For Immediate Release
Wednesday, 22 November 2000
$110 MILLION ABANDONED - NEED CHRISTMAS
MONEY ?
TREASURER’S OFFICE HOLDING RECORD AMOUNT OF UNCLAIMED PROPERTY
COLUMBIA, SC – State Treasurer Grady L. Patterson, Jr. announced that his office received approximately $15 million in Unclaimed Property during the 2000 reporting period. "We are holding almost $110 million in abandoned, or forgotten money. There is no better time than the holidays to check our website database to see if the state is holding money for you or your family," he said.
The Unclaimed Property Program receives property deemed abandoned for the statutory dormancy period (five years for most property). Financial assets, such as dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, unclaimed stock shares, and forgotten utility deposits, for which the owner cannot be located, are turned over to the State Treasurer’s Office for safekeeping. Unclaimed property is held until the rightful owner can be found.
"We are making our Unclaimed Property Program easier to access and interact with everyday," Mr. Patterson said. "Last year, we returned a record amount of property to its rightful owners, but we’re only scratching the surface."
The State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Program database can be accessed at the SC State Treasurer's Web site, or called at 803-737-4771 during business hours.
"It is so easy to check to see if the state is holding money for you – and this is one program where government really wants to give money back to its rightful owners," Patterson quipped.
"We have a great, dedicated staff aggressively helping folks every day." Mr. Patterson concluded. "We are able to make a real difference in the lives of our citizens by putting their money back into their pockets."
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For more information, contact:
David A. Adams, 803/734-0380