05.06.2009 11:55 am

Missouri treasurer sorting unclaimed property

By Roseann Moring

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Clint Zweifel looks through the loot. Image from the Treasurer's Office

JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri Treasurer Clint Zweifel is giving away money.

His office is in charge of sorting through unclaimed property, and it's the time of year where they have to start looking through the owners.

They get everything in unclaimed safe deposit boxes, including money ($550 million in 3.5 million accounts, this year) and, as seen in the picture, gold coins.

"We had a story where we returned thousands of dollars to an elderly woman, and she was being evicted because the building was being demolished. This money helped her find a new place to live," Zweifel said in a news release. "Now, not every story is like that, but there are a lot, and that is why is critical we return this money. It can be a real addition to their pocketbooks."

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