North Dakota Unclaimed Money

The absurd levels oil prices are making overnight millionaires out of some North Dakota land owners who have oil deposits under their ranches and farms. According to a couple who recently made it into the big time from oil royalty payments, people who own land in western ND have much better odds of striking it rich from “black gold” than winning in the lottery. This sure is good news for North Dakotans with land, but there’ also hidden wealth for those without- North Dakota unclaimed money. Here’s part of an article I found about unclaimed money in North Dakota:

“The Southernmost of the Dakotas may be home to the national treasure that is Mt. Rushmore, but ND is holding it’s own treasure that’s nothing to sneeze at. According to the website of the State Land Department, there are currently more than $23 million in North Dakota unclaimed money, waiting to be reunited with the citizens who lost track of it somewhere along the way. The only thing standing between these citizens and their money, beyond knowledge of the existence of these assets, is the knowledge of how to track them down and reclaim them.“

Doing an unclaimed money search might not turn you into millionaires overnight like hidden oil did for a few landowners, but it can reunite you with missing money you didn’t even know you had.

Illinois Unclaimed Money

The US economy right now is in a dreary state and multitudes of Americans are having serious financial problems. Mortgage and unemployment rates are at a high and bills are piling-up in scores of American households. That’s why I find it ironic that a few people aren’t claiming their lottery winnings in the state. Whoever has the winning ticket for the unclaimed $4.750 million will fee like a total idiot if he doesn’t claim it within the one-year period. So will another ticket holder that has $250,000 waiting. Read the report here.

Other Illinois residents also have money waiting for them. It may be a lot less than 4 million bucks, but it’s extra cash and who wouldn’t want that in these lean times? I’m talking about  unclaimed money from Illinois unclaimed properties and it’s piling-up because a lot of people aren’t aware it exists and how easy it is to find unclaimed money.

Illinois State unclaimed property comes from financial assets that have been lost or abandoned by people who may have had to move suddenly, passed-away or just plain forgot about their money. The IRS, banks and other financial establishments holding-on to these assets are required by ‘escheat laws’ to hand them over to the state if not returned to their owners after a 5-year period of ‘dormancy’. The uncashed checks, dormant savings accounts, unclaimed tax refunds, insurance and retirement benefits, stocks, and other types of unclaimed funds are held for safekeeping by the Treasurer’s office until the reunited with their owners. “I’d suggest to other people to do it. I’ve experienced it twice now, by accident,” advises Aurora resident Larry Leadley. He found-out he had a $50 check from an unclaimed cash rebate along with $100 from a mutual fund he forgot about over the years.

The State is also holding an annual Illinois unclaimed property auction this week, November 23 up to December 15. Jewelry, mementos and odd items collected from safe deposit boxes will be up for sale on Ebay. The Treasurer’s office holds this yearly auction to make way for new incoming state unclaimed property collected.

Everyone should really do an unclaimed money search – the lost cash is piling-up because most owners of unclaimed property aren’t even aware they’re missing money.  Marvin Bernard Gold however was very much aware and has been arrested for trying to claim unclaimed property that wasn’t his. The elderly man allegedly tried to file for $52,000 worth of Illinois unclaimed property through mail fraud. Although Gold is facing 20 years if convicted (he’s 79), it’s obvious has a picture of how much lost money is out there. Though the average claim is under $100, there are hundreds of Illinois residents who will see windfalls of $10,000 and more,” Treasurer Giannoulias says. “This money does not belong to the state. We want to return it to its rightful owners.”

Search For Your Unclaimed Money

With the U.S. economy in bleak condition, a lot of people are tightening-up their belts and any source of extra money would be welcome. Americans are making drastic lifestyle changes- selling their beloved SUVs, stocking-up on Spam and inexpensive food, and some companies have even adopted a 4-day workweek to save on fuel expenses. Given the current economic circumstances and seeing how most people are hard-up for cash, it’s a wonder why few people still don’t know that doing an unclaimed money search can be an easy way to get extra cash.

In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, it’s easy for people to lose track of their financial assets. Uncashed checks, uncollected insurance and retirement benefits, stocks, tax refunds, and savings accounts are sometimes overlooked when people are busy with their daily activities. Lost and unclaimed funds can also result from a person moving, getting married (change in last name for women) or passing-away. Mailed financial notices can get lost if no forwarding message is left behind. If they still go unclaimed after 3-5 years, the businesses and institutions holding on to these lost assets are required by law to hand them over to the State where they go into an unclaimed property fund.

