The state treasurer’s office is reaching out to Missouri lawmakers in an effort to raise awareness about the close to $1 billion in unclaimed property currently in its possession. Spread across more than 5 million accounts, some of these funds belong to individuals, businesses or local governments in the 9th Senate District.
Banks, businesses and insurance companies are bound by Missouri law to turn over unclaimed property to the state treasurer after accounts have been inactive and owners cannot be successfully contacted for a statutorily defined period of time, generally five years.
Currently, the treasurer’s office is holding more than $28.5 million in unclaimed property from approximately 199,853 account holders in District 9. The treasurer’s goal is to turn as much of this property over to the account owners or proper heirs as possible. As the treasurer’s office holds unclaimed property in perpetuity until a proper account owner can be located, you or a family member could have unclaimed property from years and even decades ago.
According to the treasurer’s office, one in 10 Missourians have unclaimed property, and claims frequently reach hundreds of dollars or more. Property owners can also choose to donate their unclaimed property to one of the many eligible charitable organizations.
The treasurer’s office is required by statute to publish names of unclaimed property owners in newspapers around the state in June. By law, specific dollar amounts that exceed $50 are not public record. You may also see information regarding unclaimed property on social media. For more information, the treasurer invites anyone to follow his office on Facebook and Twitter @MOTreasurer.
To file a claim or check for unclaimed property, please visit ShowMeMoney.com, or send a letter to P.O. Box 1004, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1004.