Zoeller reminds Evansville area residents of $18 million that is still claimableÂ
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — After another record breaking year of claims paid in 2014, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller is reminding Evansville area residents that there is more where that came from - $18,598,821 to be exact. Attorney General Zoeller stopped by the Civic Center Complex in Evansville today to try and shrink that number by showing people how to search for and claim what is rightfully theirs.
“Last year was a record breaking year in money returned, however there is still over $400 million to be claimed and more than $18 million from the Evansville area alone,†Zoeller said. “This is why I am traveling the state helping Hoosiers search and claim money that may belong to them and to encourage them to share this knowledge with their friends and family.â€
Making a claim with the Attorney General’s Unclaimed Property Division is free and easy. Zoeller encourages all Hoosiers to visit www.IndianaUnclaimed.gov to search for their name, their relatives, neighbors and friends’ names. The Indiana Unclaimed Property database is also mobile. Anyone can search for free through the mobile application — just use keyword Indiana Unclaimed to download. Business owners and charitable organizations should also check annually for unclaimed property.
Unclaimed property includes investment earnings, insurance proceeds and benefits, wages, and money from savings and checking accounts. Less than one percent of unclaimed assets are tangible, physical items, such as those found in safe-deposit boxes. It is important to note that unclaimed property does NOT include abandoned vehicles or real estate.
In 2014, nearly 27,000 new properties valued at more than $5 million dollars were reported and originate from the eight county Evansville region. This money belongs to residents or former residents of the area or their heirs. The state holds these assets for 25 years after they are reported.
The total value and number of properties added to the Unclaimed Property database in 2014 and the sum of all unclaimed property from 2000 – 2014 from counties in the Evansville region are listed below:
County, 2014 Property Totals, Total $ Value added in 2014, Total $ Value Claimable
Dubois, 2,140, $355,879, $1,078,990
Gibson, 2,465, $356,454, $1,529,217
Perry, 802, $165,820, $642,165
Pike, 663, $111,207, $392,778
Posey, 1,450, $170,637, $793,147
Spencer, 970, $172,044, $641,458
Vanderburgh, 14,845, $2,637,849, $10,942,998
Warrick, 3,639, $1,103,581, $2,578,068
Grand Total, 26,974, $5,073,471, $18,598,821
In total, the state’s unclaimed property database holds more than $400 million in assets. In 2014, the Attorney General’s Office returned a record 95,000 properties totaling more than $66 million in unclaimed property. Last year, $2.4 million was returned to individuals with last known addresses in Evansville or surrounding counties.
Every year, the attorney general is required to advertise the list of unclaimed property turned over to the state during the previous year. The announcements run twice in a two week period in the newspaper closest to the last known address of the property owner.
Below are the listing dates for Evansville and surrounding counties only.
County, Newspaper, Dates of Publication
Dubois, Jasper Herald, April 22 & May 2
Gibson, Princeton Daily Clarion, April 23 & April 30
Perry, Tell City Perry County News, April 23 & April 30
Pike, Petersburg Press-Dispatch, April 22 & April 29
Posey, Posey County News, April 22 & April 28
Spencer, Rockport Spencer County Journal, April 23 & April 30
Vanderburgh, Evansville Courier Press, April 23 & May 3
Warrick, Booneville Standard, April 23 & April 30
A public awareness campaign highlighting where Hoosiers can look for unclaimed property includes newspaper, radio, online and television ads.
The Unclaimed Property database can be searched 24-hours a day, 7 days a week at www.IndianaUnclaimed.gov. The Unclaimed Property Division’s toll-free number is 1-866-IN-CLAIM (1-866-462-5246). This is a free service of the Indiana   Attorney General’s Office.
