Texas County residents will start to see names of local businesses and citizens that have unclaimed property listed in the Houston Herald next week.
State Treasurer Clint Zweifel says more than 90,000 names will be printed in newspapers for individuals and businesses who own new unclaimed property turned over to him in the past year. The annual advertisements are required by state law, do not use any general revenue, and the cost for returning unclaimed property is at an all-time low.
“Unclaimed property is a promise I keep to Missourians ¬ I promise to hold this property until it is claimed by the owner or their heirs, and I promise I will never charge anything to return it to you,” Zweifel said. “If you see your name over the next few weeks, please go to www.ShowMeMoney.com to begin the claims process. More than 50 percent of accounts are eligible for our 100-percent paperless process, so no need for a stamp, envelope or printer. The ability to easily claim property has helped set records four years in a row. This has already been a record breaking year with more than $36.5 million returned to 123,000 account holders, and the names you see in the newspapers over the next few weeks will only increase these numbers.”
Zweifel has returned more than $119 million to more than 372,000 accounts since he took office in January 2009. He has returned 35 percent of all unclaimed property in state history, since taking office. Unclaimed property was created by statute in 1985 and became part of the treasurer’s office in 1993.
Zweifel holds more than $700 million for more than 4.3 million account holders in unclaimed property. Individuals can register to be notified via email if property belonging to them is found, search for their name or begin the claim process through the paperless claim portal 24 hours a day at www.ShowMeMoney.com. Wait times for filed claims have been cut in half since 2009.