Your Money: Find out of you have unclaimed funds
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West Virginians don't want their money hanging around in state coffers, it seems, as state Treasurer Larry Pack announced earlier this month the Unclaimed Property Division returned a near-record $40.2 million in unclaimed property funds in fiscal year 2026.
Individuals, organizations and businesses again took a greater interest than usual in taking back what was theirs -- which is a wonderful thing, but also perhaps a marker of the NEED to find new resources as budgets are stretched ever tighter.
Fiscal year 2025 set the $40.6 million record. But before that, efforts to reclaim funds netted $18.6 million in 2022, $26.8 million in 2023 and $28 million in 2024. Improved educational campaigns can't take all the credit for such a dramatic leap in people looking for their money over the past two fiscal years.
Still, those in Pack's office have done an excellent job of guiding people through the process.
"Our team remains committed to ensure West Virginians are reconnected with their lost unclaimed property funds, and this fiscal year was no different," Pack said. "While more than $40 million was returned, there is still much more in our system that needs to go back into the pockets of our citizens. We're proud to present checks to individuals, businesses, municipalities, and law enforcement agencies who can then use the money to benefit their communities. We encourage more people to check our online database because you never know if you'll find unclaimed property money in your name."
Remember, it's your money, not the state's. There are still $529 million in unclaimed listings in the division's database. It's worth checking, at www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov.
You never know, you may get a pleasant surprise; and couldn't we all use that right now?