Treasurer Stacy Garrity Announces Return of Nearly $43,000 in Unclaimed Property to Bedford County
Bedford, PA - Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Bedford County Commissioner Chairman Barry L. Dallara announced today that nearly $43,000 in unclaimed property has been returned to Bedford County.
“Since taking office, I’ve visited Bedford, Pleasantville and Everett and I know that the residents of Bedford County work hard and want to know that every taxpayer dollar is being used wisely. This is a great example of how Treasury works with local agencies to return unclaimed property – and it’s a good reminder that unclaimed property isn’t just waiting for individuals and businesses, but also for counties, municipalities and school districts. This money doesn’t belong to the state, and I encourage everyone to check our website to see if they have any money waiting for them.”
Pennsylvania State Treasurer, Stacy Garrity
“I’m extremely proud of the hard work done by Melissa Cottle, Treasurer of Bedford County. Thanks to her dedication, this unclaimed property is now back with the county where it belongs.”
Bedford County Commissioner Chairman, Barry L. Dallara
The $42,812.70 returned to Bedford County includes 49 individual properties ranging in value from $0.45 to $28,877.45. The oldest property dates back to 1978, while the most recent is from 2018. Properties returned include funds from accounts payable checks, cashier’s checks, checking accounts, claims payment checks, expense checks, money orders, and other forms of unclaimed property.
Treasurer Garrity has returned more than $15 million to 55 local governments, including counties and municipalities, since taking office.
Treasury is working to return more than $4 billion in unclaimed property to its rightful owners. About one in ten Pennsylvanians is owed unclaimed property, and the average claim is worth about $1,600.
Unclaimed property can include dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance policies, contents of forgotten safe deposit boxes and more. State law requires businesses to report unclaimed property to Treasury after three years of dormancy. Treasury keeps tangible unclaimed property for about three years before it is auctioned. Auction proceeds are kept in perpetuity for owners to claim. Military decorations and memorabilia are never auctioned.
To learn more about unclaimed property or to search Treasury’s database, visit patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property.
Media contacts:
Samantha Heckel, Press Secretary (Treasury), 717-418-0206 or sheckel@patreasury.gov
Debra Brown, Chief Clerk/Director of Elections (Bedford County), 814-623-4807 or mcottle@bedfordcountypa.org
