FYI:
Thanks Chris Timco for the headsup…unclaimed property in the State of Michigan grew to be almost unmanagable, so the State created an agency…called the “Unclaimed Property Department, State of Michigan”. What a appropriate name, eh? Anyways, this may interest you in that I have already gone complete circle, and received a proceeds check on funds my deceased parents left behind that I had no idea existed. So I went in and did my due diligence on their website. There is a google type feature in there whereby you type in a name and if there is any existing unclaimed ANYTHING in there…savings, checking, stocks, bonds, real estate, etc., etc., it will post the name.
So following the websites instructions to see if there was unclaimed property, I typed in Perrine…and I was amazed to see my Dad’s, Mother’s, and Uncle’s names popped up! I mean the correct first name and middle initials of all 3 of these people! Again, following instructions on the website, I painstakingly submitted the required claim forms, and sure as heck, there was an unclaimed savings account and other cash stipends that were somehow passed over when Mom died; likewise, there was an account that I delegated to my Dad’s wife when probating the estate when he passed; I was shocked to learn that she never claimed it, and the money had been sitting there for well over 10 years, I have no idea why she never claimed it!
It took several months to process the claim, but the State of Michigan issued me a check. Quite frankly, it was no walk through the park processing this claim as they required a considerable amount of “proof of this, proof of that” forms, court documents, birth and death certificates, etc., etc. Nonetheless, the several hours I had to spend to find, gather, make copies and prepare all this documentation, get notorizations, etc., resulted in a “unclaimed funds” check.
That said, I suggest, just for fun, have a go at it and see if there’s any unclaimed property in your name on this website.
Good luck!
Gary Perrine
January 17, 2010
