As it stands now, the public can request information on legislative expenses through the state’s public records law, but getting those documents can take weeks and sometimes longer if there is a dispute over access.
Pennsylvania Treasury has billions in unclaimed property
There is close to $4 billion in unclaimed items
By Megan Frank/WLVR
As it stands now, the public can request information on legislative expenses through the state’s public records law, but getting those documents can take weeks and sometimes longer if there is a dispute over access.
The state Treasury Department says one out of every 10 people in Pennsylvania have unclaimed property.
The items range from uncashed checks to objects like jewelry and watches.
The state Treasury Department says unclaimed property is usually from safe deposit boxes, college dorms, nursing homes and police evidence rooms. And the agency says it has close to $4 billion worth of unclaimed items.
Some items in the treasury’s vault right now include a one-ounce gold bar, decades-old jewelry, and gift certificates that date back to the 1800s. Newer items include stocks and bonds, money from closed bank accounts and other personal items, including military medals.
To find out if you have unclaimed property, the treasury office says to go to their website. There, you’ll type in your name and other information – to see if you’re a match for any items.
If you find that you have unclaimed property, you’ll need to fill out some forms and mail them to the Bureau of Unclaimed Property in Harrisburg to begin the recovery process. They say the items often go missing because of a misspelled name or an out-of-date home address.
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
