Treasurer Stenberg Announces Upcoming Unclaimed Property Outreach Events, Two New Venues

The Unclaimed Property Division of the Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office will kick off its 2015 outreach season July 10-12 in Fremont at the John C. Fremont Days. This is the first time in recent years that Unclaimed Property specialists will visit Fremont to help Nebraskans search for unclaimed property and to file claims, State Treasurer Don Stenberg said today.

Visitors will be able to easily search and file claims for property being held in their names. One in five Nebraskans has unclaimed property, so visitors are also encouraged to search for property belonging to family members, friends, businesses, and local organizations, and share that information with the potential owners.

A total of 4,146 properties valued at more than $887,000 are being held for residents of Fremont and elsewhere in Dodge County, Treasurer Stenberg said.

“We are looking forward to being in Fremont for the first time in recent years and to reuniting Dodge County residents with their unclaimed property. And we are looking forward to being at the Sarpy County Fair in late July, also for the first time in recent years,” said Stenberg. He reminded Nebraskans that they can search for unclaimed property anytime at treasurer.nebraska.gov and in many cases file claims online through the website.

In Sarpy County, almost 22,000 properties valued at more than $4.2 million are being held by the Treasurer’s Office.

“These two new outreach location and the locations we return to each year provide ideal opportunities for us to meet Nebraskans and help them search for money being held in their names or in the names of their businesses or family members,” Stenberg said. “Outreach events also provide an opportunity for us to explain how the unclaimed property program works and how properties come to be turned over to the state.”

The state is holding more than $135 million in unclaimed property for more than 350,000 Nebraskans and their heirs. Common forms of unclaimed property are uncashed paychecks, unused gift cards, refunds, rental deposits, utility deposits, stocks, dividends, insurance payments, savings bonds, matured CDs, and lost IRAs. The state paid out more than $11.7 million to unclaimed property owners in 2014.

The complete outreach schedule includes the following locations:

• Fremont, July 10-12, John C. Fremont Days
• Hastings, July 15-18, Adams County Fair
• Beatrice, July 22-26, Gage County Fair
• Springfield, July 29-Aug. 2, Sarpy County Fair
• York, Aug. 6-9, York County Fair
• Grand Island, Aug. 28-Sept. 7, Nebraska State Fair
• Grand Island, Sept. 15-17, Husker Harvest Days
• Nebraska City, Sept. 19-20, Applejack Festival
• Kearney, Nov. 18-19, Gateway Farm Expo
• Norfolk, Jan. 13-14, 2016, Northeast Nebraska Farm & Equipment Show

Additional ways to search for unclaimed property and file claims include the following:

• Check the Nebraska State Treasurer’s website at treasurer.nebraska.gov. Type a name in the box on the home page or click on the Unclaimed Property tab at the top of the page.
• For an amount less than $500, an owner may file a claim online through the website. The owner must include required documentation.
• For an amount greater than $500, an owner may complete the claim form found on the website and mail to the State Treasurer’s Office, Unclaimed Property Division, 809 P St., Lincoln, NE 68508-1390. The form must be notarized.
• Call the Unclaimed Property Division at 1-877-572-9688 toll free outside of Lincoln or 402-471-8497 in Lincoln. Phone calls are taken between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., CT, weekdays.
• Visit the Unclaimed Property office at 809 P Street in Lincoln or in the Treasurer’s Office in Suite 2005 of the State Capitol. Hours at both locations are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. An owner should bring a driver’s license and Social Security card. If filing on behalf of a business or a deceased family member, the owner should bring documentation to establish legal authority to file the claim.