PA Treasurer McCord Returns More Than $13,000 in Unclaimed Property to Philadelphia Health Care Advocacy Group

$467 million still up for claim in southeastern PA; search patreasury.gov today

Philadelphia – June 19, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — More than $467 million in lost and forgotten money and valuables are up for claim in southeastern Pennsylvania, State Treasurer Rob McCord stressed today during a visit to a Philadelphia health care advocacy group that claimed its cash earlier this year. The Treasurer encouraged residents, businesses and organizations to visit www.patreasury.gov, where they can search and claim property for free.

McCord visited the headquarters of the Green Tree Community Health Foundation to present organization leaders with a mock check representing the more than $13,000 in unclaimed property the Foundation claimed earlier this year.

“The mission of Treasury’s unclaimed property program is to reunite lost and forgotten money and valuables with the rightful owner, and I’m pleased that these funds are back with the Green Tree Community Health Foundation where they will be used to improve the health of local residents,” Treasurer McCord said. “These funds are only a small sliver of the $467 million that we hold for Philadelphia area residents, businesses and organizations, so I encourage everyone to search www.patreasury.gov and find out if any belongs to them.”

“Green Tree Community Health Foundation is a public charity, making grants to local agencies providing health care services. This ‘found’ money helps increase the amount available to make grants to the community. An additional $13,000 goes a long way to help agencies helping the needy,” said Susan M. Hansen, President & CEO of Green Tree Community Health Foundation.

The $13,636.20 Treasurer McCord presented to Green Tree Community Health Foundation officials today was from a combination of accounts payable checks, credit balances and claims payment checks.

Treasurer McCord and his Return Team currently seek the owners of $1.9 billion in unclaimed property throughout the state, and there are two easy ways for Pennsylvanians to find out if any belongs to them: they can visit www.patreasury.gov and type in their name in the search box, or call 1-800-222-2046, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A member of Treasury’s Return Team will assist with the search and the claim process, both of which are free.

People and organizations usually do not know they are owed property, Treasurer McCord said, because “holders,” or entities that hold property owed to others, are not required under state law to contact the owner before remitting it to Treasury. As a result, Treasury each year receives millions of dollars in unclaimed property in the form of abandoned bank accounts, forgotten stocks, uncashed checks, and contents of safe deposit boxes.

Since January 2009, the McCord Treasury has collected more than $1 billion in property, returned more than $440 million to rightful owners, and generated about $602 million for the state’s General Fund through the Unclaimed Property Program.

To learn more about Pennsylvania’s Unclaimed Property Program or to search for money and property, visit www.patreasury.gov or call 1-800-222-2046.

Media contact: Elizabeth Foose, 717-787-2991