Treasurer Delivers
Check to Mississippi’s Oldest
Living
Unclaimed Property Recipient
The Great Mississippi Treasure Hunt
Begins ... At
the State Fair
Mississippi Treasurer Tate Reeves Tuesday
returned more than $800.00 to Margaret Martin of Jackson, who, at the
age of 103, is Mississippi’s
oldest unclaimed property recipient. Ms. Martin is the second oldest
recipient in the nation; the oldest recipient, living in the State of
Washington, is 106. When asked what she was going to do with the money,
Ms. Martin responded “Maybe go over to the boats”. Ms.
Martin retired from the residential real estate business in the Jackson
area.
Also, in what has become an annual event, State Treasurer Tate Reeves will take his office to the Mississippi State Fair which begins Wednesday. This is part of the State Treasury’s ongoing campaign to reunite Mississippians with money they may not know they have – totaling more than $38 million.
Fair-goers may search for their names and those of their relatives on computers, located in booths 158 & 159 of the Mississippi Trade Mart.
“During the 2007 Fair approximately 55,000 visitors scanned the list of names and over $300,000 was recovered for the citizens of Mississippi,” said Treasurer Reeves. “Our job is to return money to the rightful owners across Mississippi. As we did with Ms. Martin, and at the fair, we find that we are accomplishing that mission”. Staff from the Treasury will be available to answer questions and help Mississippians check for unclaimed property.
Since the passage of Mississippi’s Unclaimed Property Law, more than $70 million has been returned to citizens. Every bank, savings and loan institution, travelers’ check company, utility company, and oil and gas company is required to report dormant accounts to the State Treasurer.
In addition to booths at the State Fair, the treasury staff attempts to contact the owners of unclaimed funds by three methods -- mailing a notice to the last known address of the property owner, publishing the names of all unclaimed property owners in daily and weekly newspapers throughout the state every three years, and circulating a list of names to all county court houses. The next list will be published in daily and weekly newspapers in 2009.
The State of Mississippi never assumes ownership of unclaimed monies, but acts as a custodian until the rightful owners or heirs are found.
Anyone can search the Unclaimed Property list via the Internet. All active unclaimed funds of $50 or more are listed on the web site by the owner’s last name. Those accessing the website also may print the forms necessary to file their claim. To conduct a search of the Unclaimed Property database, visit the Treasury website at www.treasurertatereeves.com. The web site provides a link to the unclaimed property divisions of other states.
Mail inquires may be addressed to the State Treasury, Unclaimed Property Division, P. O. Box 138, Jackson, MS 39205.
