PA Treasury to Mail 40,000 Letters to Potential Owners of New Unclaimed Property, Says Treasurer McCord

Treasurer urges public to check their mail, search for property at patreasury.gov

Harrisburg – July 17, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Residents who find a letter from the Pennsylvania Treasury in their mailboxes in coming weeks may be entitled to unclaimed property, State Treasurer McCord noted today as his department prepares to send more than 40,000 notification letters to potential owners of the newest unclaimed property in its database.

“Treasury routinely sends letters to unclaimed property owners, and I urge residents to keep an eye out because it’s not junk mail – we simply want to help you claim what’s yours,” Treasurer McCord said. “This is just one of the many ways – along with newspaper ads, earned media efforts, direct consumer outreach, the web, and regular good old-fashioned detective work – we work to find people, businesses, or other organizations that are owed property.”

More than $234 million in new unclaimed property was recently reported to Treasury. The Treasurer pointed out that this represents only a small portion of the $1.9 billion in unclaimed property Treasury currently holds.

“We estimate that 1 in 10 Pennsylvanians has unclaimed property. Even if you don’t receive a letter, I hope you will visit www.patreasury.gov and search for your name and the names of your family and friends. You never know what you might find,” the Treasurer said.

Individuals who receive a notice from Treasury may claim their property by calling 1-800-222-2046, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Treasury’s Return Team will be happy to assist them in recovering their property free of charge. Claims can also be initiated online at www.patreasury.gov.

Each year, Treasury receives millions of dollars in unclaimed property – money from items such as abandoned bank accounts, forgotten stocks, uncashed checks, and contents of safe deposit boxes.

Since January 2009, the McCord Treasury has returned more than $345 million to rightful owners and generated about $425 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 property, visit www.patreasury.gov or call 1-800-222-2046.

Media contact: Elizabeth Foose, 717-787-2991 or