PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2007

CONTACT: Sarah Mulhearn
225-342-0012

 

Treasury and The Mall At Cortana to Host Unclaimed Property Event

 Louisiana Has More Than $330 Million in Lost Money…Some of It Could Be Yours
 

BATON ROUGE, LA – The state is holding more than $330 million in lost money for Louisiana citizens, and Baton Rouge area residents can see if any of this money belongs to them at an Unclaimed Property Awareness Day on Saturday, November 10, at The Mall At Cortana in Baton Rouge.

“We held our last unclaimed property event in New Orleans where we returned $133,000 to area residents including $20,000 to one individual,” said State Treasurer John Kennedy. “If anyone is hesitant to go to the mall to look for money, let me assure you there are no strings attached with the unclaimed property program. It only takes a few minutes to look up your name or the name of someone you know, and it’s a free service.”

Unclaimed property is money in the normal course of business that goes unclaimed after a certain period of time. It includes savings and checking accounts, uncashed payroll checks, certificates of deposit, stocks and dividends, insurance proceeds, oil and gas royalty payments, utility deposits and other funds. When a business cannot locate an individual the unclaimed property belongs to, usually because of a wrong address, the money is turned over to the state for safekeeping.

Over the past 10 years, Treasurer Kennedy and unclaimed property employees have traveled to shopping malls, community centers and other venues statewide, returning $125 million to nearly 200,000 Louisiana citizens. This Saturday, they will be located at the JCPenney Stage in The Mall At Cortana (Florida Blvd. at Airline Hwy.) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help anyone who finds unclaimed property to file a claim for his or her money.

Individuals attending the unclaimed property event should bring a photo ID and Social Security card to claim their money. The typical turnaround for most unclaimed property claims is six to eight weeks. The quickest way for the Treasury to process a refund is if there is a Social Security Number and an address match for a claim.

Treasurer Kennedy encourages citizens who cannot attend the upcoming unclaimed property event in Baton Rouge to search for missing money online at www.latreasury.com or by calling the Treasury’s toll-free hotline at 1-888-925-4127.

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