Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, with (from left) state Sen. Judy Ward and state Reps. Scott Barger and Louis Schmitt, announces the state’s Money Match program, an effort to return unclaimed property of less than $500 to rightful owners, at a ceremony Thursday at the Blair County Courthouse.
Mirror photo by Kay Stephens
HOLLIDAYSBURG — Pennsylvania has started mailing checks for unclaimed property of less than $500 as part of its latest effort to return money to rightful owners.
State Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced the effort Thursday at the Blair County Courthouse, with support from state Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, and state Reps. Louis Schmitt, R-Blair, and state Rep. Scott Barger, R-Blair/Huntingdon, each of whom are in line for unclaimed property of less than $100.
“I can probably buy my office lunch,” Ward quipped upon learning of what may be about $20 in forthcoming money.
Schmitt may be able to pay for dinner, as he has $89.38 coming to him that he didn’t know about.
Barger admitted that he was aware of his forthcoming check for about $40, only because a couple of months ago, he searched the state’s website for his name.
“Sure enough, I found I had unclaimed property,” Barger said.
Those interested in a similar search should visit patreasury.gov./MoneyMatch.
Garrity, who has been traveling throughout the state to announce the Money Match program, said Thursday that more than 7,000 Pennsylvanians are starting to receive checks that will add up $1.7 million.
“And the best news is that there’s more to come,” Garrity added.
In May, plans call for sending 40,000 notification letters, with checks to follow in mid-June.
The state’s collection of unclaimed property, according to the treasurer, often involves dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks, insurance policies and tangible property like the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.
While the Money Match program addresses amounts of less than $500, options for claiming larger amounts are spelled out on the state treasury’s website at patreasury.gov.
Garrity said the state is currently holding about $4.5 billion of unclaimed property — including
$18.15 million on behalf of Blair County residents and/or their descendants who could file a claim.
Ward, Schmitt and Barger praised Garrity for her ongoing efforts that have returned $750 million in unclaimed property over two years.
“We’re getting money that doesn’t belong to the Commonwealth back to the people it belongs to,” Barger said.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.
