There is plenty of unclaimed property in the state of Missouri, in fact, more than $822 million dollars. One in ten Missourians has property just waiting to be claimed, with the and the average amount held by the state equaling $300.00. Unclaimed Property comes from financial institutions, insurance companies, public agencies, rural utilities and other business entities after there has been no documented transaction or contact with the owner for a statutorily-defined period of time. Section 447.532 RSMo., for instance, provides that a deposit held by a political subdivision of the State, which is unclaimed by the owner for more than three years, is deemed abandoned and shall be turned over to the State Treasurer.

Section 447.539 RSMo., requires any entity holding unclaimed and abandoned funds to file a verified report with the State Treasurer which details:

1. The name and last known address of any individual if the amount presumed abandoned is $50.00 or more.
2. The date the property became payable and the date of the last transaction with regard to the owner of the presumed abandoned funds.
3. Other information held by the entity that is required by the State Treasurer.

Water districts, sewer districts, electric cooperatives and other entities holding funds, have a duty to try and notify the owner of the existence of funds in excess of $50.00 before turning them over to the State.

The State Treasurer has set up a website to make the process of claiming abandoned funds easier. You can visit www.showmemoney.com to determine if you have abandoned funds held by the Treasurer. Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel states that “My goal is to do everything we can to get this property out the door back to Missourians; this is their property, it’s not the state’s.”

If you are searching for moneys possibly held in other states, there are two additional websites to check. The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) has set up a free website at www.unclaimed.org that will link you to the appropriate department in each state that holds the funds. (Note that this is a .ORG website, NOT a .com. If you mistakenly type in .com, you will be taken to a pay site. It is never necessary to pay a fee or a finder to help you find unclaimed money.) The second website is www.missingmoney.com. When you search, you can choose “all states and provinces” on the drop down menu. Please note with this website that not ALL states are actually participating.