Using Technology to Identify Owners Based on Recent Tax Filings is One of Several Ongoing Initiatives to Return Unclaimed Property to Delawareans

Statewide, DE (September 12, 2023) – The State’s annual MONEY MATCH Program automatically returns lost money to Delaware taxpayers without the usual need to file a claim or gather paperwork, Delaware State Escheator, Brenda R. Mayrack announced today. This week, Delaware will mail approximately 4,700 checks and return over $570,000 directly to Delaware taxpayers.

“MONEY MATCH demonstrates how state government can use technology to put money directly into the pockets of almost 5,000 Delaware taxpayers without requiring any action on their part – except to cash the check,” said Mayrack.

MONEY MATCH matches the State of Delaware’s unclaimed property database with verified address and taxpayer information so that lost money can be returned to its owner automatically and without requiring the filing of a claim and supporting documentation. In many cases, individuals might not be aware they were missing unclaimed property until the check arrives in the mail.

This is the fourth time Delaware has conducted the MONEY MATCH Program, which now occurs annually each September. In total, the MONEY MATCH Program has returned over $5 million to over 35,000 Delaware taxpayers.

MONEY MATCH is one of several ongoing initiatives of the Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property to increase the return of property to owners:

• In July 2023, the Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property expanded its MONEY MATCH Program to include the state’s volunteer fire companies, identifying and returning over $150,000 in unclaimed funds, without requiring paperwork or the filing of a claim, to over fifty of Delaware’s volunteer fire companies.
• On February 1, 2023, Delaware participated in National Unclaimed Property Day, a multistate awareness campaign of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) to encourage people to search for their unclaimed property. Last year, state unclaimed property offices returned more than 4 billion dollars.
• In October 2022, Delaware joined a coalition of now forty-nine states participating in MissingMoney.com, a free multistate unclaimed property search website sponsored by NAUPA. MissingMoney.com allows individuals to conduct one search across almost all states simultaneously to find their lost property. 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 site directly integrates with Delaware’s claims processing database for real time information.

“MissingMoney.com has been an excellent tool for our office to return property to owners more efficiently,” explained Mayrack. “Delawareans are able to easily search for and submit claims for their unclaimed property, whether you use our website or missingmoney.com, which aggregates property data for nearly all other states.”

Unclaimed property can include money left in old bank accounts, uncashed paychecks, unused balances on gift certificates, unreturned utility deposits, uncollected insurance payments, and forgotten stocks and dividends. 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.

While MONEY MATCH automatically reunites many Delaware taxpayers with their unclaimed property, not all types of property are included. Delawareans are still encouraged to search for unclaimed property held by Delaware at https://unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov/ or at https://missingmoney.com/ to search across forty-nine states at one time.

In 2021, the MONEY MATCH Program was recognized as a Champions Award winner among the 2021 Governor’s Team Excellence Award Recipients.

More information about MONEY MATCH is available at https://unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov/app/claim/money-match.

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In the past three years, Delaware has reunited owners with more than $300 million in unclaimed property. On Friday, October 28, 2016 the Delaware Department of Finance will publish the names and addresses of approximately 169,000 owners of unclaimed property in the Delaware State News and the News Journal. The list will include the names of individuals who have had property reported to the Office of Unclaimed Property within the last year. The publication will provide owners with a variety of ways to recover their property.

Many people find it hard to believe they may have overlooked an investment or savings account, but the thousands of names published annually show that it happens more often than you might think. Unclaimed property can include forgotten bank accounts, un-cashed checks, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, dividends, and utility deposits and refunds. Most of these accounts are considered abandoned, and have been turned over to the state after years of inactivity. If you’re interested in being reunited with your property, visit our fast, safe, and secure website at https://delaware.findyourunclaimedproperty.com to complete your claim.

The agency continues to find new and refined ways to reunite owners with their assets as quickly and securely as possible. These enhanced features allow visitors to submit and check their claims status anywhere, at any time. Since the department unveiled its updated searchable website last year, it has rolled out a succession of improvements that make the process of recovering property more convenient for property owners. Owners who seek to recover property can now file claims using mobile devices and safely and securely upload documentation to claims processing staff.

If you’re interested in reconnecting with your property, “The web claim process is simple, and can be completed in a few minutes,” says State Escheator, David Gregor. “We encourage citizens to visit the website at any time to see if they may be entitled to recover property.”

For more information, please visit https://delaware.findyourunclaimedproperty.com, email escheat.claimquestions@delaware.gov, or call the Office of Unclaimed Property at (855) 505-7520.

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Leslie A. Poland
Public Information Officer
Delaware Division of Revenue
(302) 577-8522
leslie.poland@delaware.gov

Statewide, DE – On Friday, October 30, 2015 the Delaware Department of Finance will officially launch delaware.findyourunclaimedproperty.com. The new website will provide the public easy access to the state’s unclaimed property database. It will allow users to search by name to find information regarding any unclaimed property they may have in Delaware. The website also allows visitors to submit and check claim status online.

“The new website is certainly a welcome and timely development,” remarked Governor Jack Markell. “We have a duty to return unclaimed funds to rightful owners and the website allows us to reunite owners with their funds with greater efficiency and customer focus.”

Unclaimed property can include forgotten savings and checking accounts, un-cashed checks, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, dividends, and utility deposits and refunds. Most of these accounts are considered abandoned, and have been turned over to the state after years of inactivity.

With the introduction of new processing systems, the number of successful claims in Delaware has increased dramatically. Since July of 2013, the Department has processed over 22,000 claims – successfully reuniting citizens with more than $225 million in previously unclaimed funds.

“Delaware continues to seek new and innovative ways to reach unclaimed property owners,” says State Escheator, David Gregor. “Whether it’s a $50 deposit from a closed utility account, or $5,000 from a forgotten savings account, it’s your money – and it’s our job to get it back to you. We hope this new website will make that process even easier.”

In addition to launching delaware.findyourunclaimedproperty.com, the Department will publish the names and addresses of approximately 147,000 owners of unclaimed property in Friday’s editions of the Delaware State News and the News Journal. For more information, email escheat.claimquestions@delaware.gov, or call the Office of Unclaimed Property at (855) 505-7520.

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Leslie A. Poland
Public Information Officer
Department of Finance
Delaware Division of Revenue
(302) 577-8522
leslie.poland@delaware.gov