ABC News & GMA help find lost child support

October 24, 2011

ABC News & “Good Morning America” helps viewers find lost child support money in unclaimed property databases.

By Elisabeth Leamy

Unclaimed money comes from many sources, and unclaimed child support is just the latest little pot of gold we’ve discovered at “Good Morning America” in our quest to “Show You the Money.”

Actually, unclaimed child support may be a big pot.

It’s hard to quantify because unclaimed child support is managed at the state level in some places and at the county level in others, but, by some accounts, there may be as much as $750 million out there, waiting for American children.

Read the rest of the article here.

Here are the most popular databases mentioned in the article available for search on the web:

Florida: Click HERE to visit the site.

Illinois, Cook County: Click HERE to visit the site.

Illinois, Will County: Click HERE to visit the site.

Indiana, Elkhart County: Click HERE to visit the site.

Michigan: Click HERE to visit the site.

Ohio, Franklin County: Click HERE to visit the site.

Ohio, Summit County: Click HERE to visit the site.

Oregon: Click HERE to visit the site.

South Carolina: Click HERE to visit the site.

South Carolina, Spartanburg, County: Click HERE to visit the site.

Wisconsin: Click HERE to visit the site.

 

Leave a Comment » | Latest news | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by unprop

Orange County California updates unclaimed money lists

October 24, 2011

Shari L. Freidenrich, CPA is the treasurer and tax collector for Orange County, California.  She recently posted updated unclaimed property lists on their website including:

Deceased Estates Deposits Held in Trust

Landlord Sales Surplus

June 29, 2011 Auction Results & Excess Proceeds

2 Comments | Latest news | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by unprop

Indiana to take smartphone plunge

October 24, 2011

QR barcodes take users to state websites

Article by Ellie Price

INDIANAPOLIS — State government is jumping into the smart phone world, offering taxpayers scannable QR codes that drive them to websites with information about state parks, unclaimed property and even legislation.

QR codes – barcodes consisting of black modules on white squares – have been around for years, but they have gained new life with the growth of camera-enabled smart phones that make them interactive.

Read the rest of the article here.

Editor’s Opinion:  Please alert me if you see Indiana use QR codes for unclaimed property.  I would like to know how they incorporate it into their citizen communications and advertisements.

Leave a Comment » | Latest news | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by unprop

Sacramento, CA wants to use $2 mil in unclaimed property to pay off debt

June 20, 2011

From KOVR & CNN:

Millions of dollars in unclaimed property might be taken by a city drowning in debt as officials in Sacramento, CA are considering a plan that would use unclaimed funds to deal with budget woes.

Some of the money has been piling up for years, and cuts to police and fire could be eased just a bit thanks to more than $2 million in unclaimed property.

Read the rest of the story here.

Leave a Comment » | Latest news | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by unprop

Deadline approaches for Solano County, California

June 3, 2011

From Vacaville Reporter story:

You may have money waiting for you in Solano County

by Melissa Murphy – 6/2/11

Vacaville, CA – Nearly $46,000 is collecting dust waiting for Solano County residents and businesses to claim it.

The money has remained unclaimed in county coffers for a period of three years or more and will return to its originating departments after June 9.

Solano County Treasurer/Tax Collecter/County Clerk Charles Lomeli explained that the auditor keeps a record of checks issued, which are valid for one year.

Even after a check isn’t cashed or deposited, that money is still set aside to be claimed. The money waiting in county coffers ranges from a few $15 checks to one for $3,950.

Michael Cooper, assistant treasurer/tax collector, said it is possible checks weren’t received because someone moved.

A list of unclaimed money owed to residents and businesses is available on the county’s website,www.solanocounty.com. To make a claim, forms are available online or at the treasurer’s office at the County Government Center, 675 Texas St., Fairfield. He added that those claiming must show proof of who they are. Even after the June 9 deadline, some money still may be claimed. For questions call the treasurer’s office at 784-6295.

Still, some people might not know they are owed money.

Top 10 businesses owed money by Solano County, CA

Top 10 individuals owed money by Solano County, CA

 

 

Read the rest here.

Leave a Comment » | Latest news | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by unprop

Florida residents get warning after possible unclaimed property scam

May 22, 2011

Written by: Melanie Payne on May 18, 2011

Link to Melanie’s consumer watchdog column at News-Press.com

Many people called me last week to say they went to the state of Florida unclaimed property site and found their names. But the site was requiring they pay to make a claim.

If the website is asking for money or credit-card information in order to process your claim, you are on the wrong website.

If you are looking for money in Florida, go to fltreasurehunt.org.

If you’re looking for money in another state, try discoveredmoney.org. Discovered Money, a volunteer-run, nonprofit group, provides free links to all 50 states’ unclaimed property sites.

Discovered Money has also produced five videos on unclaimed property. The videos do a good job of walking you through the process of searching for, finding and making a claim to retrieve your unclaimed property. One video also provides tips on how not to “lose” the property in the first place.

Go to youtube.com and in the search field type “Discovered Money Part 1” to see the first video and then Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5 to watch the rest of the series.

2 Comments | Latest news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by unprop

Unclaimed money issue needs attention in Solano County, California

May 22, 2011
By Kimberly K. Fu
Posted: 05/17/2011
Link to entire story.

Improvements are needed in the way Solano cities deal with unclaimed money and related issues, according to a Solano County grand jury report released Monday.
The document, titled “Unclaimed Funds and Escheatment Process Review,” delved into the handling of various types of unclaimed finds, including that of deceased residents with no known heir and “stale-dated” warrants and checks.
Following public notification, the state government code dictates that the money revert to county or city general fund accounts after a period of three years has elapsed. Dixon, Rio Vista and Suisun City all have not published prior notification in several years, the report found.
Grand jurors also noted that, in Vacaville, public notification of items under $50 are handled improperly, with money reverting back to the city before the required three-year period. The notice, according to the report, also fails to list where the money is being held.

 

Leave a Comment » | Latest news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by unprop

John Hancock settles with Florida over annuities

May 22, 2011

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — John Hancock Life Insurance Co. has reached a settlement with Florida insurance regulators resolving a dispute over the way the company handles payments for life insurance beneficiaries.

The agreement announced Wednesday stems from an investigation by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and other state agencies into the Boston insurer’s business practices.

An audit of the company begun in 2009 led state officials to conclude the company isn’t doing enough to make sure that unclaimed benefits, such as life insurance, annuities and deposit account proceeds, are paid to beneficiaries, or after a certain period, turned over to the state, as required by law.

Read the rest at Forbes.com

Leave a Comment » | Latest news | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by unprop

May Most Wanted

May 7, 2011

The May 2011 Most Wanted lists have been updated and are posted here!  Please help us find these individuals so that their lost funds can be claimed!

1 Comment | Latest news | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by unprop

Data applications are reshaping Texas government transparency

March 20, 2011

Data applications are reshaping government transparency, panel says

By Andrea Leptinsky
Saturday, 12 March 2011

New technologies and resources are helping local and federal organizations deliver large amounts of data to the public. And according to one SXSW Interactive panel, this availability is extremely convenient in a time of budget crises and transparency demands.

Jeremiah Akin, team lead of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts’ data team, and Michael Castellon, e-communications coordinator and editor with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, said many agencies are turning to Google Maps and Google Earth, and are using KML data to visualize raw information online and on mobile devices. Their panel, “Why visualizing government data makes taxpayers happy,” took place at the Austin Convention Center on March 12.

Read the rest here at ImpactNews.com

1 Comment | Latest news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by unprop

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »