PANAMA CITY — The Florida Department of Financial Services has returned more the $900 million in unclaimed property since 2011, a milestone it surpassed last week.
But there's more where that came from, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater said in a press release urging anyone who ever lived in the state or with relatives who lived in Florida to see if the state is holding any property that might belong to them.
People can search a database of unclaimed property at www.fltreasurehunt.org, and claims for property can also be submitted through the site. There is no statute of limitations, and property can be claimed at no cost at any time.
"We work hard to return these unclaimed, lost or unknown funds to their rightful owners because our entire state benefits as a result of the additional discretionary income being circulated back into our local communities and businesses," Atwater said.
The property can be money in dormant bank accounts, insurance or utility company accounts or securities and trust holdings. It can also include tangible items like coins, jewelry and other items from abandoned or forgotten safe deposit boxes.
Unclaimed funds are deposited into Florida's school fund to benefit public schools until the rightful owner claims them.
