NEW JERSEY — The state is sitting on $6 billion of unclaimed property – including utility rebates, inactive stock and brokerage accounts, and unclaimed checks – and is letting residents and businesses know how to claim their cash.
The New Jersey Unclaimed Property Administration (UPA) estimated last week that the state is safeguarding a combined $6 billion in funds and property that have not been claimed.
"Common examples include unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts, utility deposits, and unused rebate cards," said Treasury officials.
Every fiscal year, the agency publishes in newspapers around New Jersey a list of all assets reported to the state the previous year, allowing rightful owners to know they may have money or property to claim. The list for Fiscal Year 2023, published in August, had 236,845 names and businesses — up from 224,000 in FY 2022, and 153,000 in FY 2021.
Anyone who finds their name, or their business's name, in the advertisements can go to the Unclaimed Property Administration’s website to submit a claim and search for other unclaimed property.
In Fiscal Year 2023, the New Jersey UPA returned almost $203 million in property to residents and businesses and is holding outreach events around the state to spread the word to more people.
Here are two ways New Jerseyans can check whether they have any unclaimed assets, and get access to them.
Through The State
The UPA's website allows people to search for and claim their unclaimed property. There's no fee for the services.
The "Search for Unclaimed Property" webpage requires users to input their last name or business name. Adding their first name, city, zip code and/or property ID can refine the results.
If your search turns up no results but you believe the UPA is holding unclaimed assets of yours, you can request for the agency to execute a manual search. Allow up to two weeks for a response. If officials successfully locate the property, they'll email you a claim form, which will detail the located property and what documentation is necessary to establish ownership.
Filing your claim online is the fastest way to do so. But the UPA also has the following mailing address:
MissingMoney.com
New Jersey is also part of MissingMoney.com, a national site that makes it easy to search for unclaimed property and cash. The site also allows you to search for unclaimed assets in other states.
Simply use the search form to look for unclaimed property, file a claim and go through the verification process to receive your unclaimed assets. Anyone can visit the site, endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.
This article contains reporting from Patch's Josh Bakan.
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