State Treasurer Unveils Kiosks to Help Residents Find Unclaimed Property, Money

Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford is unveiling a kiosk that will help Illinois residents search the I-Cash database and discover unclaimed cash or other property.

The kiosk unveiled today is located at the McHenry County Treasurer’s Office at 2100 N. Seminary Avenue in Woodstock. The kiosk will remain at the treasurer's office until mid-May.

The kiosks allow people to search their name, or the names of family members, and request that claim forms be mailed to them. One in eight Illinois residents has property listed in the I-Cash database.

“My office is using the latest technology to make it easier to search I-Cash, especially for those who are unable to visit a local I-Cash event,” said Rutherford. “I broke a record last year by returning $129 million to the rightful owners. I hope these kiosks will make it possible for more people to search the list, file claims, and increase the dollar amount that’s returned in 2013.”

In the past, the I-Cash program returned about $80 million annually to owners. It’s common for people to lose track of their assets when they move or when loved ones pass away. Businesses and banks are required to turn over unclaimed accounts to the treasurer’s office. 

The I-Cash program helps reunite owners with their unclaimed property. The Unclaimed Property Division has more than $1.7 billion in cash, plus contents from Illinois safe deposit boxes that have been inactive for at least five years.

Some examples of unclaimed property currently held by the treasurer’s office include the following:

• Money from inactive savings and checking accounts
• Unpaid wages or commissions
• Stocks, bonds and mutual funds
• Money orders and bill over payments
• Paid-up life insurance policies
• Safe deposit box contents.

To find out if you have unclaimed property through I-Cash, you can visit the treasurer’s website atwww.treasurer.il.gov and follow the I-Cash link. The website is updated weekly to reflect new properties remitted to the office. You can contact the Unclaimed Property Division by calling 217-785-6998 or emailing info@Icash.Illinois.gov, although searches cannot be completed by telephone. 

Source: Press release from Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford