Need some extra cash? One in seven Mississippi residents has unclaimed property, according to Treasurer David McRae.
The Mississippi State Treasury has money and stocks that banks, credit unions, stores and other businesses couldn’t get to the rightful owner. The office has returned more than $298 million to people over time, according to its website.
“For 43 years, the State Treasurer has been the custodian of unclaimed money that has been lost or forgotten. It may be from an old savings account, an insurance payment, a retail rebate, or even funds left behind by a loved one. After five years of inactivity, that money is turned over to the State Treasury, where my team works to return it to its rightful owner,” McRae said in a news release.
In October, the state issued more than $1.3 million to almost 5,000 people in Mississippi. It’s the second year the office has done a mass Money Match and worked to find the owners before their money can’t be claimed. When the Treasury confirms it through multiple public records, they send a check.
Here’s what we know about how to find out if the state owes you money, how to file a claim and how soon you could get a check.
How do I find out if I have unclaimed property?
Search the database by going to Treasury.MS.gov or ms.findyourunclaimedproperty.com. People can search for their names to find money or other property listed in their name.
Also try searching for close misspellings of your name or nicknames, like Jim vs. James or Smith vs. Smythe to see if other information, such as addresses match for you.
What will I need to do to make a claim?
Once you find property you think is yours, hit “claim” on the site. Once a claim is being processed, it will no longer be visible online.
“When I came into office, I made it my mission to modernize this process and make it easier for Mississippians to reclaim what’s theirs. We eliminated the notary requirement, launched eClaims, and built a faster, more user-friendly system,” McRae said.
The site asks if you’re a U.S. citizen before the search. Americans will need to be ready to provide driver’s licenses, addresses, Social Security numbers or other form of ID to verify a claim. Minors will need a birth certificate, and anyone who changed their name will need a copy of the marriage license, divorce decree, etc.
Non-citizens will have to give information from their country of citizenship.
According to the site, “McRae has made servicing the claims of American citizens and Mississippi constituents a priority. Claims of American citizens will take precedent over any claim requiring more extensive validation through non-domestic means.”
How soon could I get a check?
According to the Treasury, it could take eight weeks to process a claim. And that’s once all the proper documentation is filed.
It can take longer if the right information isn’t included with the claim form. Stock security claims might also take longer.
Checks are not available to picked up at the Treasury office.
Can I make a claim for a business or someone who died?
Yes. People can claim property on behalf of businesses, public entities, minors and people who have died.
Each requires special documentation. Find out more at bit.ly/4iqnXNZ.
I got a ‘Money Match’ check but didn’t file a claim. Why?
Those Money Match checks, according to the department, “are from previously uncashed state-issued checks (like tax refunds, paychecks, and even payments to vendors) which were turned over to the Unclaimed Money Department.”
They matched information using public records to verify the owner and send the funds without needing a claim.
How soon do I have to cash this check? What’s the deadline?
If you got a Money Match check or hope to get paid for a claim, don’t save it for a rainy day. Well, you can save the money, but the check has a deadline.
McRae advises people to cash their checks because checks issued by the state revert to the Mississippi general fund after six years.
“It’s your check. Cash it,” McRae said.
Call the State Treasury at 601-359-3600 or email unclaimed@treasury.ms.gov with any questions.
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY Network. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