The government is required to make efforts in contacting the owners and returning the unclaimed money, but judging by the $35 billion worth of national unclaimed property, it’s obvious that most states are doing a lackadaisical work when it comes to helping owners find unclaimed money. A lot of states publish owners names in a yearly unclaimed property list or set-up unclaimed property booths in State Fairs and that’s it. Some states like California have been accused of being too quick on the draw- selling-off unclaimed property and using the government unclaimed funds to fill-up budget deficits. “In our case, they took 200 shares of GE stock, and sold it. We’ve been at the same address for 34-years, but they couldn’t find us.” Susan Lund, California unclaimed property owner says in a recent report on unclaimed property by CBS. Right now, there’s roughly $5 million worth of California unclaimed property belonging to 6 million people- a great number of whom don’t even know they’re missing assets.

Assemblywoman Lois Wolk recently introduced legislation to extend the time dormancy period for unclaimed assets in the Golden State. “The purpose of the unclaimed property law is to safeguard properties that have been apparently lost or abandoned by owners from being used for private gain. Unfortunately, the short time limit of three years before that ´lost or abandoned´ determination is made has proven totally insufficient for far too many Californians,” said Wolk in a report done by the California Chronicle. “This bill would give rightful owners more time to claim their lost property from the business holder, while also requiring these financial institutions to triple their efforts to locate property owners before turning dormant accounts over to the state.”

Anyone can have unclaimed money in their name- Condoleeza Rice, Hulk Hogan, even Boston Red Sox star Manny Ramirez recently found thousands from an unclaimed check he failed to collect from sports giant Reebok. Turns out the left-fielder was owed Massachusetts unclaimed money worth $10,000 (plus $49.56 in interest) from the languished check. “You might not think you’re on the list, but it’s worth checking.” Park County, Wyoming Clerk Kelly Jensen advises. “It really bugs me that it’s just sitting there, and I know for a lot of people, even $100 would be a pretty big deal.” Jensen comments in another report done on Wyoming unclaimed money.

Contrary to what most people think, doing an unclaimed money search is quite easy- it can be as simple as putting in one’s name and SSS # in a state database. The tricky part is doing a search through several state databases- something you should do if you’ve jumped from job to job across the U.S. It’s easy to go go in a wild-goose chase without the proper methods. Luckily, there are unclaimed property experts willing to share the techniques they’ve uncovered after hours of doing on-line unclaimed money searches. Don’t get them confused with unclaimed money ‘finders’ who can take a big chunk out of your money- these legit unclaimed property experts show you how to search and get back some of your missing money.

Virginia Unclaimed Money

The US economy is in a slump right now and a lot of people are having trouble making ends meet. We’re looking for any way we can save-up or get some extra money- trading-off the SUV for one of those green econo-boxes, sell items on-line, avoid eating-out, etc. What most Americans don’t know is a lot of people have unclaimed property in their name and that we don’t really have to look much further than the Treasury to get some extra cash. Right now there is an excess of $35 billion in the national unclaimed fund and that money belongs to citizens across the US who are missing money from lost or abandoned financial assets. It’s quite easy to do an unclaimed property search on-line and considering that most American households have internet access, one has to wonder how the unclaimed money pile got so big.

The state of Virginia alone, which has been dubbed ‘the internet capital of the world’, has roughly $300 million worth of VA unclaimed money waiting for owners to show-up and file a claim. That amount is sure to increase significantly after a few years in light of the three twisters that laid waste to the State recently. Virginia’s Department of Treasury defines unclaimed property as “All tangible or intangible property that has remained unclaimed by its owner for an extended period of time. This includes but is not limited to savings and checking accounts, wages or commissions, underlying shares, dividends, customer deposits, credit balances, gift certificates, credit memos, refunds, etc.” Ironic that even in the web capital of the world, not enough people are taking advantage and doing online searches for Virginia unclaimed money.

People lose track of these financial assets when they move without leaving a notice or a forwarding address or when they get married and change their name. This often results in undelivered mail which can include mailed tax refunds, or financial notices. After a period of 3-5 years, businesses, the IRS and other financial establishments are required by law to hand over the unclaimed property to the State of Virginia Treasury where it stays until the rightful owners come and get their claim. The Division of Unclaimed Property in Virginia tries to contact owners of Virginia unclaimed funds and publishes a list of Virginia unclaimed property owners every year. In the meantime, the money goes into State’s Literary Fund which lends money to state schools.

