Arizona’s handling of $2.8 billion in unclaimed property questioned in court

Key Points:   Arizona holds nearly $2.8 billion in unclaimed property   State agency gives insufficient notice to property owners   Arizona law requires only 120 days’ notice before seizing unclaimed property Arizonans could soon get better notice if the state is holding on to their share of nearly $2.8 billion in unclaimed property.   […]

Ohio’s push to seize private unclaimed funds sets it apart from other states

COLUMBUS, Ohio— Ohio has become more aggressive than any other state in seizing privately owned unclaimed funds, even as many states are moving to automatically return money to their owners, an analysis has found.   Under a controversial new Ohio law currently being challenged in court, the state of Ohio is taking ownership of $1 […]

Child loses thousands in savings after bank transfer confusion |Action News Investigation

LAUREL SPRINGS, N.J. (WPVI) — A South Jersey family says their 7-year-old son’s savings account inexplicably vanished, leaving them scrambling for answers until the money ultimately resurfaced in New Jersey’s unclaimed property system.   Sarah Dimarco said she has been stuck in what she called “paperwork purgatory” after discovering her son Finn’s account balance had […]

States grab unclaimed restitution payments intended for victims

A criminal hurts you. A judge orders him to pay you restitution. The criminal actually pays. The government gets the money. And you still don’t. Welcome to America’s unclaimed restitution system.   I spend a lot of time investigating money that belongs to ordinary Americans but somehow winds up in government hands.   California auditors […]