MERIDIAN, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) – Mississippi State Treasurer David McRae announced today that his unclaimed money team has successfully returned more than $17,000 in unclaimed funds to the City of Meridian. The funds, primarily for the Meridian Police Department, are part of McRae’s ongoing efforts to return unclaimed property to local governments, nonprofits, and individuals.
“This is not the state government’s money, and it belongs in the local communities where it can do the most good,” McRae said in a statement.
Since taking office, Treasurer McRae has focused on increasing the return of unclaimed funds, and his office has already returned a record $125 million to Mississippi citizens — the highest total in any single term of a state treasurer.
Unclaimed property refers to funds that are deemed abandoned after being left unclaimed by their rightful owner for at least five years. These could be misaddressed checks, forgotten utility deposits, or inactive bank accounts. Over time, small amounts of money can accumulate, and it is then the Treasurer’s responsibility to identify the rightful owner and return the funds.
“We’ve made a lot of changes to increase the speed at which the money is matched, including switching to an eClaims system, reducing the need for a notary. In some cases, we’re now using new technology to proactively find and return lost money without requiring a claim,” McRae explained.
As part of National Unclaimed Property Day on February 1, McRae is encouraging all Mississippians to check whether they have any unclaimed funds. Citizens can search for unclaimed property in their name or that of a lost loved one by visiting the state’s official site at treasury.ms.gov/search.
State Treasury Director of Unclaimed Property Lee Youngblood presents cardboard check to Meridian Mayor Jimmie Smith. State Treasurer David McRae’s unclaimed money team was able to identify more than $17,000 in unclaimed funds for the City of Meridian, primarily the Meridian Police Department.
