What is unclaimed property?

Unclaimed Property means:

•safe deposit box contents or a

•fixed and certain interest  in intangible personal property

•that is held, issued or owed in the course of a holder's business

•where there has been no contact with the owner for a certain period of time.

Basically, any amounts of money owed or held for another person, where the holder has lost contact with the owner, may become unclaimed property. This may be a paycheck, stock, bank account, utility deposit, cashiers check or other items.

Who has unclaimed property?

•Every state has an unclaimed property law.

•Forty-three states, including West Virginia, have laws based upon one of the three versions of the model Uniform Unclaimed Property Act.

How can I find out if I have unclaimed property?

For property held by the West Virginia State Treasurer’s office, check at www.wvtreasury.com, or call (800) 642-8687.

If you have lived in another state and want to see if that state is holding property for you, most states participate in a national database called www.missingmoney.com . You can search that the website for your name and begin the claims process.