Unclaimed property returns are having a roaring start to the Fiscal Year, Kansas Treasurer Lynn Rogers reports. There were over 23,500 searches conducted on the Unclaimed Property system during the State Fair’s 2022 run, compared to just under 20,000 last year. This growth in searches will translate into more money being returned to its rightful owners.

Returning unclaimed property to Kansans is a focus area for Treasurer Rogers. Claims paid out to Kansans for July and August rank those two months in the top 15% of all months since 2014 in gross dollar amounts. July saw an increase of roughly $1.3 million in payouts over last year. August’s numbers from last year include the record-holding largest payout of $5 million, which makes the comparison more difficult. When the outlier payment is removed, regular payouts saw an increase of roughly $1.2 million over last year.

“Returning unclaimed property is a moral action as much as it is a legally required action,” Rogers said. “These funds belong to Kansans, not the state. The state is just safeguarding funds that are lost or forgotten until they can be returned to the owner. Seeing this increase in paid out claims means more Kansans are getting back their cash.”

Unclaimed property is turned over to the state by financial institutions and other organizations when the original owner has abandoned the property or is unable to be located by the organization. The state in turn holds the property until the owner files a claim to have the property returned. During events such as the State Fair, the Treasurer’s Office sets up a booth where individuals can learn about the program and file claims. Searches for unclaimed property can also be completed on the Treasurer’s website, https://kansascash.ks.gov/up_search.php.