State treasurer hopes to return lost money to rightful owners

DES MOINES ? State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald is bringing the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt to Jefferson County in hopes of returning lost money to its rightful owner.

?We are holding over $701,373.09 for Jefferson County citizens in the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt,? Fitzgerald said.

?We have had tremendous success returning unclaimed property in Jefferson County,? Fitzgerald stated. ?We have returned $367,243.27 for people in Jefferson County, but we are always looking for more individuals. The fall publication is just beginning and we hope to reunite as many people with their lost treasures as possible.?

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $135 million in unclaimed property to more than 314,000 individuals since Fitzgerald started it in 1983. Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions or companies that have lost contact with the property?s owner for a specific period of time. State law requires these institutions and companies to annually report and deliver unclaimed property to the State Treasurer?s Office, where it is held until the owner or heir of the property is found. Common forms of unclaimed property include savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, utility security deposits and safe deposit box contents.

Individuals who would like to check to see if they have unclaimed property are encouraged to visit www.greatiowatreasurehunt.com, email the treasurer at foundit@iowa.gov or write to: Michael Fitzgerald, State Treasurer, Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, Lucas Building, Des Moines 50319. Include the name(s), maiden name(s), current and previous address(es) of those individuals you would like searched.