There is over 900 million dollars worth of funds that are currently unclaimed in Louisiana. Over 660 million dollars have already been claimed through this program and according to research, more than 1 in 6 Louisiana residents are entitled to the property. This means you should definitely check to see if your name is on the list!
I’ve personally claimed multiple listings that were under my name for money that I didn’t even know about. I had moved a few times during college and companies were unable to locate me to send my refund or the amount of money that they owed to me.
Heirs can also locate unclaimed property by using the website. There is a good chance that you have a deceased family member that is owed funds to their estate. Companies usually make a feeble attempt to mail refund checks to people and they will simply send the funds to the Louisiana unclaimed property if no one picks them up after a certain amount of time.
Go to https://lacashclaim.org/
If you think you might have an asset waiting for your claim, go to https://lacashclaim.org/ to see if there is anything listed for your name. It’s incredibly easy to do a search. All you have to do is go to the website and click “Claim your cash.” You will then be routed to a page that allows you to input your name or business name to do a quick search.
Search using different variations of your name to get all listings. I go by my middle name mainly and have found that some listings had my first name while others had my middle name. Another way to get a complete search is to just put your last name in the search box. This will give you every single listing for that last name. You will likely see plenty of family members that have Louisiana unclaimed property and you can notify them.
You will need to provide some personal information, such as name, address, phone number, email address, and birth date. Then, you will need to answer questions about the asset. Once you complete the form, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to file your claim.
It’s incredibly easy and you will usually receive your check in a matter of weeks. I filed a claim a few months back and got paid within a few weeks. Honestly, I had forgotten about the claim so it was a nice little surprise when it arrived.
You have two choices when making a claim:
- Make a claim for yourself or your business, or
- Make a claim as an heir.
Enter your name and address.
After submitting your information, you will receive a message confirming that your claim was received. You will also receive a letter explaining what steps you must take next. This includes providing additional information, such as proof of ownership, and paying any fees associated with filing the claim.
The Average Check is $900.
This may come as a surprise, but the average check claimed from Louisiana unclaimed property is approximately $900! That’s just enough money to pay some bills or take a nice trip. It can have a huge impact if you are struggling financially. I wouldn’t let my money sit there any longer, go search for it! I can think of a lot of things to do with an extra 900 bucks.
Types of Refunds.
You may be wondering what type of funds they collect. Basically, any type of money that a company or government entity tried to refund to you but was not able to locate you could be on the list. Here are a few of the common refunds people receive:
- Life insurance benefits
- Medical bills that were overpaid
- Utility deposits that were refunded
- Escrow accounts
- Old savings accounts
- Bonds
- Any type of refund
- Inheritance
- Court filing fees
- Dividends
- Old payroll checks
There are a million different possibilities when it comes to Louisiana’s unclaimed property. It could literally be any type of fund that you either forgot about or didn’t know about. Many companies don’t even try to reach you by phone or email and simply mail a check to a random address that they think you may have lived at. I’ve had companies try to send refunds to addresses I haven’t lived at in over 20 years! These checks get returned and they send to the Louisiana unclaimed property fund where it sits until you claim it.
Inheritance Funds.
It’s common for someone to die and have money owed to them. In fact, I would bet a large number of listings on the Louisiana Unclaimed Property website come from exactly that. Claiming heir property will take a little more work on your part to claim funds, but it’s not too bad. First, you will need to do a search to find your family member’s property and make a claim. You will then have to prove heirship. This means you will have to show the state that you are the legal heir of the person who has passed away.
You will need to present court documents to prove that you are the proper heir in order to claim the property. In some cases, the state will request additional information and you will have to comply with their requests in order to close out the claim and receive money. You may need to speak with a probate attorney to draft the required documentation in order to prove your claim.
In Conclusion:
The Louisiana Unclaimed Property website has tons of listings for people owed money in Louisiana. It’s a good idea to check it occasionally to see if you have any funds deposited that you can claim. I’ve personally claimed multiple listings that made a difference. It’s your money and you shouldn’t let it go to waste. Claiming your money is easy and I hope this guide has helped.