(Washington, DC) The District of Columbia Office of Finance and Treasury (OFT) today released its updated list of unclaimed property, collected during the past six months, which totals more than $7.3 million in cash and stock. The dollar value owed to individuals and businesses ranges from $5.85 to more than $300,000. As part of an aggressive outreach effort, advertisements will appear in The Washington Times on August 19 and in The Washington Post on August 26.
This past six months alone, we have a check worth more than a quarter million dollars to return to its rightful owner, said District Treasurer N. Anthony Calhoun.
In addition to semi-annual advertisements, the District has expanded its publicity campaign to locate owners of abandoned property using local ads; public service announcements; informational brochures in English, Spanish and Korean; the Internet; and increased community outreach.
Unclaimed property consists of money and other personal assets that are considered lost or abandoned when an owner cannot be located after a specified time frame, usually three years. Abandoned property includes unpaid wages, certificates of deposit, jewelry, paid life insurance policies, utility deposits, gift certificates, Christmas club accounts, and stocks. OFTs Unclaimed Property Unit receives unclaimed property from banks, insurance companies, utility companies, hospitals, universities, and other entities.
Many companies will charge a finders fee to search for unclaimed property; however, in the District, this service is provided at no cost to you. To learn more about this free government service, visit Unclaimed Property or call (202) 442-8181.