Unclaimed Money in NJ—Everything You Should Know

Are you dreaming about waking up one morning and finding out you got an unexpected sum of money out of nowhere? Such scenarios don’t have to be just a dream, as you may discover you already have some long-forgotten funds you haven’t collected.

In case you are a New Jersey resident, you might want to know that this state still awaits thousands of owners to show up and collect their funds. According to the NJBIA, the Unclaimed Property Administration (UPA) has successfully returned more than $380 million to their lucky owners in the past few years. The Treasury still keeps organizing initiatives and reminding people of their forgotten financial assets.

Some of these properties might be yours, which means you should get acquainted with the phenomenon of unclaimed money and learn how to do your treasure hunt with no stress!

What Are Unclaimed Funds?

Unclaimed funds—also known as unclaimed money—are properties that remain uncollected by their rightful owners. Their holders fail to contact the persons to whom these properties belong, so they report them to the state after some time. The reported money usually remains dormant for three years. After that, the state takes custody of the property until the original owner collects it.

What Types of Unclaimed Funds Exist?

Unclaimed funds usually refer to financial assets, but they can also represent the items found in storage units or rental properties. They may include the following categories:

• Bonds
• Stocks
• Dividends
• Unused gift cards
• Uncollected refunds
• Unclaimed money orders
• Unclaimed utility deposits
• Uncashed pension checks
• Old bank account balances
• Uncollected insurance money
• Unpaid money from deceased family members
• Items from safe deposit boxes—gold, coins, jewels, guns, or paintings

Why Is There so Much Unclaimed Money in New Jersey?

Bearing in mind the dizzying amounts of money held by the Unclaimed Property Administration, you may wonder how such huge sums end up uncollected.

The holders usually don’t manage to get in touch with people whose money they are keeping. Also, at times people forget about the funds they left to some companies. The list below shows several most common reasons why unclaimed properties keep piling up in New Jersey:

• Address or last name change
• Inactive accounts or bank closures
• Inability to locate the heirs of deceased rightful owners
• Quitting a job and forgetting to collect last commission or paycheck

People who know about their unclaimed funds at times don’t think the amount that belongs to them is worth collecting if it’s too small.

Another reason why they give up is that the claiming procedure seems like a daunting task, and they don’t know how to do it properly. The claimants don't have to struggle with complicated procedures as they have a few options to retrieve the funds under their name safely and hassle-free.

How To Find Unclaimed Money in New Jersey and Claim It by Yourself

The first method of pinpointing and obtaining your unclaimed funds is checking the New Jersey Unclaimed Property Administration database and filing a claim on their website.

The procedure involves these steps:

1. Go to the official website of the Unclaimed Property Administration
2. Choose Search for Unclaimed Property and type your first and last name in the required fields
3. Check the results and select Claim next to all properties that you are entitled to
4. Go to View Claimed Properties and select the appropriate option from the drop-down Claimant Relationship menu
5. Click on File Claim and complete the e-form with personal info, including your Social Security number
6. Submit the form

You will receive a confirmation email containing your claim number, the completed claim form, and the list of mandatory documentation you need to disclose to prove ownership.

The next step is to provide the administration with supporting documents using the Upload Claim Documentation option. Depending on the type of funds you want to reclaim, you may use various documents, such as a photo ID, marriage certificate, or bank statements.

DoNotPay Helps You Find and Claim Funds in New Jersey With No Fuss

If you still consider the online search-and-claim procedure challenging, and you would like to do it the easy way, our app can assist you. DoNotPay is the simplest and quickest way to locate unclaimed money you are entitled to, regardless of your current and past addresses.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Log in to DoNotPay using your web browser
2. Find the Missing Money feature
3. Type all essential details, including your middle name and your current and previous addresses
4. Go through search results and check if there are any unclaimed funds under your name
5. Use the Claim My Properties feature to let us file a claim in your stead

This way, DoNotPay saves your time and nerves and helps you avoid bureaucracy as much as possible.

How To Protect Yourself From Unclaimed Money Scams in New Jersey

It’s not uncommon that people become victims of various frauds related to unclaimed money programs. A common scenario includes calls and emails from unknown people who introduce themselves as the officials of New Jersey’s Unclaimed Property Administration.

It’s important to learn how to recognize fraud attempts and protect yourself, which brings us to several useful tips for such situations:

• Don’t speak further with the person who offers to help you find your unclaimed property for a fee—the state’s Treasury never charges residents for this service
• Check the official contact details on the Treasury’s website to be sure the person who contacts you works for this institution
• Don’t provide the caller or sender with personal information since you may endanger your privacy

Let DoNotPay Solve Other Financial Issues for You in No Time

If you feel like checking out unclaimed money databases in other states or you would like to help your friends or relatives find their long-lost funds, DoNotPay has your back! You might benefit from our articles about unclaimed properties in Ohio, Idaho, Nevada, Delaware, Nebraska, Wyoming, Washington State, and the rest of the USA.

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