Attention Donald Trump: Disparage and abuse the Golden State with fervor, but know that the California Controller wants to give you more than $3,000 nonetheless.
Gavin Newsom? Looks like you’ve left more than $200 on the table.
Donald Bren, ye of Irvine Company fame? There’s more than a grand waiting for you. Broadcom co-founder, Anaheim Ducks owner and philanthropist extraordinaire Henry Samueli? More than $2,000 awaits. And director Steven Spielberg can reclaim more than $10,000 for his next movie!
OK, we have way too much fun playing in the database when the Controller mobilizes to remind folks about California’s Unclaimed Property Program, “part of an ongoing effort to proactively reunite residents with lost or forgotten funds.”
No shame, no judgment: I’ve got forgotten about $200 there myself, which is almost enough for dinner in Laguna Beach. You can search your own name (and the names of whoever strikes your fancy) to discover if you’ve/they’ve left funds on the table at https://claimit.ca.gov/.
But now the state is taking the reunification thing a step farther.
The State Controller’s Office and the Franchise Tax Board have teamed up to help some $15 billion unclaimed dollars find their way home. About 130,000 letters are heading to Californians who may be owed money, so be on the lookout at your mailbox.
If you get one, you won’t have to do the database search we’re so fond of, or submit the usual claim. Instead, you’ll use the “unique claim code included in the letter” to verify your information and complete “a streamlined online process.”
“These funds belong to Californians, not the state,” Controller Malia M. Cohen said in a prepared statement. “By using technology and available data, we are making it easier, faster, and more convenient for people to recover money that is rightfully theirs. If you receive one of these letters, we want you to know it is legitimate, understand why you received it, and have a simple and secure path to claim your funds.”
The state’s Unclaimed Property Program safeguards lost or forgotten financial assets turned over to the state after moldering for a while. We’re talking dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance proceeds, stocks, dividends and other financial property, Cohen said. The state holds the funds indefinitely until they’re claimed by their rightful owners (or heirs).
A campaign in December sent more than 100,000 letters to Californians and reunited them with more than $30.4 million in unclaimed property, Cohen said.
If you get a letter, review it carefully and verify the information listed; visit the unique URL and enter the claim code; follow the instructions to confirm ownership; and expect a check in about two weeks.
Problem? Error? Contact the State Controller’s Office at 800-992-4647 (within the United States) and 916-323-2827 (outside the United States).
But please! Scammers are out there. You will never have to pay a fee to claim property directly from the State Controller’s Office, and beware folks who want to charge you. Also be cautious of unsolicited requests for personal or financial information, and verify communications through official State Controller’s Office channels, Cohen said.
The program has returned more than $8.2 billion to folks. Trump, Newsom, and the rest of you — you could be next!