Topping the list is Cuyahoga County, with $477 million in unclaimed funds, followed by Franklin County with $343.1 million and Hamilton County with $267.3 million.
Unclaimed funds are lost or forgotten money that businesses and banks report to the division after accounts become inactive, typically between three and five years. The money can come from inactive checking and savings accounts, refund/credit balances, uncashed cashier’s checks, stocks and bonds, forgotten utility deposits and final paychecks.
Last year, Ohioans put more than $139 million back into their pockets.
“The average unclaimed fund payout last year per claim was $2,039, so we’re not talking about pennies,” said Susie Wagner, outreach administrator for the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Unclaimed Funds.
An estimated one in seven Americans has unclaimed funds in their name. It is free to claim the funds, which never expire. The division will safeguard the money until it is claimed by the rightful owner or heir, according to the unclaimed funds division, which encourages people to check their names and the names of friends and family to let them know if money is waiting for them to claim.
Get your money in 3 easy steps
Ohioans can quickly and easily find and claim their unclaimed funds, and there’s even a number of video resources available to watch for additional assistance.
- Search for money at unclaimedfunds.ohio.gov,
- Gather required supporting documents;
- Submit information online or by mail.
Top 5 counties in Ohio by amount of unclaimed funds
| County | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cuyahoga County | $477 million |
| Franklin County | $343.1 million |
| Hamilton County | $267.3 million |
| Montgomery County | $133.1 million |
| Summit County | $130 million |
| State of Ohio | $4 billion |
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