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How do I find out if I have unclaimed property in California?
Make my day. Nobody can say that like Clint Eastwood. However, you may be able to experience it just by doing a little checking. My son was doing some poking around on the Internet about a year ago and called to tell me I had unclaimed property. I couldn't get anyone to tell me the source or amount until I jumped through some hoops to prove who I was, but ultimately I got a check for $400. I'm not taking everyone to Disneyland, but it did make my day. Here's the deal... If you live in the state of California you may be richer than you think. Actually the same could be said regardless of where you live. Unclaimed property is a resource that many people don’t even realize exists and that ignorance could be costing them a small fortune. Every year people forget about money that is coming to them. Or they may not even realize that they are missing money. There are millions of dollars in unclaimed property in California. Everything from tax refunds that can’t be delivered to insurance proceeds are sitting and waiting for their rightful owners to come get them. One of the most common types of unclaimed money is dormant bank accounts. The office of unclaimed property in California has a list of names of people along with amounts. These are accounts that have gone untouched for a period of more than ten years. If no one comes to get the money it is deemed unclaimed property in California by the state. If you don’t know that it exists how can you possibly claim it? The first step is to do a search for your name to see if there is indeed any unclaimed property in California in your name. You can do this one of several ways. The least expensive and most efficient is to visit the Office of the Comptroller. There is a web site set-up that has a search feature for people who think they may have unclaimed property in California. It’s secure so that not just anyone can get the personal details of any proceeds that may be coming your way.
State of California Controller - California is holding 4.8 billion in unclaimed property. Is any of it yours? Missing Money - California is not one of the participating states. This is for the rest of you outside of California (check the map to see if your state is in this system).
After finding your name on the list the next step is to get the money back in your hands. Depending on what unclaimed property you have, you may have to provide specific details. One is proof of identity. Another may be proof of previous address which you can do through several methods. If you don’t find your own name on the site but a relative’s this is good news too. Tell them that they have unclaimed property in California and direct them to the web site. If they don’t have Internet access, invite them over and offer to assist them. You never know, they may feel generous and cut you in for a portion of the loot! Deceased family member’s names may also appear on the list of unclaimed property in California. If it was someone very close to you, you may be able to claim the money by presenting a death certificate along with any documentation proving you are their heir. If the amount is large it’s probably a good idea to ask a lawyer to assist you with dealing with the unclaimed property in California office. You want to be certain that everything is handled properly so you can claim what once belonged to your family.
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