More than $1 million in unclaimed property returned to Kentucky residents in 1 week

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Kentucky State Treasurer's office has announced the return of more than $1 million to Kentucky residents who didn't even know they had it coming.

According to a news release from Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball, the Unclaimed Property Division returned $1,291,549.18 to Kentuckians during the week of February 24, 2020. That's the first million-dollar payment of the year, and a new record. Ball has returned approximately $93 million in unclaimed property to Kentuckians since taking office in 2016.

[CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR MISSING MONEY]

"I am proud of my team for their diligence in returning this money back to the rightful owners, and at such a rapid rate. I feel strongly that the unclaimed funds belong to Kentuckians, and it is our job to ensure their return," Ball said in the release.

Unclaimed property usually consists of payroll checks, unclaimed safety deposit boxes, old life insurance policies, stocks, or vendor checks that have remained unclaimed by their owners after several years. In a November 2019 interview with WDRB, Ball said "there's about half a billion dollars of unclaimed property altogether." In Louisville, Ball said there's about $148 million in unclaimed cash. And there are many valuable unclaimed items -- some decades old -- inside a high security vault in Frankfort.

Kentucky Unclaimed Property

The State Treasurer's Office website links to missingmoney.com. To file a claim, complete the form and send it to the State Treasurer's Office. Make sure to confirm that you're on the Missing Money website, since there are several other lookalike sites that seem similar. Those sites may ask for your credit card info, but the Missing Money site does not.

Kentuckians can search the database for unclaimed property for themselves, family members, or deceased loved ones through the existing database to discover if they have any unclaimed assets or funds.

To learn more about unclaimed property and Treasurer Ball, visit Treasury.ky.gov.