is for everyday Philadelphians who’ve lost their houses through sheriff’s sales to have an easy and accessible way to learn whether they are owed money—whether the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office has stolen from them too.