Rep. Carol A. McElwee (R-Caribou) urges Caribou residents to connect with her to find out if they have assets in the State’s inventory of unclaimed property. All State legislators are provided with lists of unclaimed property for their respective districts.
Every year, millions of dollars in assets are turned over to the State of Maine by banks and other entities that cannot locate the owners after a specified period of time. Assets considered lost or abandoned are turned over to the Office of the State Treasurer. Those assets include a large range of items, mostly of a financial nature, such as checking accounts, certificates of deposit, uncashed checks, stocks, and contents of safe deposit boxes. Unclaimed property does not include real estate, vehicles, or animals.
“It is my goal as a public servant to lend a helping hand whenever possible,” said Rep. McElwee. “Reconnecting constituents with unknown finances will hopefully offer them some needed assistance in making ends meet. Whether it’s over $37,000 or just over $10, there is a wide range of claims to be recovered,” added Rep. McElwee.
To search for unclaimed property online, citizens can visit the Unclaimed Property search Web site, https:// www1.maine.gov/treasurer/unclaimed_property/online/. If your name is found on the list, you may print a claim form, file it electronically, or mail it to Office of the State Treasurer, Attn: Unclaimed Property, 39 State House Station, Augusta ME 04333-0039. Some claims can take up to 90 days to process. Claims involving stock or mutual funds may take considerably longer. There is no fee charged to process your unclaimed property claim. FMI call the Office of the State Treasurer Unclaimed Property direct at 624-7470 or reach out to Rep. McElwee at 551-7574 or via e-mail at cmcelwee@maine.rr.com.
