Does New York Owe You Money In 2020: Check Here

NEW YORK — Money that belongs to New Yorkers could be sitting in government accounts, but it's up to you to claim your property. The state of New York is holding on to billions of dollars until it is claimed by the owner or that person's heirs. Many people who have unclaimed cash don't realize it, whether it's money owed from pension funds, business refunds or other sources.

The unclaimed property the state keeps an eye on includes stocks, bonds, savings accounts, security deposits, estate proceeds, insurance proceeds and other valuables which are reported to the state as unclaimed by banks and other financial institutions after three years. Real property is not included, according to the comptroller's website.

The owners or their heirs can claim the money at any time; there is no statute of limitations. Simply search on the New York State Comptrollers' website with your first and last name.

Select the item you wish to claim from the search results and follow the directions and prompts that appear on screen.

To submit a claim by mail, follow the instructions on this web page.

The state is said it's currently processing paper claims submitted by mail that it acknowledged on or before Oct. 10. It said information isn't readily available about claims submitted after that date.

Officials said that the state returns $1.5 million every day to those who file claims. So far in 2020, almost $66 million has been returned.

A map of unclaimed funds shows that for Long Island alone there are more than $697 million in funds waiting to be claimed as of January. There are more than $304 million in Westchester and $60 million in Rockland being held by the state.

The U.S. government lacks a central website to find unclaimed funds. To search for unclaimed money that may be lying in a different state's treasury, check this list of treasurer's offices.

If you don't have money lying in the state treasury, the government also suggests checking for unclaimed funds from bank failures or unclaimed deposits from credit union closures. You could also check for unclaimed or undelivered tax refunds or a refund from an FHA-insured mortgage.

Finally, you can check for unclaimed back wages, pension money or life insurance funds. Here is how to find out how to search for these unclaimed funds.