This week, state Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced that more than $27 million in unclaimed property was returned to Floridians during the month of November 2021.
A few weeks ago, Patronis launched his Holiday Money Hunt to spread the word and help Floridians recover and claim cash that has been unknown or lost. Additionally, since CFO Patronis took office in 2017, more than $1.4 billion has been returned to Floridians in unclaimed property.
“With the holiday season in full swing, now is the time to search to see if you or anyone you know has unclaimed property in Florida. Florida currently holds more than $2.4 billion and I couldn’t think of a better time to have a little extra spending cash in your pockets. A few weeks ago, we returned more than $340,000 to Tampa residents, and I can assure you, there is plenty more money to be claimed! One in five Floridians has unclaimed property just waiting to be claimed and it only takes a few minutes to search by visiting FLTreasureHunt.gov,” Patronis said.
Unclaimed property is a financial asset that is unknown or lost, or has been left inactive, unclaimed or abandoned by its owner. The most common types of unclaimed property are dormant bank accounts, unclaimed insurance proceeds, stocks, dividends, uncashed checks, deposits, credit balances and refunds. Unclaimed property also includes contents from abandoned safe deposit boxes in financial institutions. Unclaimed property assets are held by business or government entities (holders) for a set period of time, usually five years. If the holder is unable to locate, re-establish contact with the owner and return the asset, it is reported and remitted to the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Unclaimed Property. To search for unclaimed property or to claim an account, go online to FLTreasureHunt.gov.
November 2021 Unclaimed Property Returns by Region
• Pensacola – $590,800
• Panama City – $314,900
• Tallahassee – $497,800
• Jacksonville – $3 million
• Gainesville – $280,700
• Orlando – $5 million
• Tampa/St. Pete – $6 million
• Fort Myers/Naples – $887,400
• West Palm Beach – $3.6 million
• Miami – $7.3 million
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