PRESS RELEASE
Treasurer Fitzpatrick Returns First $1 Million in Unclaimed Property
Jefferson City, MO
–Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick today announced that his
administration has returned its first $1 million in Unclaimed Property to
Missouri residents since taking office nine days ago. This is the fastest any
Missouri State Treasurer has returned their first $1 million. The previous
record was 11 days, set in 2017. The
two biggest claims were for accounts in St. Louis County. One St. Louis County
resident received a payment of $225,000 while another account received a
payment of $130,765 as a result of unclaimed property. “Returning
Unclaimed Property to Missouri residents is a priority of this Office and I
encourage all Missourians to visit our website and check to see if they are
entitled to Unclaimed Property,” Treasurer Fitzpatrick said. “I am proud of the
hard work of the Unclaimed Property Division. This record-breaking million
dollars is a reflection of their dedication—especially given that the time
period included a State holiday!” State law requires financial
institutions, insurance companies, public agencies and other business entities
to turn over assets, including cash and the contents of safe deposit boxes, to the
Treasurer’s Office. This is required after there has been no documented
transaction or contact with the owner after a statutorily-defined period of
time, generally five years. Most Unclaimed Property consists of cash from bank
accounts, stocks, bonds and contents of safe deposit boxes that have been
abandoned. It can also include uncollected insurance policy proceeds,
government refunds, utility deposits and wages from past jobs. Treasurer Fitzpatrick currently manages
over $1 billion in unclaimed assets in more than 5 million owner accounts. One
in ten Missourians has Unclaimed Property, and the average return is nearly $300.
Unclaimed Property can be searched for and claimed on ShowMeMoney.com.