Unclaimed Money Lookup - Indiana

Free Indiana Unclaimed Money Lookup

Indiana Unclaimed Money -
The Ultimate Guide 2022

Find out how you can claim any unclaimed property in Indiana with our ultimate guide to the state’s unclaimed money.

Your Guide to Indiana Unclaimed Money

The Hoosier State has more than $800 million in money and property unclaimed by the original owners. If you think that you are one of those owners, you can use our guide to find out what laws Indiana has about unclaimed property and the steps necessary to file a claim. The Office of the Attorney General launched the Unclaimed Property Division to give locals an easier way to find their money. This site helped those who live or lived in Indiana claim nearly $10 million in 2021 alone and doesn’t take into account the millions claimed by users in previous years.

Indiana saw the number of claims filed increase in 2020 after the COVID-19 outbreak. This led to some slowdowns and delays, which the state worked hard to move past. When you search the Unclaimed Property Division database today, you’ll find that most claims take only minutes to file online. You may need to wait a few days to gather any documents that you need and several weeks for the division to make sure that your documents match the listed account. In our ultimate guide to unclaimed property in Indiana, we’ll make sure that you know everything you need to know about finding and claiming money.

What is Indiana Unclaimed Money?

The Indiana Attorney General’s Office receives millions of dollars in funds and accounts from holders who cannot find the owners every year. One type of unclaimed property that you might find is an uncashed check. Have you ever gotten a check from your employer that you forgot about or misplaced? You might think that you have no way of claiming that money, but it will likely appear in the Indiana database. Any type of check that the person listed did not cash should be in the database, including those issued by stores and utility companies.

You’ll also find dormant bank accounts, which is an account that the owner stopped using. Banks do not simply close your account when you stop making deposits.

Most will give you one year to use the account again during a period they refer to the account as inactive. After 12 months, the bank will stop letting you earn interest on your money. If the account remains inactive for two years, it becomes dormant. This allows the bank to notify the Unclaimed Property Division.

Insurance proceeds appear in the Indiana database, too. The most common example is an unclaimed life insurance policy. Many people buy coverage from their banks or employers that are worth a small amount and do not tell their families about their policies. The insurer may not know that the policyholder died and will make no attempt to contact the family or beneficiary. Indiana lists both these policies and those held by users with auto insurance. If you never got a check from an insurer after an accident, you can search today for the money.

The Unclaimed Property Division has both stocks and bonds as well as safe deposit boxes listed. If you have bonds that earned interest, you can often claim the full value of the bonds along with that interest. With stocks, you have the right to file one claim for your stocks and get the value of them and any dividends that they earned. Safe deposit boxes are a little trickier as Indiana does not keep the boxes intact but will give you the money raised from the selling of the contents.

How to Find Unclaimed Money in Indiana

Finding unclaimed money in Indiana requires working with the Unclaimed Property Division. This site makes it easy for you to become one of the thousands of Hoosiers who get money back every year.

Step 1: Visit the Unclaimed Property Division website operated by the Attorney General’s Office. You need to scroll down to find the box to begin your search.

Step 2: Enter any of the information that you want to use for your search. Indiana recommends using more information to narrow down your results, but you can also search with just a name.

Step 3: View all of the results found in Indiana, which usually takes a few seconds or longer to load. You will see 20 accounts listed per page and may have multiple pages of results. Indiana shows the exact amount of money found in each account and who held it along with the property type and year reported. You can also see if the database lists you as the original owner or a payee.

Step 4: Click the “Share” button if you found an account owned by someone you know to tell them about it and help them claim their money. You’ll want to click the button located above that one to claim your property along with the “Claim Property” button.

Step 5: Choose how you want to claim the property via the drop-down menu on the next page. This allows you to enter more information and file your claim. You can file more than one claim at the same time through the Indiana website.

What Do You Need to File a Claim in Indiana?

The steps that we outlined above help you find a claim and take you to the next step in the process. You will find a page similar to the one listed below that asks for your contact information. Indiana requires your email address and home address as well as your phone number and date of birth. You may need to add your social security number or tax ID number, too.

