State treasurer encourages Missourians to check Unclaimed Property list
By Raymore Journal staff
Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick is launching an annual effort to return Unclaimed Property to Missourians. Beginning June 20, the names of more than 129,400 individuals, small businesses, and non-profit organizations with Unclaimed Property will be listed in over 100 publications across the state. Missourians can also search and view the lists by county on ShowMeMoney.com.
“I want to return Unclaimed Property to as many Missourians as possible. We are required by law to run these lists in newspapers, but we are also making them available online so that all Missourians have access to these county lists regardless of their ability to pay for a newspaper,” Treasurer Fitzpatrick said. “I encourage all Missourians to check the Unclaimed Property list and claim any money that is rightfully yours. I also encourage Missourians to take a look at the list and if you see a name you recognize, let that person know. It is always free to claim your Unclaimed Property and many claims can be filed online.”
County lists are accessible here: https://treasurer.mo.gov/UCP/2022-New-Unclaimed-Property-Account-Owner-Lists-by-County.aspx
St. Louis County has the largest list of names with 28,449 names while Worth County has the shortest list with only 30 names.
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.
Treasurer Fitzpatrick currently manages over $1 billion in unclaimed assets in more than five million owner accounts. One in ten Missourians has Unclaimed Property, and the average return is nearly $300.
Since taking office in 2019, Treasurer Fitzpatrick has broken many unclaimed property records, including returning the first $1 million of his administration in less than 10 days, returning Unclaimed Property to more Missourians in one year than any prior treasurer, returning $100 million to Missourians faster than any prior treasurer, and returning more Unclaimed Property in one fiscal year than any prior year.
State law requires notices be published annually in a newspaper in each Missouri county listing the names of individuals whose Unclaimed Property of $50 or more has been turned over to the Missouri State Treasurer’s Office in the past year.