In times like these, all citizens should really check and do an unclaimed money search- there have been people who’ve gotten windfalls of thousands of dollars or even way more than that and weren’t even aware the government owed them money all along.

Michigan Unclaimed Money

Detroit, MI- otherwise known as Motor City or ‘Motown’ has long been known as the automobile capital of the US. It might be for this very same reason that the state of Michigan is currently the country’s ‘Epicenter of Unemployment’. Numerous SUV and truck factories have been shut-down due to a drop in demand brought about by rising fuel costs. Unknown to most residents however, there is a (legal) way to get quick, crucial cash while in between jobs- Michigan Treasury unclaimed money.

Across the state, the Michigan Treasury Department’s Unclaimed Property Division is collecting unclaimed property from lost assets like abandoned bank accounts, uncashed checks, unclaimed tax refunds, insurance policies, stocks certificates, retirement benefits and other lost funds that residents have lost track of. As required by Michigan’s Unclaimed Property Law, the financial institutions holding on to these abandoned assets are required to turn them over to the state if they go unclaimed for 5 years. According to the State Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Department, “Michigan’s Uniform Unclaimed Property Act protects unclaimed property and returns it to its rightful owners or their heirs. The State Treasurer takes custody of the property so the owner may claim it, even if the original holder (like a financial institution) is no longer in business. The law also centralizes the search for lost property. Michigan citizens trying to locate forgotten bank accounts and other property need to look in only one place: the Unclaimed Property Division of the Michigan Department of Treasury .“

The reason the Michigan gov unclaimed money fund piled-up to hundreds of millions is because most unclaimed property owners aren’t even aware they’re missing money. Gonzalo Llano, head of the Michigan Unclaimed Property Division in a WZZM report says “Checks get misplaced people die and leave assets where their family members are unaware of those assets,” adding “We received about $195 million and paid out about $35 million.”

Those that are aware about unclaimed funds in their name don’t even bother to check, thinking it’s too much of a hassle. Truth is, doing an unclaimed money search can be as simple as entering a person’s name and SSS# in a state unclaimed database. The tricky part is doing an on-line unclaimed money search in several state databases as quite a lot of people have unclaimed assets in different states. This happens when an out-of-state bank or insurance company closes-up. They turn-over the unclaimed funds to their home state and not where their clients reside. Also, most Americans these days hardy stay in one place for long and these “nomadic” citizens are bound to leave behind a trail of unclaimed financial assets.

To date, there is no centralized database for national unclaimed money. However, there are unclaimed property experts that have developed quick and thorough methods in doing unclaimed money searches and are willing to share these techniques with you. The cost of living has really gone-up and any amount of extra cash would be a huge help- specially for factory workers who got caught in the automobile factory shutdowns- do a search for state of Michigan unclaimed money now!

Arkansas Unclaimed Money

A survey on New Year’s resolutions during the start of the year showed that Americans who planned to be financially fit in 2008 outnumber those that favored physical health on top of their list. “The results of the survey are an indicator that people are finally putting financial health on par with physical health,” Dr. Melody Alderman, clinical psychologist , said in a report by Yahoo News. The amount of unclaimed money and property in the various State Treasuries however, say otherwise.

As of December of 2007, over $127 million in Arkansas unclaimed funds were in the State Auditor’s office waiting to be claimed by approximately 325,000 owners. Jim Wood, Arkansas State Auditor, receives an average of $17 million worth of unclaimed funds and property annually and the amount gets bigger by millions each passing year. These figures are even higher in other states.

The National Unclaimed Property Law requires unclaimed property from lost financial assets to be turned-over to the State after a ‘dormancy period’ of usually 3-5 years. The government holds these unclaimed funds for safekeeping until the rightful owners show up. Unclaimed property comes from abandoned bank accounts, stocks and stock dividends, uncashed checks, insurance and retirement benefits, even safe-deposit box contents. In the ever-increasing pace of today’s lifestyle, it’s easy for people to lose track of their assets.

Residents should do and unclaimed money search in Arkansas and other states- specially during this time of ever-increasing fuel prices and weak economy for the U.S. But be forewarned: there are countless “expert money finders” out there offering to find your lost money for you for a ‘small fee’. Don’t get duped into giving-up a huge chunk of your unclaimed funds. Doing an on-line unclaimed money search on your own can be quite simple if you knew the proper methods. Learn how search for unclaimed money.

