FHA/HUD — Mortgage Insurance Refunds
Statutory term: Mortgage Insurance Premium Refund
Overview
Search for Unclaimed Property
This program provides a public search portal where you can look up unclaimed property.
Search Now →Key Statistics
Dormancy Periods
The dormancy period is how long property must be inactive before it is considered unclaimed and reported to the state.
| Property Type | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| upfront_mip_refund | None | Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP) refunds. When an FHA-insured mortgage is paid off, refinanced, or otherwise terminated without a claim (non-claim termination), the borrower may be owed a refund of the unearned portion of the upfront MIP paid at closing. For loans endorsed after Dec 8, 2004: 3-year refund window (FHA-to-FHA refinance only, credited toward new loan UFMIP, not paid as cash). Refund decreases by 2 percentage points per month — 80% at month 1 down to 10% at month 36, then 0%. For loans endorsed before Dec 8, 2004 (closed after Jan 1, 2001): 5-year window. For loans endorsed before Dec 8, 2004 (closed before Jan 1, 2001): 7-year window. |
| distributive_share | None | Distributive Share payments from excess earnings of the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. Eligibility: loan originated before September 1, 1983; borrower paid on the loan for more than 7 years; FHA insurance was terminated before November 5, 1990. These are legacy payments from the original mutual insurance structure. HUD is not liable for distributive shares that remain unclaimed 6 years from the date notification was first sent to the last known address of the mortgagor. |
Two distinct types of unclaimed funds exist: (1) Upfront MIP refunds for borrowers whose FHA loans were endorsed after Sept 1, 1983 and terminated without a claim, and (2) Distributive share payments for borrowers with pre-1983 loans from the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. For upfront MIP refunds, HUD is supposed to automatically mail either a refund check or application form HUD-27050-B within 45 days of loan payoff. A 2022 HUD OIG audit found HUD lacked adequate controls to track and issue refunds, and a 2024 class action lawsuit alleges HUD took 2-3 years to send refund applications to some borrowers. As of 2024, approximately 754,000 borrowers are owed 84.7 million, with over 200,000 of those loans terminated more than 20 years ago.
Finder / Helper Restrictions
Restriction Level: Moderate
Solicitation Rules: HUD publishes unpaid refund listings under FOIA but neither promotes the commercial use of these listings nor endorses tracer services. Third-party tracers may approach homeowners but must not misrepresent themselves or the refund process. Consumers can obtain refunds directly from HUD for free by calling (800) 697-6967 or emailing SF.Premiums@hud.gov.