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JOPLIN, Mo. (KSNF/KODE) — Now that it’s a new year, it may be a good time to check and see if your money or property is being held in Missouri’s largest lost and found.
Each year, government agencies, businesses, financial institutions, and other organizations hand over millions of dollars in cash and property to the Missouri Treasurer’s Office. For example, the contents of a safe deposit box will be turned over to the state if there has been no contact with the owner for more than five years.
The Office currently holds more than $1 billion in unclaimed assets. 1-in-10 Missourians have unclaimed property, and the average return is $300. The Treasurer’s Office never charges to return unclaimed property. Unclaimed money or assets can, among other things, include:
Cash from bank accounts
Stocks and bonds
Contents of safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned
Uncollected insurance policy proceeds
Government refunds
Utility deposits and wages from past jobs
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Even if an individual does not have unclaimed property, they can sign up for email alerts. Those alerts will notify an individual when unclaimed property with their name or a similar name is turned over to the Missouri State Treasurer’s Office.
You can search for your name, HERE, to see if you have unclaimed property that’s in the possession of the state of Missouri. Those who may have unclaimed property in other states can search for their name, HERE.
