Money Search - Virgin Islands
Virginia Department of the Treasury
Division of Unclaimed Property
P.O. Box 2478
Richmond, VA
23218-2478
Unclaimed Property can be reached by telephone at Toll Free: 1-800-468-1088
The Unclaimed Property Division is responsible for the custody of lost, outstanding and dormant accounts reported to them by businesses that have lost contact with the rightful owner when the last known address of the owner was in Virginia. The Division attempts to locate the rightful owners or their heirs to help them claim their property. Attempts to locate owners includes an annual publication of newly reported owner names in newspapers across the Commonwealth and a searchable website, www.VaMoneySearch.org , which is available to the public 24 hours a day!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Unclaimed Property?
All tangible or intangible property that has remained unclaimed by its owner
for an extended period of time. This includes but is not limited to savings
and checking accounts, wages or commissions, underlying shares, dividends,
customer deposits, credit balances, gift certificates, credit memos, refunds,
etc.
How Does Property Become "Unclaimed"?
In accordance with the Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act, Title
55, Chapter 11.1 Sections 55-210.1 - 55-210.30 of the Code of Virginia, property
becomes unclaimed when the holder has not had contact with the owner of the
property for a specified period of time. After the passage of the dormancy
period, if there has been no activity generated by the owner, the property
is then considered abandoned.
Why Does Virginia Have Such A Law?
The purpose of Virginia's law is threefold . . .
- To protect the property rights of the absentee owner and to reunite the owner with the property;
- To provide the use of the funds to the Literary Fund for the benefit of all Virginia citizens rather than a chance possessor; and
- To provide the holders relief from any liability.
Who Administers The Law?
The Virginia State Treasurer's Office, Division of Unclaimed Property.
What Attempts Are Made To Find The Rightful Owners?
The holder (except banks and financial institutions if they complied with Section
55-210.3:01) is required to exercise due diligence prior to the submission
of the unclaimed property report. The holder is required to perform due diligence
when the property has a value of $100 or more. This means that they must
mail a first-class mailing to the owner's last known address informing them
of the dormant status of the property (Section 55-210.12(e)). The division
is required (Section 55-210.13) to publish the owner's names in the newspaper
annually.
Additional efforts to locate the owner are made by the investigative section
of the Unclaimed Property Division. The Commonwealth also maintains a website
that allows visitors to perform their own search for property. Go to www.VaMoneySearch.org to
look for property held by Virginia's Unclaimed Property Division