- I have received my claim form, what do I do now?
- Read carefully, fill out completely and sign your claim form
. Each claim form will detail the documentation you are required to provide. The required documentation will include (but may not be limited to) a copy of your current identification reflecting your current mailing address and documentation proving your ownership of the account. Please refer to your claim form for the specific documentation required for your particular claim. Mail the
completed claim form with the required documentation
to the address indicated on the form.
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- How Long Does it Take to Get my Money?
- The Department is allotted up to 90 days from the date it receives your
complete
claim package to make a determination. Claims are often processed sooner, but
due to the high volume of claims received by the department, the full 90-day period may be required to finalize your claim. Please allow this time period to pass before calling our office.
The period may be extended if all of the required documentation is not included with the original claim package. Please
read your claim form carefully
to ensure you provide all of the necessary documentation.
Failure to return your claim form
completely
filled-out, along with
all
of the required documentation, will result in the missing information being requested, and the delay of processing your claim.
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How Do I Prove the Account Belongs to Me?
- Each claim form will detail what documentation will be required in order to verify your ownership of the property. Having the same name as that on an account does not establish entitlement, as there are many people who share the same names. Often, claims are received from more than one person with the same name, trying to claim the same account(s). Proper entitlement can only be established by providing the required documentation.
Providing your identification alone may not be sufficient.
What documentation you are asked to submit may vary depending upon what information the company that reported the funds to the department provided about the owner of the account. You may be asked for documentation of your Social Security Number, a past address or proof of your past connection or relationship to the entity that reported the account to the Department. If you are the heir of a deceased account owner, you will also be asked to provide certified copies of official documentation that establishes your entitlement to the property. Examples of
unacceptable
documentation are: hand written letters, letterhead and business cards, printouts from the Internet and telephone directories.
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What Types of Identification are Accepted?
- Florida law requires claimants to provide a copy of their
driver's license or another form of government-issued photographic
identification. If your Identification does not reflect your current address, please include other documentation (such as a current utility bill, etc.) reflecting your current mailing address in addition to your Identification and proof of ownership. If the account has more than one owner and one of the owners is deceased, a certified death certificate for the deceased owner is required in addition to the Identification for the person claiming the account. Note:
Each claimant must submit identification and sign the claim form.
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What if the Original Owner of the Property is Deceased?
- Proof of ownership (detailed above) must still be established with documentation (as detailed on your claim form). In addition, you must provide a certified death certificate for the owner, along with identification and signed claim forms for all heirs of the owner (or for the personal representative if the estate remains open). Additional documentation may be required depending on the specific case. Please review the
Florida Administrative Code
section 69G-20.0022 (paragraph 3) for more information.
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I've Moved Since I Sent My Claim In, What Do I Do?
- To request a change of address, or if you believe your check may have been lost in the mail, please have your claim number ready and call the Customer Service line. You may also email us to inform us of the address change or to make inquiries regarding your check.
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What does the State do with the money before it is claimed?
- Unclaimed Funds are deposited into the State School Fund and used to support public schools. However, the original amount reported can always be claimed by the owner, or his/her heirs, at no cost.
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Why does it come to the State?
- Chapter 717, FS requires financial institutions and other entities to report intangible personal property they are holding that is considered unclaimed or abandoned. The property must have been inactive for a set period of time, usually between one and five years. These reports are filed annually, prior to May 1st, covering the previous calendar year.
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Are any efforts made to find owners? What if money is not claimed?
- Businesses (holders of unclaimed property) are required to try to locate the owner, but when their attempts fail, they report the property and the owner's name, last known address and other information to the Department. The Department acts as custodian for the State of Florida, but never takes legal ownership of the property. The State uses various methods, including database searches, in an effort to notify owners of their property. Citizens have the right to claim their property, at no cost, any time, regardless of the amount.
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Does the state pay interest on claims?
- Chapter 717, Florida Statutes, does not provide for the payment of interest on claims other than that reported and remitted to the Department by the holder.
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| Holder FAQs |
- The owner's address is in another state, but our company is based in Florida. Where do I report the property?
- The U.S. Supreme Court, in Texas vs. New Jersey in 1965, stated the property was due to the state of the owner's last known address. If there is no last known address, the property is due to your state of incorporation.
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- What does the term "aggregate" mean?
- Aggregate items are accounts where the amount is less than $50 or accounts where the owner is unknown, regardless of the amount. For statistical reasons, our office asks holders to report all aggregate totals, broken down by property type.
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- What do I do if I find additional items after I file my report?
- You should file a supplemental report, following the same process as the original report. Please be aware, late reports are subject to late filing and interest penalties.
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- I have received a penalty notice. What can I do?
- Waivers of penalties are granted under certain circumstances for specific reasons on a case-by-case basis. All waiver requests must be in writing. Please be specific regarding the reasons why you were late filing your report and why you believe a waiver of penalties should be considered.
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