NEW JERSEY — Billions of dollars in property have gone unclaimed in New Jersey, and part of that sum might belong to you. But there are simple ways to check whether you have any unclaimed assets and to jumpstart the process of retrieving them.
The state Unclaimed Property Administration (UPA) estimated last August that it's safeguarding a combined $5.9 billion in unclaimed property. Every fiscal year, the agency publishes in newspapers around New Jersey a list of all assets reported to the state the previous year, allowing rightful owners to know they may have money or property to claim. The list for Fiscal Year 2022, published in August, had 224,000 names and businesses — up from 153,000 in Fiscal Year 2021.
Unclaimed property includes, but isn't limited to, uncashed checks, inactive stock and brokerage accounts, and unclaimed safe deposit boxes
Here are two ways New Jerseyans can check whether they have any unclaimed assets and ultimately retrieve them.
Through The State
The UPA's website allows people to search for and claim their unclaimed property. There's no fee for the services.
The "Search for Unclaimed Property" webpage requires users to input their last name or business name. But adding their first name, city, zip code and/or property ID can refine the results.
If your search turns up no results but you believe the UPA is holding unclaimed assets of yours, you can request for the agency to execute a manual search. Allow up to two weeks for a response. If officials successfully locate the property, they'll email you a claim form, which will detail the located property and what documentation is necessary to establish ownership.
Filing your claim online is the fastest way to do so. But the UPA also has the following mailing address:
State of New Jersey
Unclaimed Property Administration
P.O. Box 214
Trenton, NJ 08625-0214
ATTN: Claim Section
MissingMoney.com
New Jersey is part of MissingMoney.com, a national site that makes it easy to search for unclaimed property and cash. The site also allows you to search for unclaimed assets in other states.
Simply use the search form to look for unclaimed property, file a claim and go through the verification process to receive your unclaimed assets.
Anyone can visit the site, endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.
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