Treasurer McCord: Unclaimed Property Owed to Food Banks, Shelters, Charities Can Help Make Season Brighter for Needy PA Families

Treasurer highlights more than $224,000 owed to charities; urges everyone to search patreasury.gov for funds that can help those who help others

Harrisburg – December 18, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — More than $224,000 in unclaimed property is owed to food banks, shelters, missions and other charitable organizations throughout the commonwealth, including Goodwill Industries and the Salvation Army, State Treasurer Rob McCord reported today. The treasurer and his Return Team urged these groups and others like it to search patreasury.gov to find out if Treasury holds property belonging to them.

“Hunger is often an invisible problem, but it is one that is rampant throughout the commonwealth, with studies finding that 1 in 8 Pennsylvanians are ‘food insecure,’” Treasurer McCord said. “It’s important that all of us do what we can to support the groups that feed the less fortunate among us, that’s why we highlight these funds owed to food banks, shelters and charitable foundations. No matter what the amount, this is money that can help put food on the table of a family in need.”

The $224,714 the treasurer highlighted today is just a small fraction of the $2.2 billion in unclaimed property Treasury currently holds – all of which can be searched and claimed for free via patreasury.gov.

Treasurer McCord stressed that people and organizations usually do not know they are owed property because “holders,” or entities that hold property owed to others, are not required under state law to contact the owner before remitting it to Treasury. As a result, Treasury each year receives millions of dollars in unclaimed property in the form of abandoned bank accounts, forgotten stocks, uncashed checks, and contents of safe deposit boxes.

As he demonstrated today, Treasurer McCord noted that individuals are not the only ones who can have unclaimed property. “We estimate that one-in-10 Pennsylvanians have unclaimed property and that includes businesses, schools and organizations,” the treasurer said. “So when you visit www.patreasury.gov don’t just search your name or the names of family members, make sure to plug in the names of groups you care about, too!”

Treasury’s Return Team is also available to assist with searches by calling toll-free, 1-800-222-2046, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Property is often turned over to Treasury with incomplete, truncated or misspelled owner information, so a Return Team member can help conduct a thorough search.

Since January 2009, the McCord Treasury has collected more than $1.4 billion in property, returned more than $623 million to rightful owners, and generated about $778 million for the state’s General Fund through the Unclaimed Property Program.

To learn more about Pennsylvania’s Unclaimed Property Program or to search for property, visit www.patreasury.gov or call 1-800-222-2046.

Media contact: Elizabeth Foose, 717-787-2991 or