State treasurer holds millions waiting to be claimed

Jefferson City News Tribune
By: Anne E. Kettenbrink
Sunday, September 13, 2009

Deep in the recesses of the Truman State Office Building in Jefferson City, in the part of the basement where one could get lost without the assistance of a state office worker, there is a not-so-secret vault where the state keeps treasures of immeasurable value.

They're not war funds or Harry Truman's favorite shirt, but they're something better.

They're your treasures. And they're waiting for you to come and get them.

Stashed in an unassuming vault down in the basement is an assortment of family heirlooms, jewelry, coins and even matchbox cars, all abandoned by their owners by some twist of fate.

Right now, State Treasurer Clint Zweifel's office is holding $558 million worth of assets for 3.5 million accounts. From Mid-Missouri alone, $12.6 million is waiting to be claimed.

Claim your property

To see if you have unclaimed property, go online to www.showmemoney.com or call the Unclaimed Property division at (573) 751-0123.

Missouri isn't the only state to have unclaimed property. To search other states for property you might have a right to, go to www.missingmoney.com, www.unclaimed.org

Scott Harper, director of Missouri's Unclaimed Property division, says the state will never ask owners to pay fees to claim property.