Each year, the State Treasurer’s Office opens hundreds of safe deposit boxes people have abandoned.
Assistant Director of Unclaimed Property Lana Massman says in addition to finding gold coins, war medals, precious jewels and the like, she comes across items she knows hold tremendous sentimental value for someone … somewhere, such as human remains, old teddy bears, wartime love letters and more.
By statute, once a safe deposit box has been dormant for five years, banks must turn them over to the State Treasurer’s Office, which tries to get the items and the money back to their original owners.
The State Treasurer says about one in 10 Missourians are due an average of about $300. The State Treasurer’s Office has opened 1,000 safe deposit boxes this year.
To see if you have anything coming your way, visit www.ShowMeMoney.com or call (573) 751-0123.
“I have worked very hard to ensure Missourians can find and claim their Unclaimed Property as quickly and easily as possible,” Treasurer Zweifel says. My team works diligently to return property in an efficient and timely manner.”
He says a St. Louis area man who received $1.6 million in January 2010.
Following is an overview of the Unclaimed Property found in each region of Missouri:
Kansas City Region (Bates, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Platte, Ray): $90 million in nearly 700,000 accounts.
Mid-Missouri Region (Audrain, Benton, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Dent, Gasconade, Howard, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, Osage, Pettis, Phelps, Pulaski, Saline): $21.7 million in nearly 240,000 accounts.
Northeast Missouri Region (Adair, Chariton, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, Sullivan): $6.5 million in more than 64,000 accounts.
Northwest Missouri Region (Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Worth): $8.5 million in more than 80,000 accounts.
Southeast Missouri Region (Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard, Wayne): $13 million in nearly 150,000 accounts.
Southwest Missouri Region (Barry, Barton, Cedar, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Douglas, Greene, Hickory, Howell, Jasper, Laclede, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Oregon, Ozark, Polk, Shannon, St. Clair, Stone, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Webster, Wright): $32 million in more than 340,000 accounts.
St. Louis Region (Crawford, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Warren, Washington): $188 million in more than 1.1 million accounts.