Is There Money Waiting for You? New Jersey Announces Annual List of Unclaimed Assets

The Treasury's Unclaimed Property Administration (UPA) is publicizing 236,845 records of unclaimed assets in local newspapers, aiming to reconnect rightful owners with lost or abandoned property, including bank accounts, insurance payouts, and more.

The New Jersey Department of the Treasury's Unclaimed Property Administration (UPA) is advertising a comprehensive list of unclaimed assets reported to the state over the past year, urging residents to check local newspapers and the UPA's website to claim any money or property that may belong to them.

Who: The New Jersey Department of the Treasury's Unclaimed Property Administration (UPA) and State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio.

What: The annual publication of newly reported unclaimed assets, including financial accounts, utility deposits, insurance payouts, and even physical property, that have been abandoned or lost for three years.

When: The advertisements, listing 236,845 records, will run for two weeks, starting now.

Where: Residents can look for their names or their businesses' names in their local newspapers, by county, and on the UPA's website.

Why: The effort aims to safeguard abandoned property and notify rightful owners that they may have assets to claim. It builds on a successful fiscal year in which the UPA returned $202.95 million to rightful owners through 73,686 claims.

How: If residents find their name or their business's name in the advertisements, they can visit the UPA's website to submit a free claim. There are currently more than $6 billion in unclaimed assets in the state.

"We want people to know as soon as possible when a lost or forgotten property of theirs is reported to UPA," stated Unclaimed Property Administrator Steve Harris. He expressed satisfaction in returning valuables to their rightful owners, encouraging every resident to complete a free search on the UPA website.

State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio lauded the UPA for its outstanding work, saying, "I've witnessed in person the excitement and surprise when UPA tells someone about property being held for them, and I hope many more New Jerseyans get a similar thrill when they see their name on this year's list."

The UPA also reached out to 350 municipal and county governments that currently have unclaimed property, leading to the claiming of more than $2.2 million by 203 local government organizations.

It is important to note that while third-party companies may charge a fee for the service, there is no charge for searching the UPA's database or for claiming property through the state's secure website.

Residents can search for their name or a related business name at Unclaimed Property NJ or Unclaimed for free.

With nearly 33 million people in the United States having unclaimed property, this initiative serves as a significant reminder for New Jerseyans to regularly check for assets that might be rightfully theirs. It underscores the state's commitment to transparency and accountability, aiming to ensure that abandoned properties are returned to their rightful owners.