Maryland wants to return your unclaimed money and property

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Maryland Comptroller's Office is looking to reunite residents with their misplaced, lost or unclaimed money and property.

According to the Comptroller's Office, banks, insurance companies and corporations are required by state law to inform them of any property such as bank accounts, safety deposit boxes, unclaimed wages, checks, refunds, life insurance policies, stocks or dividends that have gone unclaimed or have not had any activity for more than three years.

Every year, Maryland's Unclaimed Property List is updated and published as the Comptroller's Office searches tax records and Motor Vehicle Administration files to try and locate the owners of the unclaimed property.

So how can you find out if you have unclaimed property?

- Search on Comptroller's Office website and enter your name in the database
- If you do find your name, you can file a claim for it. (CLICK HERE for more information on how to submit your claim)
- You can also contact the Comptroller's Office at 410-767-1700 (Central Maryland) or toll-free at 1-800-782-7383

The Comptroller's Office says it also tries to locate property owners through newspaper advertising, online promotional videos, news media campaigns, mass mailings and other outreach programs.

Officials say any unclaimed items that is not monetary is put up for auction by the state on eBay, and the money gained from the sale is held for the owner and can be claimed at any time.

State officials say there are more than 1.2 million accounts worth more than $1.5 billion in unclaimed property. So make sure you check to make sure you're not missing your piece of the pie that belongs to you. Also, be sure to check for any unclaimed money or property that may have belonged to deceased family members.