$88 million in unclaimed property belongs to Wichita residents. How to claim it

The state of Kansas holds more than $692 million in unclaimed property — and some of it may belong to you.

Of that pot, the Kansas State Treasurer’s Office said $88,905,126 belongs to residents, businesses and organizations with a Wichita address. In Sedgwick County, there is $99,311,531 in unclaimed property as of June 18.

Unclaimed property includes all sorts of financial assets, but it mostly consists of money — including everything from payroll checks, refunds and overpayments, money orders and bank accounts to stocks and bonds, safe deposit box contents and insurance proceeds.

“Typically, unclaimed property is generated when people lose or fail to cash a check or forget to alert their bank or stockbroker when they move,” according to the treasurer’s office. “Any company or organization that writes checks, drafts or warrants, has the potential to possess unclaimed property.”

When property isn’t claimed, the state holds the money in a general fund used to benefit Kansans “until the rightful owner is found.”

To date, Kansas has returned more than $460 million in funds.

If you don’t know if you’re missing any money, there’s an easy way to check.

Here’s how to get your money.

Checking for unclaimed property in Kansas

First, you need to determine if you have any unclaimed property. To do this, visit the Kansas State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property website at missingmoney.ks.gov. Here, you can search by your last name or business name.

If you have gone by other names, you should check for those names, too. Your funds could be listed under an old name or mailing address.

The website is “consistently updated,” but the biggest updates come after Nov. 1, which is the due date for most companies to report unclaimed property, Jessica Schleif, deputy director of Unclaimed Property, told The Wichita Eagle. Another big due date is May 1, specific to life insurance.

Schleif recommends checking the website periodically so you don’t miss any funds that are added.

Claiming unclaimed funds in Kansas

If you found unclaimed property that belongs to you, click the “claim” button and then the “continue to file claim” button. There are no fees to file a claim.

The site will prompt you to fill out your current information, including your birthday, email, Social Security number and mailing address.

You’ll be able to preview your claim before submitting it.

Most claims will then require you to submit a copy of your photo identification and a legal document that lists your Social Security number. You’ll receive an email letting you know if you need to submit these documents.

If required, you’ll be able to submit your copies via a secure link or by mail.

You can track your claim’s status by using the claim number you received via email after your submission. Funds will be mailed to your current mailing address.