Before paying off your monthly bills and loans, you may want to check if any unclaimed fund is being held in your name, waiting for you to collect it. 

According to the Texas Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, financial assets without any activity for a minimum of one year are turned over to the Unclaimed Property Division of the Texas Comptroller’s Office. 

The agency acts as the temporary custodian of unclaimed money, pending whenever the rightful owner files a claim. 

The State of Texas is presently holding over $7 billion in unclaimed money. 

The Texas Comptroller’s office paid over $300 million to claimants during the 2022 fiscal year. 

This was the third time the Comptroller’s office returned over $300 million in unclaimed property, including unclaimed money in a fiscal year. 

During the 2019 fiscal year, the Comptroller’s office returned a record $308 million to its rightful owners; in the 2020 fiscal year, the Comptroller’s office returned $300 million in unclaimed property.  

Examples of Texas unclaimed money include: 

* Overpayments
* Unclaimed child support money
* Utility deposits 
* Unpaid wages and salaries 
* Missed paychecks
* Stocks and dividends
* Proceeds from insurance 
* Pension checks 
* Abandoned refunds from different companies 
* Contents of safe deposit boxes

How to Find Unclaimed Money in Texas:

Interested parties can find their unclaimed funds via the Unclaimed Property Division. You can conduct your search in two ways: online and in person. 

The following are steps on how to find your Texas unclaimed property online:

1. Navigate to the treasury department and click on “Get started”
2. Input your name and other necessary information and click on “search”
3. The site will provide you with every property connected to your name. Click “claim” next to them and navigate to “View claimed properties”
4. Select your relationship with the property and click on “next”
5. Complete the online form by providing your contact, social security number, etc. After that, click on “next”
6. Review every information provided, submit your claim, and wait for a confirmation email containing your claim code and the guidelines regarding the documents you need to provide
7. Provide every supporting document using the upload claim documentation feature. 

Furthermore, if you aren’t keen on going through the above processes, you can also opt for the DoNotPay search platform. 

The platform is a popular search engine for finding unclaimed money across the United States. To use the platform, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to the DoNotPay platform and open an account
2. Log in to your account and click on the “missing money” button
3. Provide your personal details like your full name or business name, present, and past address (s), etc
4. Select every money connected with the details provided by clicking on “claim my property”

After completing these steps, the platform will proceed with filing the claim on your behalf. 

You will receive a notification via email once the state’s treasury approves your claim. 

If the online process appears tedious, you can opt to submit your claim in person. 

All you need to do is visit the Comptroller’s office at the following address: 

LBJ Building,
111 E 17th St.,
Austin, TX 78711

The office is open Monday through Friday from 8: a.m. to 5: p.m. CST. 

The office takes an average of 37 working days to process applications for Texas unclaimed money. 

However, this may be longer in some instances where the claimant is not the original owner. 

Claimants can also contact them at (800) 321-2274 or send an email to [email protected].  

If unclaimed money in Texas belongs to multiple parties, they will be required to prove their identities and ownership. 

If approved, the money will be shared equally among all applicants. General purpose claims are filed using the Form C-General Claim Form. 

Business owners are required to submit their claims using the Claim Form B-Business Owner Claim Forms. 

Finally, if the claimant is the apparent owner, the claim is filed using the Claim Form A-Original Owner Claim Forms. 

To prevent fraud, claimants must submit proof of ownership. This includes:

* An IRS Form W-2
* Valid ID, such as a U.S passport or a driver’s license
* Proof of residency indicating their present residence 
* Copies of Social Security Number 
* Proof of residency establishing you are currently domiciled in Texas

For claims above $1,000, you will be required to provide a notarized signature. Your financial institution can direct you to a notary for such a purpose. 

Various federal agencies with public databases hold unclaimed money that can be assessed at no charge. 

Interested parties can search such databases based on the category of unclaimed funds. They include: 

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts for your unclaimed Texas tax refunds
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), is for your unclaimed pensions. 
The National Credit Union Administration, for unclaimed credit union deposits.

Conclusion 

Texas has returned over $1 billion in unclaimed property since 2015. 

The Texas Unclaimed Property Division pays millions in unclaimed funds to their rightful owners each year. 

Texans searching for their unclaimed money can utilize any of the methods mentioned above!