Police, Fire Departments Show Up On Unclaimed Property List

Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel currently oversees nearly $700 million in the state's unclaimed property fund for 4.3 million account holders in the state.

State law requires financial institutions, insurance companies, public agencies and other business entities to turn over assets to Treasurer Zweifel’s office that belong to a customer, client, employee or other owner if there have been no documented transactions or contact with the owner for five or more years. Most Unclaimed Property consists of cash from bank accounts, stocks, bonds and contents of safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned. There also are funds from unused retail gift cards that has been returned to the state

Zweifel’s office does not handle real property such as land, houses, cars or boats. Non-cash contents of safe deposit boxes such as jewelry, coins or other non-monetary items of value are not part of the Unclaimed Property Fund, but rather, are kept in an unclaimed property vault, which reaches capacity every few years, at which time the Treasurer holds an auction of the items.

Missourians can check to see if they have any unclaimed property on file by visiting the website, www.ShowMeMoney.com.

Through a variety of efforts, Zweifel has returned $119 million since 2009, which is 35 percent of all unclaimed property ever returned. So far in the 2012 fiscal year a record $36.5 million worth of unclaimed property has been returned to a record 123,000 Missourians.

Of the $700 million still unaccounted for, 95 cents of it belongs to the , 800 Gravois Road.

Missourians can check to see if they have any unclaimed property on file by visiting the website, www.ShowMeMoney.com.

During a recent search of the site by typing "Fenton" or "High Ridge" in the search box, there were 45 separate instances where unclaimed property is in the fund, including 14 results for the Fenton Police Department. Most were $5-$10 amounts. Capt. Jeff Bader, precinct commander for the St. Louis County Police Department Fenton Precinct, was surprised at the number of entries for the police department in the unclaimed property fund.

"I have no idea what it is," Bader said. "My guess is that it is from overpayment of fees of some kind."

It turns out it was a good guess.

"It's common to see the overpayment of fees and fines," said Jon Galloway, communications director for the state treasurer's office. "A lot of government entities will check the web site routinely."

In addition to the Fenton Police, there also are entries for the Fenton Fire Protection District ($10-$20), the High Ridge Fire Protection District ($35-50) and assorted local businesses, Including one entry for Fenton Chiropractic for two cents.

Galloway said, if claimed, those small amounts, like the one for Fenton United Methodist Church and Fenton Chiropractic, would be refunded via a check even though it will often cost more to mail a check than the amount being returned.

"The law does not provide an exemption in small amounts like that," Galloway said.

Although the totality of the unclaimed property being held in the Fenton Police Department's name only amounts to between $75 and $180, it's money that can be returned to the department or city budget.

Here is a list of unclaimed property for businesses and government agencies in Fenton and High Ridge: