Unclaimed Property in Minnesota: Collect your lost or forgotten money today!
MINNESOTA - You might have heard or have been notified in the past about having Unclaimed Property or money with the Minnesota State Commerce Department, but you might have thought it was a scam. Don't worry, you're not alone. Many have also said they thought it was a scam, but this is real!
The State of Minnesota, Department of Commerce, has a Unclaimed Property Division that holds unclaimed property and works to get it to its rightful owners. According to the Commerce Department, they have returned over $722,543,515 to residents of Minnesota from such items as bank accounts, contents of safe deposit boxes, wages, insurance benefits, security deposits, stock dividends, unclaimed checks, and more.
When it comes to finding if you have Unclaimed Property, it is fairly simple. You can go to the Minnesota Unclaimed Property page and fill out the search field with your First Name, Last Name, or Business in the search field and hit "Search." An example of what that search feature looks like is above. Once you hit "Search," you will come to a page where, at the top, you can refine your search further if needed (pictured below), but just below that will be a list of names that match or are similar to yours with active unclaimed property in the state of Minnesota (pictured below).
If you find an Unclaimed Property that matches your name and address, you can click the "Claim" button on the left side of the page to select all the property that belongs to you. A prompt will then say, "Continue to File Claim" at the top and bottom of the page, which you can click to take you to the next step.
In the next step, you will see a page like the image below, with a prompt on the right asking you to complete your "Claimant Relationship." Here, you will select the appropriate option based on the descriptions in the prompt above.
Once you have selected the appropriate option, you will click "File Claim," which will bring you to another page asking you to fill out your full name, address, date of birth, email, home number, social security/ Tax ID, and address. An example of that page you will be able to find below. The site asks for your social security number to verify your identity and rights to claim said property.
You might get asked to verify or confirm your address to ensure the check is mailed to the correct and valid address.
You will then be able to preview your claim and ensure all the information is correct. If the information is correct, you give your electronic signature and "Submit" the claim. Your claim will be created at this point, and you will get a generated claim number.
Depending on the property you claim, you will need to complete two more steps to get the claim. When you submit your claim, an email will also be sent to you describing what additional items they might need to verify it was you and it is your property. Most claims will require a completed and signed claim form, a copy of your photo ID, and a legal document confirming your social security number.
There are two ways to submit these documents, including through the secure link they will provide for you online (image of that link pictured below) or via the mail to the following address for Minnesota:
Minnesota Department of Commerce
Unclaimed Property Program
85 7th Place East, Suite 280
Saint Paul, MN 55101
After you have completed all these steps, the state will work to verify your identity and send you your check. You will be able to track the progress of your Unclaimed Property claim, which you can find a link to here, or you can go to their website to find the "Search For Your Claim's Status."
Have you heard of the Unclaimed Property Division from the Department of Commerce before, or have you used the form to claim property before? Let us know in the comments below! If you have lived in other states, you can also look for Unclaimed Property in those states!
