PRESS RELEASE
Treasurer Fitzpatrick Returns $100 Million of Unclaimed Property
Jefferson City, MO—Treasurer Fitzpatrick today announced that his
office has returned the first $100 million of his administration in just over
two years, the fastest of any Missouri Treasurer. $100,080,956 has been
returned since Treasurer Fitzpatrick took office in January 2019. This is the
Treasurer’s fourth Unclaimed Property record. “Raising awareness and returning
Unclaimed Property to rightful owners has been a priority since Day One—especially
throughout the COVID-19 pandemic when so many Missourians needed help,”
Treasurer Fitzpatrick said. “Our innovative partnerships across state
government, with DSS and DOLIR, contributed to this record-breaking success.
And our Unclaimed Property Division’s unwavering effort to process claims and conduct
proactive outreach to find owners must also be recognized. I want to make
government work for Missourians—and this first $100 million in record time is a
reflection of that commitment.” In October, Missouri State
Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick and the Department of Labor and Industrial
Relations’ (DOLIR’s) Division of Employment Security partnered to
return Unclaimed Property to Missourians who have applied for unemployment
benefits. By cross-referencing DOLIR’s data with the Unclaimed Property
database, the Treasurer’s Office is able to conduct proactive outreach more
successfully. The partnership has returned over $2.1 million to Missourians who
have applied for unemployment benefits. In 2019, Treasurer Fitzpatrick worked with the Department of Social
Services to launch
an automated system that matches Unclaimed Property with past-due child
support. This new system has returned more than $3.6 million in past-due child
support payments to Missouri families. Since taking office in 2019,
Treasurer Fitzpatrick has broken four Unclaimed Property records, returning
the first $1 million of his administration in less than 10 days, returning
over $45 million in one fiscal year, and returning
Unclaimed Property to more Missourians in one year than any prior treasurer,
in addition to today’s announcement. 1 in 10 Missourians has
Unclaimed Property and the average return is $300. Missourians can search and
claim online at ShowMeMoney.com.
The Treasurer’s Office does not charge to return unclaimed property. ###
