ByLearn What To Do With Leftover Money From Home Insurance Claim
If something bad happens to your house and you have home insurance, you should get a payout from your insurance company. This money should cover all the repairs and replacements in your house. Find out what happens if you get through this process and have leftover money.
Can You Keep Home Insurance Claim Money?
In case your house goes through an accident, and you have home insurance, you shouldn't have to worry about paying for the reconstruction. Your home insurance company will send a representative to assess the damage and calculate the amount needed to bring your home back to its previous state.
This is an approximate cost, and it could happen that:
- You need more money once all the repairments are done
- You might have leftover money
If the amount you get ends up being too low, your agent will help you get more money. In case you are done with the repairments for less than you initially received, are you allowed to keep the money, or do you have to return it to the insurance company?
Most companies will let you keep the money, but consult your insurance company to make sure you don’t commit insurance fraud. The reason behind this is simple—homeowners can pick their own contractor or do the work themselves if they have the required skills.
The important part is for you to deal with this matter accordingly to not end up with unclaimed insurance money. If that is already the case, we have good news—DoNotPay can help you locate unclaimed property in no time!
What Are Unclaimed Funds?
Money that’s been left without any contact from the owner for a while and later discovered by the government is called found money.
When a rightful owner of assets can’t be located, those funds are turned to the State Treasurer for safeguarding. A certain time needs to pass (one to five years in most cases) for the government to take the money. This period is also known as the dormancy period.
It’s important to note that these assets do not belong to the State—they are being kept safe in one place to ensure an easier way for owners or heirs to find it.
What Else Can Be Considered Unclaimed Property Besides Insurance Claim Money?
Billions of dollars in the U.S. are considered unclaimed and this money comes from various sources. Take a look at the table below to see some of the most common ones:
| Money in the Form of | Can It Be Considered Unclaimed? |
| Stocks and Bonds | Yes |
| Utility Deposits | Yes |
| Insurance Money | Yes |
| Oil and Gas Royalties | Yes |
| Uncashed Payroll Checks | Yes |
| Court Deposits | Yes |
| Dormant Saving Account | Yes |
Use DoNotPay To Locate Any Type of Unclaimed Money
DoNotPay can help you find any type of unclaimed money without struggle. Thanks to our extensive database covering both federal and state resources, you won’t have to look for abandoned assets for each country separately. Follow these instructions to check if your bank account should be worth more:
- Open DoNotPay in your
- Find and select the Missing Money feature
- Provide us with your personal info
If you include your middle name and addresses where you used to live, we can narrow down the search. If we find unclaimed money that belongs to you, you can use our Claim Your Property feature, and we will file a claim for that property instead of you!
How To Find Unclaimed Money on Your Own
Looking for unclaimed money on your own requires you to search for abandoned assets for each state separately. You will have to look for unclaimed property on the State Treasurer's website, depending on the state. Check out the rules and regulations for some of the states here:
You have to provide your personal information and maybe even a Social Security number. If you find your name on the list of rightful owners, you can file a claim for the property.
The process is different for each state, so you’ll need to find out about the specifics of these rules and regulations and how you can finalize this process.
What Are the Most Common Reasons Money Becomes Unclaimed?
Money can become unclaimed property due to various reasons. The account holder could die, so you become entitled to unclaimed money from a deceased relative.
Sometimes an individual leaves their workplace without claiming their final paycheck. It is not uncommon for banks to make mistakes, which leads to some funds getting lost. It is also possible that a person moves to another address without registering it as their new residence.
Can You Prevent Money From Becoming Unclaimed Property?
The best way to prevent your assets from becoming unclaimed property is to keep your bank and broker accounts, utility deposits, and insurance policies under close scrutiny. You should also use your accounts, withdraw money from them, and cash your checks regularly. Make sure to respond to mail from institutions that hold your assets as well. All of this ensures that the people in charge of holding your money know it is not abandoned and that someone is using it.
It would also be wise to inform a trusted individual about the location of your money in case something happens to you. This could be a family member or an advisor of the sort.
Why Don’t People Claim Their Money?
The most common reason for people not claiming their money is that they don’t know they have any. This is a shame because one out of ten Americans has unclaimed money they could look for.
With modern technology and available resources, it’s easier than ever to look for unclaimed funds. If you try searching for missing assets, you could end up with a significant prize—a person from Connecticut got $32.8 million this way!
The process of finding and claiming the money can be complicated at times—especially when it comes to filing a complaint and finding all the required proof you are the rightful owner.
Luckily, with DoNotPay, you won’t have to trouble yourself with all those nuisances. We can make sure you find and get your money the fastest way possible.
Having Administrative Problems? DoNotPay Can Help You Solve Them All
If you are having any other insurance trouble, DoNotPay can help you deal with it. In case you no longer wish to pay for a membership from insurance companies like Ambetter, Assurant, Travelers Insurance, Lemonade Insurance, or Progressive Insurance, we can help you terminate it in no time.
DoNotPay’s reach doesn’t stop there. We can help you deal with numerous bureaucratic tasks. Access DoNotPay from your , and let us assist you with:
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