PA Treasurer McCord Returns More Than $3,000 in Unclaimed Property to Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania
Urges other southwestern PA residents, businesses and organizations to search patreasury.gov
Pittsburgh – May 17, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — During a visit today to the headquarters of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, State Treasurer Rob McCord presented officials with a mock check representing the more than $3,000 in unclaimed property the organization claimed earlier this year. The Treasurer noted that $180 million in lost and forgotten money and valuables is available to claim by residents, businesses and organizations in the eight-county region served by Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
“I am pleased that these funds are back in the budget of the Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, where they will support its important workforce development efforts for residents with disabilities and other special needs,” Treasurer McCord said. “Nonprofit organizations often deliver critical services on tight budgets, so I urge everyone to search www.patreasury.gov for property belonging to the groups they support.”
“This welcome windfall will allow Goodwill to help more people as they strive to improve their quality of life,” said Chief Financial Officer John O’Britz who accepted the mock check on behalf of Goodwill. “We plan to use this extra money for participants in our youth mentoring program and the projects they work on in community.”
The $3,184 Treasurer McCord presented to Goodwill officials today was from a combination of accounts payable checks and credit balances.
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 and returned more than $440 million to rightful owners. The difference, about $602 million, is available in perpetuity to the owners, but goes into the state’s General Fund until it is returned.
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:
PA Treasury – Elizabeth Foose, 717-787-2991
Goodwill – David Tobiczyk, 412-632-1942
