Unclaimed Money in WV and How To Find It

iEditorial Note: These blog posts represent the opinion of DoNotPay’s Writers, but each person’s situation and circumstances vary greatly. As a result, you should make sure to do your own independent research. Because everyone is unique, our self-help tools are never guaranteed to help with any specific situation. DoNotPay is not a law firm and is not licensed to practice law. DoNotPay provides a platform for legal information and self-help.

Have Unclaimed Money in WV? Get It Fast With DoNotPay!

Has it ever occurred to you that you might be the owner of unclaimed money in West Virginia? Around 1 in 10 people in America have unclaimed property, coming from deceased relatives, insurance, or other sources.

The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) estimates that there is more than $42 billion of unclaimed property all across the U.S.

If you think you might have missing money in West Virginia, use DoNotPay’s simple search tool to claim what belongs to you!

What Is Unclaimed Money?

Unclaimed funds are assets the government declares abandoned even though they have an identified owner. The problem occurs when the holder—keeping the money for the owner—loses all contact with them for a certain period. This is called the dormancy period, and it’s determined by the state’s statute. The duration varies from state to state and also depends on the type of property.

What Is the Amount of Unclaimed Money in WV?

In 2020, the unclaimed property in West Virginia amounted to $308 million in 2.25 million accounts. Some people have more than $100 in unclaimed assets, and you could be one of them.

What Constitutes Unclaimed Money in WV?

There are various types of personal property that the government can deem unclaimed. The two main ones are tangible and intangible.

Tangible property usually refers to the content of safe deposit boxes, while intangible can be money from uncashed checks, unrefunded taxes, checking and savings accounts, etc.

Some types of property can’t get the unclaimed status, though.

In the table below, see what counts as unclaimed property and what doesn’t:

Can Become Unclaimed PropertyCan’t Become Unclaimed property
  • Uncashed paychecks
  • Stocks
  • Checking accounts
  • Savings accounts
  • Dividends
  • Bonds
  • Insurance benefits
  • Utility deposits
  • Rebates
  • Land
  • Real estate
  • Motor vehicles

The Reasons Why Money Goes Missing

Most property is abandoned because people forget they have it. As strange as this may sound, it happens quite often.

Check out several other reasons why people don’t reclaim their money:

  • They forget about their bank accounts
  • Many forget to inform the holder about changing their home address or phone number
  • Some don’t know how to reclaim the money from a bank that closed
  • A company closes, and people can’t reclaim their pensions
  • They forget that they are a beneficiary of their relative’s life insurance

How To Find Unclaimed Money in West Virginia by Yourself

Finding missing money in West Virginia isn’t as difficult as in some states. The West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office has been dealing with unclaimed property for some time, and up until 2020, it returned over $191 million of unclaimed money to the rightful owners.

If you’re located in WV, you can look for and claim your money in three ways:

  1. Via the WV online database
  2. Over the phone
  3. Via email

Get Your Lost Money via the WV Database

Although most states use third-party websites, like MissingMoney, West Virginia has its website for unclaimed property. Here’s how to search for your lost money on WV’s website:

  1. Go to the West Virginia State Treasurer official website
  2. Scroll down to find the Unclaimed Property section
  3. Click on Search
  4. Tap on Get Started
  5. Enter all the required information
  6. Fill out all fields to narrow your search
  7. Click on Search
  8. Find your name and tap on Claim
  9. Add the relationship you have to the property ( select owner if that’s the case)

After you get to the last step, you’ll get the property ID. Keep it somewhere because you can use it later to check the claim status.

Call the West Virginia Treasury Unclaimed Money Department

You might feel safer if you get someone from the Treasury on the phone to help you file a claim for your missing money. To contact the WV Treasurer’s Office via phone, follow these steps:

  1. Call 1-800-642-8687
  2. Ask them to help you look for your unclaimed money
  3. Follow further instructions

Send an Email to the WV Treasury To Get Your Unclaimed Cash

The WV Treasury has a designated email address for your requests and questions. To get your WV unclaimed money, do the following:

  1. Write an email stating that you want to look for unclaimed money
  2. Add information about yourself, such as your name, address, Social Security number, etc.
  3. Send the email to eclaims_support@wvsto.com

Alternative Databases for Searching Your WV Unclaimed Money

It might not be enough to conduct a search of your unclaimed property on the website of the West Virginia Treasurer Office. To be certain that you’ve checked all potential WV unclaimed money lists, spread your search to other federal databases. Some of the most frequently used are:

Let DoNotPay Help You Claim Your Unclaimed Money in West Virginia

DoNotPay helps you claim your forgotten assets with our user-friendly Missing Money feature. You might not get millions, but it’s usually more than $100.

With DoNotPay, you’ll be able to search through extensive state and federal databases without your Social Security number. This will improve your chances of finding what’s rightfully yours.

To look for your missing money, open DoNotPay in your and follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to your account
  2. Click on the Missing Money feature
  3. Enter your information, such as full name and previous addresses
  4. Tap on Claim My Property when you find your asset

Our app will file the claim for you and inform you after it is processed. If you moved, this won’t be a problem because DoNotPay can look for your forgotten assets all across the U.S.

DoNotPay Helps You Handle Other Bureaucratic Issues

When it comes to finding missing money, DoNotPay has a great rate of success. Aside from enabling you to claim your money in West Virginia, we can help you look for your missing assets in any U.S. state, including Utah, Iowa, Texas, Michigan, Vermont, Nebraska, Rhode Island, etc.

Finding missing money is not all that DoNotPay does for you. We have a wide range of services that you might find helpful when dealing with everyday bureaucratic issues.

If you’re based in WV and drive a car, you probably have at least one parking ticket. The good news is—DoNotPay can help you quite successfully.

Find out what else our app can do for you by opening it in your .

DoNotPay will assist you with:

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