State treasurer announces ‘enhancements’ to make it easier to find unclaimed property
NEW HAVEN — The state has made a series of changes designed to ease residents’ ability to find unclaimed property and money, including allowing online searches for items of any value, state Treasurer Shawn Wooden announced Monday.
In an email, officials with the Office of the State Treasurer said the system also now allows for the status of claims to be monitored online.
They said the state is also engaged in increased engagement with municipalities, is raising the threshold for fast-track processing to $2,500 on July 1 and has begun the process to replace notarization with an online acknowledgment.
“Ahead of National Unclaimed Property Day, I’m proud to announce several administrative enhancements that will make it easier and more efficient for Connecticut residents to retrieve their unclaimed property money,” said Wooden. “Connecticut residents can now look up their unclaimed property of any value at one cent or greater on CTBigList.com and check the status of their claims online... From hardworking families to businesses and organizations, we want to help put unclaimed property money back in the hands of its rightful owners in the most effective and efficient way possible.”
Those without internet access or who prefer to call can also use the state’s toll-free number, 1-800-8337318, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and speak to a customer service representative to file a claim, officials said. Potential claimants can file a claim at any time, as the right of owners to get their property back is guaranteed by the state forever, the release notes.
Officials said that, since an updated CTBigList.com was website launched last February, claims increased by nearly 32 percent.
In the 2020 fiscal year, officials said Connecticut ranked second in the nation in the rate of return of unclaimed property, citing the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators’ annual report.
“I am proud that the process for rightful owners to claim their unclaimed property is now easier than at any time in the history of this program, which was established a century ago,” Wooden said. “Since there is always room for improvement, we are continuously seeking ways to enhance our processes and procedures. Conversations with legislators are ongoing to determine if and how new policies that would require legislative action could add value to the program.”