State Treasurer Riley Moore today announced his Office’s Unclaimed Property Division returned nearly $2.5 million worth of unclaimed funds to individuals, businesses and other organizations during the month of March.
“March was the 12th highest month for unclaimed property returns dating back to when the program was launched in 1967,” Treasurer Moore said. “We’re proud to continue returning lost funds to our citizens at the fastest pace in state history.”
The Unclaimed Property Division returned a total of $2,469,174 paid out through 2,059 claims during the month of March. Since the fiscal year began last July, the Office has paid out roughly $18.2 million worth of claims.
While the Office continues to return funds at a record pace, it continues to accumulate new listings. The State Treasurer’s Office currently has almost $433 million worth of unclaimed property listings in its database.
“We get new unclaimed property listings all the time as checks become stale and newly dormant financial accounts are turned over to our Office,” Treasurer Moore said. “That’s why we’re always telling people to keep checking our website – www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov – to see if we’re holding anything for you. Just because you weren’t there in the past, doesn’t mean we aren’t holding something for you today.”
To learn more about the unclaimed property program and to search its database, 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.