The state of South Carolina is currently holding over $700 million in unclaimed money according to a recent report. During a time when holiday credit card bills begin to arrive, many residents of all states are looking for a way to make a few extra bucks. In South Carolina, the state treasury office is working to return money that you may have already earned. In most cases unclaimed money or unclaimed property is defined as money or property that companies cannot return to its rightful owners. This money is then turned over to the state in which the rightful owner resides (or last know address is located) and the state holds this money indefinitely. The type of money can range from unused gift cards, dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten utility deposits and more.
The state of South Carolina returned over $35 million in unclaimed money to its rightful owners last year alone. Searching is easy in this state as they have a searchable database on the treasury website. An average of 1 in every 10 individuals has money or property owed to them. Searching is free and easy, so checking to see if you are owed money could only take a few minutes. While most dollar amounts average around $50-$100 lost, sometimes the payday can be much larger. In May of 2019, Tammy Jenkins of South Carolina had over $12,000 in unclaimed property.
This program is not just for individuals, as some smaller businesses or churches may have money that has gone unclaimed. Simply search the business name on the state website and you can see if there is money owed! You can also check the status of a claim right online, you will just need your claim number. Again, searching is free, check the website today to see if you have any money owed to you.