Delaware’s Office of Unclaimed Property encourages you to “check for a check” on February 1st, National Unclaimed Property Day

Statewide, DE (February 1, 2024) – Delaware’s Office of Unclaimed Property has once again joined the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators’ (NAUPA) third annual National Unclaimed Property Day campaign to encourage all Delawareans to search for and claim unclaimed property. National Unclaimed Property Day is a nationwide initiative to help raise awareness to reunite individuals with their unclaimed property.

“I encourage all Delaware residents to ‘check for a check’ and take a few minutes today to search for any unclaimed property they may be owed on MissingMoney.com,” Brenda R. Mayrack, Director of the Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property, said today. “You never know what unclaimed property Delaware or another state might hold for you or a family member.”

Delaware residents should search for unclaimed property held by Delaware and other states through the State’s Unclaimed Property website (https://unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov/) or through MissingMoney.com (https://missingmoney.com/) to search across 49 states at one time. Depending on the type of property, owners may have to submit a claim or additional documentation to proceed.

Unclaimed or “abandoned” property can include money left in old bank accounts; uncashed paychecks, refunds, and travelers checks; unreturned utility deposits; uncollected insurance payments; unused balances on gift cards; and forgotten stocks and dividends. Every year, businesses are required to turn over these amounts to states after a certain number of years if contact is lost between the holder of the property and the property owner. New properties are added daily, so Delawareans are encouraged to search today and check back at least annually.

Delaware joined MissingMoney.com, a coalition of 49 participating states in October 2022. MissingMoney.com is a free multistate unclaimed property search website sponsored by NAUPA, which allows individuals to conduct one search across almost all states simultaneously. MissingMoney.com will display any states where there is a match and provide information and links to the official government websites to begin the claims process. The MissingMoney.com site directly integrates with Delaware’s claims processing database for real time information.

Approximately 1 in 7 people nationally may have unclaimed property held by Delaware or another state. Delaware has returned over $1.5 billion in cash and securities to over 70,000 claimants during the last three fiscal years.

Director Mayrack also reminds Delawareans to watch their mailboxes this time of year for owner notification letters. All companies or holders of unclaimed property are required by law to send a letter to the owner’s last known address prior to reporting the property to the state. With Delaware’s March 1 Spring Reporting deadline fast approaching, Delawareans may avoid the escheatment of their property all together by responding to these letters promptly.

The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) is comprised of the unclaimed property programs of all 50 states, including Delaware, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as several foreign jurisdictions. The organization’s objective is to facilitate collaboration and otherwise support program administrators in reuniting all unclaimed assets with rightful owners. NAUPA is an affiliate of the bi-partisan National Association of State Treasurers.

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