Treasurer’s Office still holding on to more than $98 million owed to State residents
CHEYENNE – The Unclaimed Property Division of the Wyoming State Treasurer’s Office paid out more than $15.25 million in money and securities value during fiscal year 2022, which ended June 30.
The division set numerous records over the past year, including $8.072 million in cash paid and another $7.179 worth of securities that were returned to their rightful owners. At the other end of the spectrum, a record $12.86 million was reported to the State during the same time frame.
“Our office has focused on locating owners of large property values and then reuniting them with their lost money,” Wyoming State Treasurer Curt Meier said. “This year’s cash payments were nearly 9 percent more than the record amount paid the previous year.”
The large value in securities was tied to $6.7 million worth of stocks that were transferred to a former resident of Teton County. The largest check for the year totaled $159,092.
There were a number of highlights from the past fiscal year:
• $8.072 million in cash payments, compared to previous high of $7.423 million
• 172 checks valued at $10,000 or greater, including three over $100,000
• 7,032 checks issued (less than the FY20 record), compared to 5,487 in FY21
• $12.86 million reported to the State, compared to last year’s $10.10 million record amount
Despite the record payout during the past year, the amount received by the State continues to grow.
As a result, there is still more than $98 million waiting to be claimed.
Those wanting to see if they are owed any of the properties held by the State are encouraged to watch the 2-minute instructional video at www.mycash.wyo.gov before searching the online database.
“We encourage residents and businesses to check our system every year or two to see if they are owed any money,” Meier said. “We received nearly $13 million in new properties over the last year, so even if you have been paid in the past, there is a decent chance we have more waiting for you.”
Unclaimed property is turned over when a business, agency or governmental entity owes money, securities and/or the contents of a safe deposit box, among other items, to someone and for whatever reason cannot locate the owner for a specified duration of time. The property is turned over to the state of last known address. If there was no last known address, it is turned over to the state in which the business was incorporated.
With this in mind, those who ever lived in another state may want to visit www.unclaimed.org and click on the state (or states) on the map to get redirected to other official unclaimed property sites.
To make a valid claim at www.mycash.wyo.gov or any other state’s site, owners will need to provide information about themselves and may need to submit official documents. This could be as simple as a copy of a driver’s license, but additional documents may be required for those claiming as an heir or a business.
Wyoming law requires the State to hold unclaimed property in perpetuity until it is claimed by the rightful owner.
