From Army Private to Founder: How the Military Trained Me to Fight for Your Surplus Funds
Grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair. I want to tell you a story that I don’t usually share in our official brochures, but it’s the heartbeat behind everything we do here at Heritage Surplus Solutions.
When I was 18 years old, I wasn't thinking about business ownership or financial services. I was a young woman looking at a future that felt a bit too small for my dreams. My family was dealing with financial burdens, and I wanted to help. I also wanted a way to pay for college and see the world. So, I walked into a recruitment office and signed my name on the dotted line.
From 1996 to 2004, the U.S. Army was my home. I served in the Signal Corps, eventually reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant. I spent time in Korea and served with the 3rd US Army before receiving an honorable discharge.
People often ask me, "Kristie, how does being a Staff Sergeant in the Army prepare you to find unclaimed money for people?"
It sounds like a leap, doesn't it? But the truth is, the military didn't just teach me how to wear a uniform; it trained me for a very specific kind of combat: the fight against the "system."
Navigating the Maze of "Red Tape"
If you’ve ever dealt with a government agency, you know what "red tape" feels like. It’s a tangle of forms, contradictory rules, and long wait times that make you want to give up.
In the Army, we had a different name for it: Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
As a Staff Sergeant, my job was to make sure missions were successful despite the bureaucracy. I learned that "no" often just means "not this way" or "you’re missing form 10-B." I learned how to speak the language of officials, how to be persistent without being a nuisance, and how to track details that most people would overlook.
When a county holds onto surplus funds after a foreclosure, money that legally belongs to you, they don’t exactly make it easy to get it back. There are statutes of limitations, specific filing requirements, and legal hoops to jump through. To most people, it’s a nightmare. To me? It’s a mission. My military background gave me the "tactical patience" to navigate these systems until we get the result our clients deserve.
The "Mission First" Mentality
In the Signal Corps, our motto was "Pro Patria Vigilans" (Watchful for the Country), but the underlying rule was always: The mission comes first.
At Heritage Surplus Solutions, the mission isn't just about recovering money. It’s about restoring what was lost. I started this company because I saw people losing their homes and their equity, and it felt fundamentally wrong. I wanted to use the discipline I learned in the service to help individuals who feel like the system has turned its back on them.
I remember my time in Korea, where every detail mattered for the communication lines to stay open. That same attention to detail is what I use today when we are tracking down unclaimed foreclosure overages. A single missing signature or a late filing can cost a family tens of thousands of dollars. We don't let that happen. We treat your claim with the same level of seriousness I gave to a military operation.
"Always Forward!": My Personal Compass
If you’ve spent any time on our About page, you might have seen my personal motto: "Always Forward!"
I adopted this motto during my service, and it carried me through the transition to civilian life and eventually into building this business. Foreclosure is a devastating experience. It can feel like your life has hit a brick wall. But "Always Forward" means that even when things are hard, we keep moving.
We help our clients find that "forward" gear. Whether it’s helping a single mom find affordable housing or helping a fellow veteran reclaim their equity to start over, we are focused on the future, not the mistakes of the past.
Why We Do It for "No Upfront Cost"
One of the core values I brought from the military is a sense of service and integrity. I know that many people who have just gone through a foreclosure are in a tight spot financially. The last thing they need is another bill.
That’s why I designed Heritage Surplus Solutions on a no-risk model.
We do all the research.
We hire the attorneys and notaries.
We handle the paperwork and the phone calls.
You pay nothing upfront.
We only get paid if we successfully recover your funds. This is our way of saying, "We’re in this foxhole with you." It’s about mutual trust and shared goals. If you want to dive deeper into how this works, you can check out our FAQ page.
A Message to My Fellow Veterans
To my brothers and sisters in arms: I know you’ve been trained to be self-reliant. I know it’s hard to ask for help. But please know that if you’ve lost a home to foreclosure, the money left over after the debt is paid isn't a "handout": it’s your equity. It’s your hard-earned property.
Don't let the government keep what you worked for. If the red tape feels too thick, let a former Staff Sergeant pick up the shears. We know how to cut through it.
Closing Thoughts
Building Heritage Surplus Solutions has been the most rewarding mission of my life. It’s allowed me to provide for my children as a single mother and to build something that truly changes lives. Every time we send a check to a client, I feel that same sense of pride I felt when I was promoted to Staff Sergeant. It’s a mission accomplished.
If you’re wondering if there might be funds waiting for you, or if you just want to talk to someone who understands what it’s like to fight for a better future, reach out to us. We’re here to help you move Always Forward.
Warmly,
