CHARLESTON, WV (WOAY) – Many people are used to sharing website links, news items, and funny memes in today’s digitally driven world. Now, a new share feature on the State Treasurer’s Office website might result in found money for the recipient, as opposed to just a chuckle.
In addition to searching for your own name on the unclaimed property section of www.wvtreasury.com, now, you may search for a friend or loved one and share the information with them. Hitting “share” and submitting the recipient’s email address creates an automatic e-mail from the Treasurer’s Office to the recipient. The email includes the property ID number and instructions on how to file a claim, if the recipient appears to be the rightful owner.
This new feature is part an enhanced unclaimed property management system and website launched in July. The new website is designed to give West Virginians a simple, safe and more up-to-date search and claim experience. West Virginia is the fourth state in the country to unveil this type of unclaimed property share function.
“I’m proud that my office is once again leading the way with innovative technology,” said West Virginia State Treasurer John Perdue. “This website share function is a modern twist on the old-fashioned word-of-mouth concept. Traditionally, people would share the unclaimed property newspaper insert when they saw names of friends and family listed. This new email share is more immediate and contains more information.”
Unclaimed property is any financial asset from which an individual has become separated. Examples include a forgotten utility deposit, a final paycheck, or abandoned safe deposit box contents. Real estate is not included.
Twice a year, the Treasurer’s Office publishes “Discover,” a newspaper listing of nearly 15,000 names of rightful owners. New inserts will be published next month in newspapers in each county.
West Virginia’s Unclaimed Property program currently holds approximately 2.25 million accounts worth $308 million. During his time as State Treasurer, Perdue has returned more than $227 million in unclaimed property to rightful owners.
There is never a charge to search for or claim property. People should visit www.wvtreasury.com to conduct a free unclaimed property search.
Below is a sample look at the new share button outlined in this release:
