A CHANCE TO RECOVER UNCLAIMED PROPERTY

A brief trip to the Cape Girardeau County Administration Building in Jackson today could result in some unexpected cash for those who may be among the nearly half-million Missourians with unclaimed cash and property in the custody of the state.

State Treasurer Bob Holden will be in Jackson from 3 to 4:30 p.m. to check people's names on his portable unclaimed property computer. The computer contains the names of all owners of unclaimed property. Anyone can have their name checked.

"The state treasurer's office operates Missouri's largest lost and found," Holden said. "We're always trying new and innovative ways to make more Missourians aware of our unclaimed property division so that we can return more abandoned property to the rightful owners."

The state currently holds more than $80 million in unclaimed property, most of which consists of abandoned bank accounts, stocks bonds, uncollected insurance proceeds, government refunds, utility deposits and the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.

Cash property is held in the state's Abandoned Fund Account forever, so owners or their heirs can claim the property at any time.

The administration building is located at 1 Barton Square in Jackson.

Those unable to visit the state treasurer in Jackson can check for unclaimed property by sending owners' names, addresses, Social Security numbers and previous addresses, if known, to: State Treasurer's Office, Unclaimed Property Division, P.O. Box 1004, Jefferson City, Mo., 65102.