The State of Texas is currently holding more than $6 billion in cash and other valuables in their unclaimed property division.  Yes, that's billion with a 'b'.  The vast majority of folks who are due some of this unclaimed money don't even know it.

A few years ago, I typed in my name in the search portal and found out that I had several hundred dollars with my name on it due to overpayment at a Houston hospital.  So, it's worth just taking a look to see. Instead of the old cliché 'What do you have to lose?', in this case it's 'What do you have to gain?'

The Texas Comptroller’s office approved and paid $285 million in unclaimed property claims during the past fiscal year according to Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar.

"I am proud to have returned nearly $2 billion dollars to Texans since becoming Comptroller, and we are continually looking for new ways to return even more," Hegar said. "This is a testament to the hardworking folks in our Unclaimed Property Division. I encourage everyone to visit ClaimItTexas.org to see if the state is holding some of their unclaimed property."

The $285 million in unclaimed property returned in fiscal 2021 represents more than 538,000 properties. These belongings include things such as forgotten utility deposits or other refunds, insurance proceeds, payroll checks, cashier’s checks, dividends, mineral royalties, dormant bank accounts and abandoned safe-deposit box contents. Businesses generally turn property over to the unclaimed property program after it has been considered dormant for one to five years.

There is generally no statute of limitations for unclaimed property the state holds, which means there’s no time limit for owners to file a claim — they can do so at any time.

For more information about the unclaimed property program, or to search for unclaimed property and begin the claims process, visit the Comptroller's unclaimed property website, ClaimItTexas.org, or call 800-321-2274 (CASH).

LOOK: Here is the richest town in each state

Just saying the names of these towns immediately conjures up images of grand mansions, luxury cars, and ritzy restaurants. Read on to see which town in your home state took the title of the richest location and which place had the highest median income in the country. Who knows—your hometown might even be on this list.

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