PRESS RELEASE
Treasurer Fitzpatrick Breaks Two More Unclaimed Property Records
Jefferson City, MO – Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick today
announced that his administration has broken two more Unclaimed Property records,
continuing a record-breaking streak for the fourth straight year. For the fiscal year ending June
30, the Treasurer’s Office returned $50,234,802.92, surpassing the prior record
set last year by $3,054,488.06. This is the first time the Treasurer’s Office
has returned more than $50 million in one fiscal year. The Unclaimed Property Division
also returned Unclaimed Property to more Missourians than any prior fiscal
year, closing 233,769 accounts. “I am incredibly proud of the
work of the Unclaimed Property Division,” Treasurer Fitzpatrick said. “Returning
Unclaimed Property to rightful owners has been a priority of mine since I took
office in 2019. I have worked to improve the efficiency of our outreach to
account owners through inter-agency partnerships and modernized marketing efforts.
These record-breaking accomplishments are a reflection of this hard work and
the dedicated staff in my office. As always, I encourage Missourians to search
the Unclaimed Property list. It is free to claim your money and many claims can
be submitted online.” Treasurer Fitzpatrick is
committed to finding innovative ways to streamline returning Unclaimed Property
to Missourians. In 2020, Treasurer Fitzpatrick partnered
with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to return Unclaimed
Property to those who have applied for unemployment benefits. This partnership
has returned over $8.8 million to nearly 30,000 Missourians. In 2019, he
announced a
new partnership with the Department of Social Services that
created an automated system to match past-due child support cases with
the Unclaimed Property database. This partnership has returned nearly $4.5
million to Missouri families. 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. 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. The Treasurer’s Office
also holds more than 250 military medals and insignia that have been found in
safe deposit boxes turned over to the office as Unclaimed Property. Photos and
information about the last known owner can be found on ShowMeMoney.com/medals.
Treasurer Fitzpatrick
currently manages over $1 billion in unclaimed assets in more than five million
owner accounts. One in ten Missourians has Unclaimed Property, and the average
return is nearly $300. Since taking office in 2019,
Treasurer Fitzpatrick has broken many unclaimed property records,
including returning
the first $1 million of his administration in less than 10 days, returning
Unclaimed Property to more Missourians in one year than any prior
treasurer, returning
$100 million to Missourians faster than any prior treasurer, and returning
more Unclaimed Property in one fiscal year than any prior year. Missourians
can search and claim unclaimed property 24/7 at ShowMeMoney.com. ### Follow the Treasurer’s Office on Twitter,
Facebook, and Instagram @motreasurer.