Wisconsin Unclaimed Money And Property

A Wisconsin man recently discovered a wad of old bills possibly amounting to $1,700. The money was in a rusted iron box that Dan Deming found while breaking-down a 100-year old on his farm in Central Wisconsin. “I couldn’t believe it. I started running to the house with it,” the 34-year old farmer said in a report on The Miami Herald. “My wife thought I broke my arm because I was just hooting and hollering.” The money dates back to the Depression, and it’s actually quite ironic (in a good kind of way) that Deming should find Depression-era cash in this time of recession. Though digging-around old buildings might not be such a good idea for other residents of Wisconsin, dwellers of the Badger State can still find missing money by doing a search for Wisconsin unclaimed money.

The National Unclaimed Property Law dictates that dormant savings accounts, unclaimed checks, languishing stocks and bonds, and abandoned safe deposit boxes be turned-over the State Treasury after a specific dormancy period. The Treasurer’s office holds-on to tangible assets for 3 years after which they are auctioned-off and the proceeds are put back into Unclaimed Property Fund where the Wisconsin unclaimed money stays indefinitely until claimed by its rightful owners.

A state law passed over three decades ago requires Wisconsin businesses and financial entities to turn all WI unclaimed money, stock and objects from safe deposit boxes to the Treasurer’s office for safekeeping after one to five years of dormancy. There is no time limit for collecting Wisconsin unclaimed property and right now, $8.8 million awaits roughly 50,000 residents of Northeast region of the state alone.

The State does publish a yearly list of owners of Wisconsin unclaimed property, but people shouldn’t just sit around and wait for their names to come-up before they do a search for their unclaimed money.“We can’t publish the entire list every year because it’s almost a million people.” says Sass who currently owes residents of Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Oconto and Shawano Wisconsin unclaimed money from assets they’ve lost track of. It’s good to do a repeated searches for unclaimed property money every once in a while because according to Sass in another report by Wisconsin’s Tomah Journal, “We only publish what was turned over to us the year before, and if you miss that publication, you will miss if it was ever published.”

“We have about $330 million that belongs to Wisconsin citizens,” said the Treasurer. “It’s a big deal; $330 million is a lot of money. With Wisconsin having a population of about 5 million people, about one in five have something coming back.” Doing unclaimed money searches yourself would be the best way to go as ‘finders’ can take a huge chunk of your claims. It’s even possible to find pre-escheat property in your name (before they get turned-over to the state). Find-out how to search for unclaimed money.

Unclaimed Money In Texas

Residents of Galveston and other areas hard-hit by Hurricane Gustav are still reeling from the damage their homes and lives have suffered. Sadly, a number of residents’ homes are beyond repair and they may have to find a new place to stay. These sudden change of address will most likely bulk-up the already hugeTexas unclaimed money pile in the State Treasury. Over half a billion dollars of it has accrued in the State Department of Treasury, a large part being made up of property tax rebates. Recently $30,000 from uncashed property rebates was collected from Potter County alone according to a report by an Amarillo, TX news website.

Quite a number of unclaimed stimulus checks are also on their way to the State Treasury soon. 30,700 stimulus checks worth more than $19 million have been unfiled for by Texans who may be unaware they qualify for tax rebates under the recent stimulus plan by the Bush administration.

“Each year, Texas businesses report their unclaimed property to us. At present, we’re holding more than $1.7 billion in forgotten money and items from old bank accounts, royalties and payroll checks, insurance policies, safety-deposit boxes and other sources.” Susan Combs, Texas State Treasurer says. “We want to get this property back into the hands of Texans — where it belongs.”

Unclaimed property comes from long-idle bank accounts, uncollected salary checks, tax refunds, stock dividends and other lost financial assets. Safe deposit box contents that have been abandoned by their owners are also deemed as State unclaimed property under the National Unclaimed property Law. These are sold by the state on eBay if they aren’t returned to their owners after two years of being collected from the banks. The proceeds from the auction are put back into the State’s Unclaimed Property Fund where they can still be claimed by their owners.

If you or a relative is living or has lived in the Lone Star State at one point, it would be good to do a search for Texas unclaimed money now and get some lost money back in your pockets quick. With the US economy in an abysmal state, extra cash would be a big help for everyone. The Texas Unclaimed Property list for 2008 has 130,000 people owed Texas unclaimed money $250 and up.

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