State Treasurer Riley Moore today announced his Office’s Unclaimed Property Division returned nearly $1 million worth of unclaimed property to individuals, businesses and organizations during the month of December.
“We’re proud to have made the holidays a little sweeter for many West Virginians by returning almost $1 million to them last month,” Treasurer Moore said. “Entering 2024, we’re continuing to focus on returning money back to its rightful owners, so I encourage everyone to visit www.wvunclaimedproperty.gov today to see if we’re holding any money for you.”
The Unclaimed Property Division returned $961,608 through 1,601 claims during the month. Since the fiscal year began July 1, the Office has paid out nearly $11.4 million in unclaimed property claims.
The Treasurer’s Office has more than $400 million worth of unclaimed property listings in its database.
For more information about the unclaimed property program, or to search if the Office is holding anything for you, visit www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov.
What is Unclaimed Property?
Unclaimed property can include financial accounts or items of value in which the owner has not initiated any activity for one year or longer. Common examples include unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards. (While the title includes the word “property,” it does not however include real estate.)
West Virginia’s unclaimed property laws protect the public by ensuring money and property owed to them is returned to them, rather than remaining permanently with financial institutions, business associations, governments and other entities. The Treasurer seeks to reunite the unclaimed property, including uncashed paychecks, stocks, or safe deposit box contents, with its owner.
Nationwide, nearly 33 million people in the United States – one in every 10 – are estimated to have unclaimed property available for them to claim.
How Can I Find Unclaimed Property in My Name?
West Virginians searching for lost financial assets can go to www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov. In addition to finding property, the website will also help you track a claim.
A demonstration of how to use the Unclaimed Property search site is available on the Treasury’s YouTube page, at: https://youtu.be/K09yQ7YNKlE.
To search for lost financial assets outside West Virginia, visit www.MissingMoney.com.