If you do not want to start the claim process right away, Indiana will email you with your claim ID number. You also receive a link to the document upload page that lets you upload all of your supporting documents. Though you can only upload five documents per page, you have the option of adding more documents later as long as you have the claim ID number. Your claim form may state that the Unclaimed Property Division will not accept copies and requires original documents. This means that you will need to submit your documents through the mail.

Viewing Your Claim After You File

The Indiana Unclaimed Property Division sends paper notices to your home with information about your claim. You might miss one of these notices, which is when the claim checker comes in handy. As long as you know your claim ID, you can look for it online. This helps you see if the division received documents that you sent through the mail and if it accepted all of your documents. Indiana will also update your status when it finds that your information matches the account, which lets you know that a check is on its way.

Are There Places to Find Unclaimed Money Outside of the Indiana Database?

There are tons of places on the web to look for unclaimed money other than the Indiana database such as the National Credit Union Administration, which maintains records of closed credit unions. Even if you assume that your money is gone, you might find that you can still claim it. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is similar in that it keeps track of the funds held by banks across the country and helps you file claims to get your money bank when your bank closes.

We also recommend checking out different government departments such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, which gives those in the military the option of getting life insurance. You may find that you’re the beneficiary of a policy that you never knew existed. If you turned to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for help with your mortgage, check the (HUD) database. Even if you think that you’re in good standing, you might find that HUD sent a refund check that never arrived.

Some of our other favorite sites to find missing money on the web include:

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board: Not all retirement accounts dissolve when the person who started it passes away. The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board helps you see if you are the beneficiary of a retirement account started by a railroad employee.
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: Those who worked for any type of employer may have a pension account that still has remaining money. You can use this resource to see if anyone in your family can claim one of those accounts.
U.S. Federal Investments: Even if you lost a treasury bond that you had as a child, you may have the option of claiming and cashing it through this website. You get the full value of each bond.
Missing Money: Ohio and other states use Missing Money instead of building their own databases. You can search for any money or property in those states through this site.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS): If you ever had a tax refund that you never cashed or got, the IRS can help. The IRS also helps you keep track of future refunds online.

Unclaimed Property Laws in Indiana

We recommend checking out the Indiana unclaimed property laws if you have any questions about your money. The laws define a holder as an organization that handles the property belonging to another person and the owner as the individual who has a legal or right to the property. You’ll also see what happens to accounts that are worth money and when the state allows holders to auction or sell a property. State laws also go over what a holder can do on behalf of another person and when you can claim property before it goes to the Division of Unclaimed Property.

Indiana Unclaimed Money FAQs

Who Can File Claims in Indiana?

Though you’ll likely search the Unclaimed Property Division database for money in your name, you may find other claims that you can file. Indiana allows the heirs of deceased people to file in one of three ways. The first is as the heir of a small estate, which refers to one that does not require probate. This is common if you have a loved one who passed away with few assets. If you opened the estate in probate court and have the court’s permission, you can file as an heir of an open estate. The third option lets you file if you are the sole heir of an estate that already closed. Indiana also allows claims filed by business owners, government agencies and legal representatives.

How Much Unclaimed Property Does Indiana Have?

According to the most recent report from the state in 2021, the Hoosier State has more than $800 million in unclaimed property. Though the amount often goes down as people file claims throughout the year, it also goes up as holders turn in more accounts. From January to March of 2021, Indiana returned almost $10 million in money to people who filed claims online. When you check the database several times a year, you’ll notice that the amount of available funds changes.

What Happens to Unclaimed Safe Deposit Boxes in Indiana?

Indiana requires that holders responsible for safe deposit boxes contact the owner within three years of the last payment the owner made. If the holder cannot contact the owner, the state will then step in and remove the contents from the box. The contents go up for sale on eBay through the auction account set up by the Unclaimed Property Division. Indiana will not sell all of the contents at a lot. It divides the contents and sells each item. All of the money raised by the auction then goes to a separate account that will appear in the database under the owner’s name. If you want to make sure that your family heirlooms and other valuables do not go to random eBay buyers, you need to make sure that you keep track of your box and make your rental payments. Indiana allows you to pay any amount due on the account to reclaim the box if it hasn’t gone up for sale yet.

