West Virginia State Treasurer Larry Pack said his office’s Unclaimed Property Division returned $1.65 million to rightful owners in December 2024, covering 1,202 claims and 3,715 individual properties.
“As your new State Treasurer, I am proud to return these lost funds to rightful owners,” Pack said. “This is the people’s money, and we’re committed to returning it to them.”
The Unclaimed Property Division’s efforts in November set a monthly record with $8.5 million returned. Since the fiscal year began on July 1, 2024, more than $22.2 million has been disbursed to West Virginians. The state’s unclaimed property database holds listings worth $472.5 million.
The treasurer is urging recipients of West Virginia Cash Now checks to deposit their funds before they expire in March 2025. The automated system, launched in 2022, bypasses traditional paperwork to streamline the return of unclaimed property.
“While we’re returning funds at the fastest pace in state history, we’re also receiving new listings all the time,” Pack said. “I encourage everyone to keep checking our unclaimed property database because you never know if there may be unclaimed property funds in your name.”
What is unclaimed property?
Unclaimed property includes financial assets such as unpaid life insurance benefits, uncashed paychecks, stocks, or the contents of safe deposit boxes. Real estate is not included.
The Treasurer’s Office works to reunite these funds with their rightful owners, ensuring the money does not remain permanently with financial institutions or other entities. Nationwide, nearly one in 10 people are estimated to have unclaimed property.
How to search for unclaimed property
West Virginians can search for unclaimed property in their name at www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov. A demonstration video is available on the Treasury’s YouTube page. To search outside West Virginia, visit www.MissingMoney.com.
For more information, contact the State Treasurer’s Office at 304-558-5000 or visit wvtreasury.gov.