NEWS RELEASE
COLORADO STATE TREASURER'S OFFICE
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TODAY is the fourth annual National Unclaimed Property Day, and Treasurer Dave Young wants to reunite Coloradans with their lost money or property.
“The Treasury Department is holding on to more than $1.5 billion in cold, hard cash in the Great Colorado Payback,” Treasurer and former President of National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators Dave Young shared. “We want to reunite rightful owners or heirs with their lost money or property. It only takes 30 seconds to search your name at colorado.findyourunclaimedproperty.com.”
In the last year since National Unclaimed Property Day 2023, The Great Colorado Payback returned almost $52.27 million to 71,234 claimants through our Unclaimed Property Division. To simplify the claims process, a program which proactively returns funds was started, returning $1.3 million to 11,074 rightful owners without requiring additional paperwork for identification purposes. The average claim last year was $733.78.
“There’s a chance – at least 1 in 7 – that there’s unclaimed property, like gift certificates, unpaid wages, or uncashed checks, with your name on it,” Unclaimed Property Director Bianca Gardelli said. “And the Great Colorado Payback wants to make sure that you’re reunited with your money.”
Yes - it’s real! The State of Colorado found your lost money or property and wants to get it back to you,” Treasury spokesperson Sheena Kadi stated. “It’s not just individuals with unclaimed property. Schools, businesses, nonprofits, municipalities - there are millions of dollars waiting to be claimed. Search not only for yourself, family, and friends, but also search for your favorite school, nonprofit, or coffee shop.”
Money or property turned over to the State Treasury for safekeeping is held for the owner or heir of the account and there are no time limits for filing a claim.
The Colorado State Treasurer currently maintains a list of over 7.6 million names of individuals, corporations, municipalities, schools, nonprofits, hospitals, and small businesses are also listed among the many individuals whose property is available to be claimed, including over $1.5 billion in cold, hard cash. To date, the Great Colorado Payback has reunited over $675 million to their rightful owners.
Unclaimed Property Laws
Unclaimed Property laws began in the United States as a consumer protection program and they have evolved to protect not only the owners, but also their heirs and estates. Unclaimed property is tangible or intangible property that has had no activity for a specific period of time. Unclaimed property includes, but is not limited to, abandoned financial assets such as stocks and dividends, mutual funds, checking and savings accounts, unpaid wages, securities, life insurance payouts, uncashed checks that are without activity for a certain period of time, as well as the contents of safe deposit boxes for which the rent has been expired for at least five (5) years. It does not include real estate or vehicles.
The organization holding the original obligation is required to make every effort to contact the owner and establish activity. If they are not able to make contact, that asset is reported to the state of the owner’s last known address.
Once the property is in the custody of the state of Colorado, outreach begins through mailings, the website, advertisements, and local media coverage.
15-, 30-, and 60-second Unclaimed Property TV commercials
15- and 30-second Unclaimed Property radio commercials
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