Free Money!

[errantember]

I was chasing down an old insurance check when I discovered the Texas Unclaimed Property Website. If you never cash a check, etc., this is where the funds go, and you can reclaim them! I have no idea how difficult the whole process is, but I'm getting a couple hundred from it. One of my friends may get a few thousand! I printed out the paperwork, but haven't looked over the details yet.

https://txcpa.cpa.state.tx.us/up/Search.jsp

If you find a lot of money because I called this to your attention, maybe you can take me out to lunch sometime. :)

Comments

[erinlefey.livejournal.com]

Not difficult at all! My dad found out about this last year, and discovered I had $600 from somewhere back in the 1990's. I filled out the form, included the needed copies of identification, and got a check about 5 weeks later. No one contacted me needing more info, no hassle at all. Sent form, got monies.

[kadairk.livejournal.com]

I try to boost this every so often, because in my job, I'm on the other side: I remit unclaimed funds to the states. It's not the easiest thing to get your money from the state, and sometimes, you'll need someone to help prove you lived at the address the state has on file. (I work for an apartment complex developer, I've been known to write letters for people claiming funds as proof they lived at one of our properties, usually for funds *I* submitted to the state.)

It's a good idea to also check in any other states you've lived in. The link you've posted is just for Texas, www.missingmoney.com is a website that I believe you can use to search all states you've lived in.

One rather BIG thing to know: the state of Texas does keep a "processing fee", around 7% if I remember correctly, but don't ever PAY a company to find unclaimed money for you. There is no need. It's easy to find if you have unclaimed funds or property sitting in a state account, and a locator service isn't going to do the really hard work of establishing you are the rightful owner.

If you've ever owned a business, it's a good idea to search for your business name as well. :) All businesses are required to remit ALL unclaimed property to the state of the last known address, whether the true owner is an individual or a business. Unclaimed property can be anything: a security deposit return, a dormant bank account, contents of an abandoned safety deposit box, uncashed accounts payable checks, plus TONS more. Businesses are required to remit the property to the states 1 to 5 years after they lose contact with the rightful owner, depending upon the type of property, so it's wise to check every other year or so, especially if you move a lot.

Also, if you've ever been the heir to someone (by will or otherwise), you can claim unclaimed property on behalf of the deceased. This is harder, but not impossible.

[kadairk.livejournal.com]

Oh, I thought of something else. Search under every name you've ever used, also. :)

Erinlefey posted while I was writing my long discourse, I'm glad to know it was easy to get your money! I've only dealt with people who've run into trouble trying to get their money, but I haven't had that happen all that often. It's a lot harder for a business to claim their funds, I've discovered.

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the info!
The main thing I need is proof I lived at a few old places. One was an apartment, the other my Mom's house. What would be acceptable proof? They're not very specific on the form.

[kadairk.livejournal.com]

Any official mail you received at those addresses, such as a utility bill or a bank statement is ideal. Basically, anything that shows your name at that address should work. But I've never actually gone through the claim process, so I'm not entirely sure.

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I found several old collection agency letters and some old loan payoff letters. I sent two pieces of proof for each address, just to be sure. Thanks for the help!

[gailmom.livejournal.com]

apparently paypal owes me 7.49

whether that is worth paperwork or not...

:P