Et cetera : Did you forget something?

Each year, money and other funds are turned over to the State Treasurer's Office as unclaimed property in the form of dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, utility refunds, stock shares, the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes and more. The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt helps reunite Iowans with their lost or abandoned property.

Most people believe they will never lose track of their assets, but it happens all the time. A person moves and forgets about an account or safe deposit box, a clerical error at a company results in mail being returned as undeliverable or a person's name changes upon marriage or divorce. Oftentimes, relatives may be unaware of bank accounts, safe deposit boxes or stocks the deceased may have owned. The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt engages in various outreach efforts to locate missing owners, and it is our goal to help Iowans receive their lost treasures.

Unclaimed property laws began in the United States as a consumer protection program that has evolved to protect not only the owners, but also their heirs and estates. Unclaimed property includes, but is not limited to, abandoned financial assets such as checking and savings accounts, unpaid wages, securities, life insurance payouts, uncashed checks and the contents of safe deposit boxes that are without activity for a certain period of time. 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, the asset is reported to the state of the owner's last known address.

Once property is in the custody of the State of Iowa, outreach begins through mailings, fairs, various events around the state, social media, advertisements and local media coverage. The State will maintain custody of the property indefinitely until the rightful owner or heirs come forward to claim.

The Iowa State Treasurer's Office provides this service free of charge.

Click to search the site for your unclaimed property!