Does Indiana Send Notices to Listed Owners?

Some states go to great lengths to find owners and will contact them through tax records as well as locate the heirs of deceased individuals. Indiana does not go to such lengths. It divides the state into counties and will send out notices for each county. The notices appear in local newspapers and list the names of all unclaimed property owners. Those owners then have the right to contact the Unclaimed Property Division and claim their money. If the owner does not contact the division, Indiana law allows the state to take over the property on November 30 of the next year.

How Long Does Indiana Hold Property for Owners?

Unlike other states that will hold unclaimed property indefinitely, Indiana has a statute of limitations of only 25 years. This gives the owner more than two decades to find and claim their money. If no owner comes forward after 25 years, Indiana becomes the legal owner. It can then sell the property and use any money raised. You have the same amount of time to file a claim as an heir if a deceased person owned property that the holder gave to the state.

Does Indiana Charge Money to File Claims?

No, the Indiana Unclaimed Property Division does not charge any fees to file claims through the website. The only fees that you face are those associated with getting copies of court records or if your claim requires notarized documents. You’ll also face some fees if you decide to let a money finder file on your behalf.

What Do Indiana Money Finders Do?

Indiana money finders are people who search the database for claims and often target those with large or valuable accounts listed. They will then track down the owners and tell them that they found money. In exchange for a portion of the money in the account, they will file a claim and do all the necessary paperwork. Though some charge an upfront fee that covers everything, others may charge an upfront fee and/or take a percentage of the value of the property. If you have an uncashed check worth $2,000, a money finder might charge $1,000 or more to file the claim.

How Can You Claim a Court Property?

As you search the Indiana database, you may come across a property listed as a court property. Though the property will appear in the database, it doesn’t give you the right to claim it. This refers to any type of property that a court in the state holds and gives to the Unclaimed Property Division. Examples include vehicles seized by law enforcement during drunk driving incidents and personal property received during court proceedings. Though Indiana allows you to claim the property, you need to go through some different steps. You must first contact the clerk’s office or court that is responsible for the property and state that you are the owner. To become the rightful owner or take possession of the property, you may need to submit proof of ownership or pay some court fees.

Can You File a Claim for a Minor?

The Indiana Unclaimed Property Division only allows legal adults who are 18 or older to file claims through the system. If you find money listed in the name of a child who is a minor and are the legal parent or guardian of the child, Indiana allows you to file a claim. This often occurs when you have a former partner or spouse who passed away and named your child as a beneficiary on an account. You can use a birth certificate that lists the child’s name and your name as their parent or a court document that shows the court designated you as the child’s guardian.

How Long Does Indiana Take to Return Missing Money?

Indiana tells users to give the Unclaimed Property Division a minimum of 90 days after filing a claim to get a check. The timer does not begin as soon as you file your claim but rather when you submit all the required documents. If you need to send original paperwork to the Unclaimed Property Division, it may take even longer to process your claim. Representatives will need to verify that you sent original documents and compare the information to the information attached to the account. It can also take a few days or longer for your check to arrive once your claim processes.

Keeping Your Indiana Property Safe

We often get questions from our readers about how they can keep their property safe and out of the hands of the Unclaimed Property Division. While the division will hold most accounts until the owner claims them, it will occasionally sell some things such as the items found in a safe deposit box. We recommend that you check on all the accounts in your name every six months to a year and that you check in on stocks and bonds every three years. You’ll also want to notify holders if you change your phone number or address and especially if your name changes for any reason. Keeping track of any refunds due to you and cashing checks as you get them can also help.

Conclusion

If you think that you have any type of property or money in Indiana that you never claimed, today is a good day to search the Unclaimed Property Division. You can easily find accounts that range from insurance payouts and uncashed paychecks to utility refunds and stocks. With our guide, you’ll have no problem finding your property and filing an Indiana claim.

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