Missing money in Kansas? Sedgwick County residents now have a new way to search for it
A new kiosk will soon provide another way for Kansans to collect unclaimed property.
Unclaimed property usually takes the form of money — like missing checking and savings accounts, wages, refunds, over payments, court deposits and more — that never makes it to its owners, often due to address changes. The properties are held by the state treasurer, which is charged with returning them to their rightful owners.
Sedgwick County residents and others in the area will be able to use a self-service kiosk to search for unclaimed property beginning Thursday. The kiosk will have the statewide search available, while new computer monitors will scroll through the names of Sedgwick County residents with unclaimed property.
The kiosk will be located at the 2525 W. Douglas tag office, and the county will hold an event Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the office to commemorate the new kiosk and computer monitors.
“Since most Sedgwick County residents stop by a tag office at least once a year, we’re hoping they’ll take a moment during their next visit to check their name at the kiosk,” Sedgwick County Treasurer Brandi Bailey said in a Wednesday press release. “Even if they don’t have any unclaimed property, they might find a lucky friend or family member on the list.”
Bailey and Kansas Treasurer Steven Johnson will be at Thursday’s event.
Sedgwick County residents and business are owed more than $50 million in unclaimed property, according to the press release.
How to search for unclaimed property in Kansas
All current and former Kansas residents (and others who do business in the state) can search for unclaimed property anytime online through the Kansas State Treasurer’s website.
To search, you can enter your first and last name and answer all prompted questions. Once submitted, a list will pop up with all properties matching your search. You can then click “add to your cart.”
The state treasurer’s office is holding more than $537 million worth of unclaimed properties statewide, a spokesperson told the Eagle in an email. A spokesperson in February said the office returned more than $2 million in 2022 to Sedgwick County residents, a fraction of the funds it held.
The average claim in Kansas is about $260.
Since its 1979 inception, the Kansas program has returned an excess of $399 million, Wednesday’s press release said.
If you submitted a claim in the past and haven’t received a payment, you can enter your claim ID under “check claim status” to see an update. There is no deadline to file a claim.
If you’ve lived in states besides Kansas, you can check those states, as well. The site Missing Money offers a multi-state search, and ways to search for other types of lost money is available through a federal portal at usa.gov/unclaimed-money.
This story may be updated.
This story was originally published July 12, 2023 at 11:35 AM.
