Saturday, December 9, 2023

Treasurer reunites thousands of Rhode Islanders with unclaimed property funds in time for holidays

$2.5 million is a nice Christmas present 

By Janine L. Weisman, Rhode Island Current

 (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
Nearly 9,000 Rhode Island residents will soon receive checks from the state as it returns over $2.4 million in unclaimed property funds to their rightful owners.

The office of General Treasurer James Diossa announced Wednesday that checks of up to $2,500 will be mailed to individuals starting this week under the Rhode Island Treasury’s Your Money program

Unclaimed property consists of abandoned financial assets, including checking and savings accounts, unpaid wages, securities, life insurance payouts, uncashed checks, and the proceeds of inactive safe deposit boxes. No real estate or vehicles are included.

Before this week, Diossa’s office had already distributed $16.6 million in unclaimed funds this calendar year.

“The holiday season is all about giving back, and my team has worked day and night to make sure unclaimed property is wrapped and delivered to thousands of households across the Ocean State,” Diossa said in a statement released by his office.

“Putting money back in the pockets of Rhode Islanders means more money to support our state’s economy, especially during this time of year.”

Often, people are unaware that they have unclaimed property. Anyone can search their name on the state database to see if there is money they can be reunited with and then file a claim for free at: findrimoney.com. You can also check the status of a claim. 

Telephone inquiries can also be made at the Rhode Island Unclaimed Property Division at (401) 462-7676.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

SUBSCRIBE

Rhode Island Current is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Rhode Island Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janine L. Weisman for questions: info@rhodeislandcurrent.com. Follow Rhode Island Current on Facebook and Twitter.