JEFFERSON CITY – It’s the most wonderful time of the year—and Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick will spend the next 12 business days reminding Missourians to channel their inner-Kris Kringle and check the Unclaimed Property list. Beginning tomorrow and continuing through December 16, the @MOTreasurer Twitter and Facebook accounts will encourage Missourians to search the Unclaimed Property database for their names and others they know. All posts will use the hashtag #12DaysofUCP.
“Cyber Monday has come and gone but this deal lasts year round and always has free shipping,” Treasurer Fitzpatrick said. “My Office holds over $1 billion in Unclaimed Property and we want to return it to rightful owners—especially as we approach the holidays and Missourians find increased costs at the gas pump and on grocery store shelves this season. While these social posts take a tongue-in-cheek tone about some of the items in the unclaimed property vault and names on the list, I hope Missourians will take a serious look and maybe find an unexpected holiday gift.”
State law requires financial institutions, insurance companies, public agencies and other business entities to turn over unclaimed assets 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.
Since taking office in 2019, Treasurer Fitzpatrick has broken six Unclaimed Property records. His broken records include returning the first $1 million of his administration in less than 10 days, returning over $45 million in one fiscal year, returning Unclaimed Property to more Missourians in one year than any prior treasurer, returning $100 million to Missourians faster than any prior treasurer, returning more Unclaimed Property in one fiscal year than any prior year, and returning more Unclaimed Property in one month than any prior treasurer.
The Treasurer’s Office currently manages over $1 billion in unclaimed assets in more than five million owner accounts. Unclaimed Property is waiting for one in ten Missourians, and the average return is nearly $300. Missourians can search and claim Unclaimed Property year-round at ShowMeMoney.com.
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