What is unclaimed property?
Unclaimed property consists of bank accounts, wages, utility deposits, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, bonds, and contents of safe deposit boxes that typically have been abandoned for one to five years. Funds become unclaimed because the company loses track of the consumer, due to an incorrect address or other missing information. By law, these funds are escheated, or turned over, to the Department of State Treasurer for safekeeping. As new funds are added, the NC Cash website is updated, which means that your name could be listed right now. According to the State Constitution, the interest earnings on the fund go to needy and worthy North Carolina public university and community college students.
How can you find your own NC Cash?
Reclaiming your money is very simple. First, enter your name in the search boxes above to see if money is owed to you. If there is a match, carefully read, fill out and sign a claim form. If the amount is greater than $50, you must have your signature notarized. Then send all forms and all required documentation to the Unclaimed Property Address at the bottom of the form. If you need assistance, please call 919-508-1000 and select option 1. After the claim form and the necessary documentation have been received, your claim will be processed as quickly as possible. The Department of State Treasurer also provides a staffed booth at conferences, fairs and meetings where you can search for unclaimed property right at the booth. Please click here to see when NC Cash will be in your neighborhood.
NC Cash Opens Doors for North Carolina
The amount in the program has almost doubled from $255 million to nearly $500 million in the past nine years. With over one million properties in the database and eight million North Carolinians, there is a one in eight chance that a North Carolina citizen has a claim. In the past year, over $39 million in unclaimed property has been returned.
NC Cash Invests in the Future
The interest earned on the fund goes to the State Educational Assistance Authority (SEAA) to pay for grants, loans and scholarships for North Carolina college students attending public universities and community colleges. In 2009, the unclaimed property program assisted over 88,000 students. For more information on the available scholarships or how to apply, please visit the College Foundation of North Carolina, a free service to students to help plan, apply and pay for college.