State holding over $1.17 million belonging to Sublette County residents
Unclaimed Property Division holds lost money
April 22, 2020
The State of Wyoming is holding over $91 million belonging to current and former residents of Wyoming – including more than $1.17 million earmarked for those in Sublette County.
"We were planning to visit Pinedale in May as part of an outreach mission to help local citizens find and claim their lost money," said Unclaimed Property Administrator Jeff Robertson. "The pandemic has forced us to change those plans, but we still want to help residents in those areas claim any money that is rightfully theirs. With so many people spending extended periods of time at home, now is the perfect time to see if the state is holding onto your money."
There are at least 7 individuals/businesses with a last known address in Sublette County owed more than $10,000.
- Sublette County School District #1 is owed more than $27,000
- Sublette County Ice Arena is owed more than $490
-Pinedale Ambulance Service is owed more than $400
-Sublette County Rural Health is owed more than $390
A little over a year ago, the Unclaimed Property Division of Wyoming State Treasurer’s Office upgraded its website and simplified the claims process.
"The easiest thing to do is to go to our website (www.mycash.wyo.gov) and watch the 2-minute video located on the left side of the page," Robertson said. "It shows how you can search to see if you are entitled to any money and then how to complete the claims process."
Wyoming State Treasurer Curt Meier said this is a tough time for many Wyoming residents, so finding even a little bit of money through Unclaimed Property can help those who are struggling.
"The Covid-19 pandemic is causing many challenges for all of us in Wyoming, as well as across the country," Meier said. "Some of us have received a federal stimulus check while others are still waiting, but Unclaimed Property is another avenue many may not be thinking of during this time."
Money and other types of unclaimed property, such as royalties, stocks, mutual funds and safe deposit boxes, are turned over to the state when a business, agency or governmental entity cannot locate the owner for a specified time period.
"Even if you have received unclaimed property in the past, more money is turned over every year," Robertson said. "Because of this, the amount of money being held by the state continues to increase."
In all, Wyoming's Unclaimed Property Division has more than $91 million waiting to be returned to its rightful owner. Wyoming’s Unclaimed Property Division issued 6,084 checks totaling more than $6.857 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2019. Last year, they wrote one check for more $570,000. So far in 2020 they have issued a couple of checks in excess of $200,000 and are preparing to issue one for more than $300,000.
To make a claim, owners will need to provide a valid ID. It can be uploaded directly to the website, emailed to wyomingup@wyo.gov or mailed through USPS. Additional documentation may also be required depending on the property in question and complexity of the claim.
Wyoming law requires the state to hold unclaimed property in perpetuity until the rightful owner is able to claim it. "We recently paid an individual over $50,000 that was turned over to the state in 1997," Robertson said. "A lot of the higher-valued properties are in the names of individuals who are now deceased. We want to reunite this money with that person’s heir or heirs, so make sure you also search for the name of a loved one who may have passed."
Those not comfortable or able to search the website from a computer or mobile device may call the Wyoming State Treasurer’s Office at 307-777-5590 for assistance, although there may be a wait time depending on demand.
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