Do Virginia, The District Owe You Money In 2018: Find Out Here

WASHINGTON, DC — The Virginia treasury and the Washington, D.C., Office of the Chief Financial Officer are holding on to millions of dollars in unclaimed money, and some of it could be yours. One in four Virginians is missing money and doesn't know it, according to the department of the treasury website.

What is unclaimed property? The state's Unclaimed Property Program returns money, stocks, bonds, dividends, utility deposits, insurance proceeds, tangible property and more to Virginia residents. Whether you've moved, lost a check, or forgotten about a bank account, finding money is easy and free, Treasurer Manju Ganeriwala says on the department's website. "Rather than contacting every company that may owe you money, our program is the central lost and found of unclaimed money owed to Virginians."

For the fastest service, residents are asked to use the www.vaMoneySearch.org website and search for property using the Click and Claim searchable database. If you are unable to access the internet, you may request an Inquiry Form by calling 1-800-468-1088, choose option 1 and then option 2.

The search form online lets you search for money owed to an individual, to an estate, or to a business.

If you need to visit the Division of Unclaimed Property, an appointment is required in advance due to building security and other concerns. To schedule an appointment call 1-800-468-1088.

District Of Columbia Unclaimed Funds

The District's office of the chief financial officer holds unclaimed money and property left in bank accounts, stocks, bonds, dividends, utility deposits, insurance proceeds, tangible property and more.

Unclaimed property consists of money and other personal assets that are considered lost or abandoned when an owner cannot be located after a specified period of time, the office says on its website. These assets can include checking accounts, certificates of deposit, customer deposits and over-payments, gift certificates, paid-up life insurance policies, unpaid wages, commissions, uncashed checks, death benefits, dividends, insurance payments, money orders, refunds, savings accounts, stocks, and proceeds of safe deposit box auctions.

The District says a total of 20,092 properties with a combined value of $21.309 millionwere returned to owners for fiscal year 2017.

After the property holders attempt to locate the owners, the Office of Finance and Treasury's Unclaimed Property Unit collects the assets. It then attempts to find residents to help them claim the assets held in custody for them by the District.

Officials try to locate the owners through newspaper advertising, news media campaigns, and a free online search service. The owners or their legitimate heirs can claim the money at any time; there is no statute of limitations.

DC authorities urge residents to search for money or other items through the MissingMoney website, which is free to use, and approved by many government agencies.

The DC Unclaimed Property Unit can be reached by phone at (202) 442-8181 or via email.

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