November 12, 2009

So far this year, more than $8,000,000 has been claimed by Kansas residents in nearly every county. Almost 1.5 million in Sedgwick County alone. The state receives about $20 million a year in unclaimed cash. To date, more than 212 million dollars sits in Topeka, unclaimed and untouched.

It's easy and free to find out if you have unclaimed property. Go to the website kansascash.com. Once there, scroll down and click on 'search for unclaimed property'. Agree to a brief disclaimer, and you are ready to search by name or company.

You can also search deceased family members. You don't have to register to search, but if you find unclaimed property in your name, then you will have to register. it's free and easy.

"We have some claims that get up to $20,000 or $30,000 occasionally. Some will have an insurance payment of $2,000 or $3,000. So sometimes the amounts are significant," said State Treasurer Dennis McKinney. The money can be from just about anything, like stocks, refunds, royalties, old bank accounts. By law, if a company can't track you down, they must give the money to the state. The state earns interest on the money, but they can not use it.

"We hold your money for you as long as we have it. We don't take possession of it," said McKinney. "It's yours. It's not to be taken away. It's our job to help return that to you."

Retrieving unclaimed property from the state is free. Check you name often. Just because you don't have a claim today, doesn't mean you won't next month or next year. The state receives unclaimed property every day.