State seeks owners of $32 million
by Office of the State Treasurer
April 7, 2009
(Cheyenne) - There is $32.0 million available to the rightful owners and Wyoming State Treasurer Joe Meyer wants to return it. "Wyoming Windfall" is the catch name for the Unclaimed Property Division of the State Treasurer's Office. Unclaimed property includes, but is not limited to, wages, uncashed money orders, oil and gas royalties, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
Funds that have been held by a company or by another state for a specified number of years and have not or cannot be paid to the owner are then placed in protective custody by the State Treasurer. The Unclaimed Property Division safeguards and makes a diligent effort to return the funds to the rightful owner, at no cost to the owner.
The State Treasurer's Wyoming Windfall begins Sunday, April 5, 2009. Phone banks will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, April 6-10; after April 10, phone banks will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Hundreds of telephone calls are received and claims are mailed to potential owners/heirs during a two week period. Please be patient, though. With thousands of names being advertised, you may get a busy signal. For persons who wish to avoid possible telephone delays, you may write to the Unclaimed Property Division at 2515 Warren Avenue, Suite 502, Cheyenne, WY 82002. In spite of the high volume of expected calls and questions, we will try to respond to your request within 8-10 weeks."
Treasurer Meyer stressed that Unclaimed Property is not a scam, nor is it the result of winning a contest. This money belongs to the owners or rightful heirs. Meyer said the average claim is less than $100; however, some owners have claimed $100,000 or more.
The website address to search for unclaimed property is: www.wywindfall.gov. The website will be available for preview beginning Sunday, April 5. Phone banks will be open beginning April 6.
Even if you don't see your name on the website, you should contact the Unclaimed Property Office at 307-777-5590 or at the address noted above to determine if we are holding unclaimed property for you.
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