Washington, DC - The Government of the District of Columbia Office of Finance and Treasury asks residence to look for their name on the unclaimed property list. The list has approximately 21,000 names and will be published in two District newspapers as part of the DC Government's efforts to find the owners of more than $16.1 million in unclaimed property. The names of unclaimed property owners from 1999 were published in special inserts on February 18, 2000 in The Washington Times. The list will be published again in The New Dimension newspaper on February 25, 2000.

The Unclaimed Property Unit of the Office of Finance and Treasury serves as custodian for unclaimed or abandoned property, which typically takes the form of cash or stocks. The unclaimed property was held by businesses or district agencies before being turned over to the District.

The Treasurer's office is attempting to secure unclaimed property so that the proper owners can be found quickly. The District is expanding outreach efforts to find owners of abandoned property using local ads, the Internet, and community gatherings.

A growing interest in unclaimed property has developed into a cottage industry of "finders" who charge for their services. Treasurer Dr. William Hall asks that residents call the District's Unclaimed Property Office at (202) 442-8181 before they agree to pay a private vendor to locate their assets.