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Are you missing $900,000? The Unclaimed Property Registry might have it

Sep 12, 2020 | 6:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – It’s the highest amount of money the registry has ever held for an individual Albertan.

The Unclaimed Property Registry, also known as the “shelter for abandoned money,” is looking for Albertans with missing funds to claim them.

One, in particular, reportedly has nearly $900,000 in uncashed dividends.

Currently, more than 250,000 Albertans could find forgotten funds on the MissingMoney.com website, which could include uncashed cheques for government-issued benefits, employment income, scholarships, utility refunds or insurance proceeds, or other funds such as investment-related income or interest payments.

The Unclaimed Personal Property and Vested Property Act requires entities such as businesses, government, utility corporations, insurance companies, and universities, to try to locate the rightful owners, and, if unsuccessful, to report the unclaimed property to the registry.

In order to be considered “abandoned” and therefore eligible to be transferred to the Unclaimed Property Registry, a piece of property has to be dormant for one-to-15 years depending on the type.

In 2019-2020, approximately $840,000 was returned to 470 people.