Treasury to Publish Names of Roughly 84,000 Citizens Owed $27 Million in Newspapers Statewide

Treasurer Kennedy Says Citizens Should Visit www.latreasury.com to Claim Money

BATON ROUGE, LA – The Louisiana Department of the Treasury will publish the names of roughly 84,000 individuals who are owed more than $27 million in unclaimed property in the legal notices section of newspapers statewide during the first week of October, according to State Treasurer John Kennedy.

“We had a record amount of unclaimed property collections this year, and we expect the number to continue to grow over the next few years because so many citizens were displaced as a result of the hurricanes,” said Treasurer Kennedy. “When an individual moves without a forwarding address, or when a business cannot locate an individual to return an apartment deposit, utility deposit or final paycheck, this money becomes unclaimed property.”

Businesses are required by law to turn unclaimed property such as payroll checks, checking and savings accounts, royalties, utility or other deposits, interest, dividends, stock certificates and life insurance proceeds over to the state each year. By law, the Treasurer must publish on an annual basis the names of individuals for whom money has been collected in that particular year.

Citizens who see their names listed in the newspaper can claim their money by logging on to www.latreasury.com or by calling the Treasury’s toll-free nationwide hotline at 1-888-925-4127 (weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). A driver’s license and some other form of identification with a Social Security Number are needed to make a claim. Unclaimed property claims worth $250 and above must be notarized, but if a claim is $249 or under, the entire process including uploading documentation and claim forms can be done completely online.

“When filing a claim for your unclaimed property, be sure to give us updated contact information, especially if you are living at a temporary residence,” said Treasurer Kennedy. “Let us know where you are currently receiving mail, where you want us to send your unclaimed property refund check, and if you have an updated phone number where you can be reached.”

For more information about the unclaimed property program, visit www.latreasury.com and click “Unclaimed Property” or call 1-888-925-4127.

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