Better odds than the lottery: Florida Holiday Money Hunt

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
November 23, 2021

 

Did you know that one in five Floridians has unclaimed funds from a forgotten financial account?

News4Jax has has joined with the state of Florida for the Holiday Money Hunt to alert viewers to the $2.5 Billion in unclaimed cash and property being held by the state.  More than $196M of that belongs to residents of Northeast Florida.  Nassau County’s share is $5,141,587.  

Unclaimed Property is a financial asset that is unknown or lost, or has been left inactive, unclaimed or abandoned by its owner. The most common types of unclaimed property are dormant bank accounts, unclaimed insurance proceeds, stocks, dividends, uncashed checks, deposits, credit balances and refunds. Unclaimed Property assets are held by business or government entities (holders) for a set period of time, usually five years. If the holder is unable to locate, re-establish contact with the owner and return the asset, it is reported and remitted to the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Unclaimed Property.

The Department makes these accounts available in a searchable, interactive database, available free of charge, 24 hours a day, and allows claimants to initiate a claims process (with instructions) for accounts they believe they are entitled to claim.

There is no statute of limitations on unclaimed property in Florida. Account owners, or their heirs, can claim their funds indefinitely, free of charge.

To search for unclaimed property or to claim an account, go online to FLTreasureHunt.gov.

Happy hunting!