State Treasurer to return lost cash and property
More than 80,000 new names owed money

August 8, 2007

Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is publishing more than 80,000 new names of people and businesses that have cash and property owed to them.

The names have been added to the state’s unclaimed property rolls since the list was last published in February, bringing the database to more than 10 million claims.

This month, the new additions will be listed in newspapers across the state with the hopes that more people will collect what’s owed to them. Common forms of unclaimed property include paid-up life insurance policies, forgotten bank accounts and even entire estates.

“During the last fiscal year, my office returned a record $92 million, including the largest claim ever which amounted to more than $1 million,” Giannoulias said. ”I urge people to check for their names in our publication and our online database. It’s free and easy and we return more money than you might expect.”

The Treasurer’s Office is holding property and cash worth more than $1.4 billion. Approximately 1,500 individuals and businesses are owed more than $50,000 each.

Unclaimed property consists of money and other assets held by banks and other financial institutions that are considered lost or abandoned after an owner cannot be located for more than five years.

The new list of unclaimed property owners will appear the week of Aug. 12 in newspapers in the following counties: Adams, Brown, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Dewitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Fulton, Greene, Hancock, Henderson, Iroquois, Knox, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Peoria, Piatt, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Tazewell, Vermilion, Warren and Woodford.

The list will appear the week of Aug. 19 in newspapers in the following counties: Alexander, Boone, Bond, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, DeKalb, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kankakee, La Salle, Lawrence, Lee, Madison, Marion, Massac, Mercer, Monroe, Ogle, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, St. Clair, Saline, Stephenson, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Williamson and Winnebago.

The list will appear the week of Aug. 26 in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.

Along with checking the local newspaper, residents can search the Treasurer’s entire database by visiting www.treasurer.il.gov and typing in a name.

An estimated one in six people have lost assets at the Illinois Treasurer’s Office. In many cases, people move and forget to furnish their broker, bank, employer or insurance company with a forwarding address. Eventually, the money makes its way to the Treasurer’s Office for distribution.

An owner never loses his or her rights to their property. The state holds the property or cash until the owner or heir claims it.

There are many ways for citizens to find out if the Treasurer is holding their property. Twice yearly the Treasurer publishes a list comprised of the most recently remitted properties; at the same time, state legislators are provided with a list of the newly reported names in their districts.

Throughout the year, the Treasurer sponsors outreach activities to help citizens who are unfamiliar with the Unclaimed Property Division or who do not have Internet access to search the database for the property.

When a person finds their name listed in the newspaper or on the web site, he or she must mail a written inquiry to the Treasurer’s Office. The inquiry should include a current name and address, previous names, past addresses, a Social Security number and the relationship or authority if he or she is an heir. Claims cannot be approved without Social Security numbers.