CHEYENNE – Wyoming State Treasurer Curt Meier on Tuesday announced that more than $6.8 million worth of unclaimed property was returned to businesses, citizens and former citizens of Wyoming during the fiscal year that ended June 30.

“One of our jobs in the Treasurer’s Office is to reunite citizens with their lost money,” Meier said. “The folks in the Unclaimed Property Division focus on this mission year-round, and the continued growth in the amount of money paid out is a result of their hard work.”

Meier said the state received a little more than $8 million in unclaimed property during the past year. Thanks to some software upgrades and procedures implemented during the past administration, the state has been able to return approximately 85 percent of the money reported to unclaimed property over the past three years.

Property is turned over to the state when a business, agency or governmental entity owes property, typically money or stocks, to someone and for whatever reason cannot locate the owner for a specified time period.

“We still have more than $85 million in unclaimed property waiting for the rightful owner to step forward and make a claim,” Meier said. “We encourage all citizens to go to our website at wycash.wyo.gov and see if they are entitled to any of these funds.”

To make a valid claim, owners need to provide documentation, as needed, depending on the type of property turned over to the state and the level of information provided about the owner.

Wyoming law requires the state to hold unclaimed property in perpetuity until the rightful owner is able to claim it.