Have you been contacted about Unclaimed Property?

I received a letter from the State of Florida, signed by Jimmy Patronis, Chief Financial Officer, informing me the state is holding money that belongs to me. Is this letter really from the State of Florida?: Yes. The letter from Florida's Chief Financial Officer is an official mailing from our office. Click here to see an example of what you should have received. Click here to search our database of unclaimed property accounts.

I was contacted by a private company informing me that I have unclaimed funds and offering to help claim them for a fee. Is this legal and legitimate?: Florida law allows Florida licensed private investigators, CPAs and attorneys to register with our office as claimant's representatives. These firms have access to our records and frequently contact account owners, or their heirs, soliciting them to assist in the recovery for a fee. Click here to see a list of such firms currently registered with our office.

Is it necessary to hire one of these firms in order to claim my funds?: No. You can claim the money on your own, directly with our office, free of charge . Click here to search our database and print a claim form for any account(s) you believe you are entitled to claim. The unclaimed property program is a free service provided to you by the State of Florida.

Is there a limit on the fees these locator companies can charge?: Yes. Fees are limited to 20%, up to a maximum of $1,000 per account. These limits may be exceeded if the original document you sign contains, on its face, the required Full Disclosure Statement. Click here to see the required wording of the Full Disclosure Statement.

One company informed me that if I did not act quickly, I could lose the right to claim my money. Is this true?: No. There is no statute of limitations on unclaimed property in Florida. Account owners, or their heirs, maintain the right to claim their funds indefinitely.

I received a card from a company that said for $35 they would tell me how to find unclaimed money. Should I send them $35 or provide my credit card information?: No. You should not pay anyone any amount of money to tell you how to find unclaimed property. These companies (or websites), after getting your $35, will usually just refer you to this website (the site you are now viewing) and/or the websites of other states' unclaimed property programs which are already available for you to search as much and often as you want free of charge. Click here to search Florida's unclaimed property database. Click here for links to other states' unclaimed property programs.

I received solicitations from several locator companies and signed a Unclaimed Property Recovery Agreement, and filed a claim through one of them. I then learned that I could claim the money just as easily on my own, directly with the state, at no cost. Can I change it now?: You can still file the claim on your own if you wish. However, the law provides that in cases where more than one claim is filed on the same account (conflicting claims), we will recognize and process the one that is received (date-received) first in our office and is complete. Because of this, and because it is helpful to everyone involved, it is strongly recommended that you file only one claim for an account, whether it is directly with our office or through a locator company.