Unclaimed Money New York: How to Find Unclaimed Money in New York

The state of New York currently holds over $13 billion of lost or unclaimed money. The state is obligated to return such money to the rightful owner. 

Over $1 million is claimed daily in New York State, and you can also claim yours. 

This post will guide you to identify if you have any unclaimed money with the government and how you can make this claim.

What Counts as Unclaimed Money in New York?

When a financial account enters a period of dormancy – where there is no activity on the account for a certain period – the money in such an account is considered unclaimed. 

Most financial institutions in New York are required by the law of New York Abandoned Property Law to report such dormant accounts to the Office of the New York State Comptroller. 

The financial accounts that can get dormant and become unclaimed money in New York include, but are not limited to security deposits, insurance benefits, estate proceeds, utility, or security deposits, etc. 

New York unclaimed property can also include lost paychecks, bonds, stocks, and forgotten savings accounts. 

The office of the New York State Comptroller serves as a temporary holder of this unclaimed money until verified and authorized individuals lay claims to it. 

How to Find State of New York Unclaimed Money?

The Office of State Comptroller regularly compiles a government list of unclaimed funds that is available to anybody who is interested. 

The state will return unclaimed funds to their rightful owners if a person's name appears on this list and their authorized representative provides the information required to submit a claim.

The state provides a designated channel for searching for New York unclaimed money. 

You can search if you have New York unclaimed property to your name by using the New York Unclaimed Money Website. 

The website operates a name-based search feature where you can search for unclaimed money, by using the owner's full name or business name. 

The results of this name-based search include the individual's name, last known address, and the financial institution that submitted a report of the unclaimed funds.

Aside from an online search, you can also submit a mail request for unclaimed money in New York to the Office of the Comptroller by following this designated address:

Office of the State Comptroller
Office of Unclaimed Funds
110 State Street
Albany, NY 12236
Phone: (800) 221-9311
Fax: (518) 270-2222

In addition to using the online search website and the mail request, which are always free, you can also use several federal agencies and institutions like the New York Department of Taxation and Finance that oversee the reimbursement of overpaid tax. 

How to Claim Unclaimed Money in New York?

In New York, there are two ways to obtain unclaimed funds. First, a person may submit a claim online after a name-based search on the unclaimed property website. 

Undoubtedly, this approach is the simplest and quickest way to obtain unclaimed funds in New York. As an alternative, the person may submit a mail-order claim for unclaimed money on paper.

New York Unclaimed Money: Online Claim

For online claims, you are required to visit the official website and be sure your name is on the list before laying a claim. 

After doing this, you will get the closest results that fit your criteria. You have to choose the result that closely matches your name and address. 

Each search result has a claim button, and the claimant must click on each result to submit a claim separately. 

In addition, the search engine will ask you for personal data, including your social security number, contact information, and physical address.

After this process, you will be asked to upload supporting documentation showing that you are the owner of the unclaimed money. 

Your request is reviewed and can be approved or rejected depending on the validity of the supporting documents and other information provided. 

If your request is approved, you will be issued a check from the Office of the New York State Comptroller, equivalent to the amount of the unclaimed money. 

On the other hand, if your request is rejected, you can submit further documents to support your claim.

New York Unclaimed Money: Paper Claim

For paper claims, there is an unclaimed money application form made available. You must complete the form as appropriate and attach supporting documents with your photo ID. 

The application form, supporting documents, and credible photo ID should be enclosed in a self-addressed envelope and sent to this address:

Office of Unclaimed Funds
110 State Street
Albany, NY 12236
Phone: (800) 221-9311
Fax: (518) 270-2222

How Long do you Have to Wait to Get Unclaimed Money in New York?

There is no fixed time to get unclaimed money in New York, as in other places. 

In most situations, it depends on the claim type and medium of the claim. For example, most online claims can get their checks within two weeks, while online claims for deceased relatives can take up to six weeks. 

In all situations, mail claims usually take longer and can take up to months to process the claims. 

Conclusion 

The State of New York allows you to lay claim to any unclaimed money in your name through the online portal or by sending a mail to the designated address of the Comptroller. 

If your request claim is successful, you will get a check equivalent to the unclaimed amount and, in some cases, with interest.