County of Bucks (Credit: LevittownNow)
Pennsylvania Deputy Treasurer Julie Peachey on Thursday joined with Bucks County officials and state legislators to encourage residents to search for unclaimed property held by the state and county.
Peachey joined Bucks County Controller Pamela Van Blunk, State Sen. Frank Farry, a Republican; and state represenatives Shelby Labs, a Republican; Kathleen “K.C.” Tomlinson, a Republican; and Joe Hogan, a Republican, at Farry’s Senior Expo in Northampton Township to promote the program.
“I’m excited to spread the word about Treasury’s unclaimed property program and the money available to claim for hardworking Pennsylvanians in Bucks County,” Peachey said.
The deputy treasurer thanked Farry for hosting the event to help “connect local seniors with money they might not have known was missing.”
Pennsylvania’s Treasury is holding more than $5 billion in unclaimed property for more than one in ten Pennsylvanians, with the average claim worth more than $1,000.
State law mandates businesses report property to the Treasury after three years of dormancy. The property includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance policies, and the contents of forgotten safe deposit boxes.
More than 1.2 million properties worth nearly $136 million are available for claim by residents and businesses in Bucks County alone.
Bucks County Controller Van Blunk, a Republican, noted that her office holds an additional $1.6 million in unclaimed funds specifically for individuals and organizations that have done business with or received services from the county.
“I’m proud to join Deputy Treasurer Peachey in making the return of unclaimed property a top priority,” Van Blunk said. “Just as Treasurer Stacy Garrity has led the way for Pennsylvania by returning millions to rightful owners, my office and I have made it a mission here in Bucks County to do the same.”
Van Blunk added that the county’s program has “returned over $1 million to residents, nonprofits and local businesses” in three years.
Farry encouraged residents to contact his office for help getting back unclaimed funds.
“It is always good news for our community when we are talking about unclaimed property and getting that money returned to Bucks County residents,” he said.
To search the state’s database, residents can visit patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property.
