CINCINNATI — It’s like winning the lottery: you might have extra cash you don’t even know about.
Tuesday is National Unclaimed Property Day and state officials are urging to check to see if any of the state’s unclaimed funds belonged to you.
Unclaimed property is money that belongs to you, but was never sent to you. It could be an old utility check, a paycheck from a former job or an inheritance from a family member you didn’t know about. Businesses turn over these funds when the rightful owner cannot be found. The state holds on to them, waiting for that owner to come forward.
Currently, the state of Ohio has more than $3.4 billion in unclaimed funds. Last year, the state paid out $75 million in claims. This year, officials say the state is on track to pay even more. There is no deadline to claim unclaimed funds.
“We get people who are pretty confident that they know where their funds are, and there's a good chance that they do know where exactly where everything is,” said Akil Hardy, Superintendent of the Ohio Division of Unclaimed Funds. “I was one of those individuals and then I came to the Ohio Department of Commerce to work under a different capacity, and found out that I actually have unclaimed fund from my last check from a previous employer. I would have never known anything about that.”
The first step to claiming this money is to see if you have any unclaimed property. Search the Missing Money nationwide database here. If you have any unclaimed funds, you’ll receive a form, which you can then mail to Ohio’s Department of Commerce.
Mail completed forms to:
Division of Unclaimed Funds
77 South High Street, 20th Floor
Columbus, Ohio, 43215-6108
Be sure to include a copy of your driver’s license and social security card.
