HANCOCK COUNTY, W.Va. – West Virginia State Treasurer John Perdue visited the Homer Laughlin China Company Tuesday afternoon to deliver an unclaimed property check to the business. Perdue presented a check for $12,633.36 in unclaimed funds that originated from various sources. Perdue first told company president, Liz McIlvain, about the unclaimed funds during a trip to the Northern Panhandle in mid-September.

“We actively search for recipients of unclaimed property to ensure that both individuals and local business owners get the money they are due,” said Perdue. “My staff works hard to make sure people around the state know how to claim lost funds.”

Unclaimed property is any asset from which an individual or business has been unintentionally separated. Examples are contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes; left-behind forgotten utility deposits; stock dividends left uncashed; and matured insurance policies never redeemed. Unclaimed property does not include real estate or land.

The Treasurer’s Office returned more than $9 million in unclaimed property funds last fiscal year. Overall, the Treasurer has consistently been a national leader in the area of returning unclaimed property. The state’s program has been featured in several national publications and on television news programs including ABC’s 20/20, ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today Show.