Treasurer heads to state fair
It appears to be a perfect day to head out to the Oklahoma State Fair.
And if you ever thought about checking with the state to see if it has any unclaimed property of yours, this afternoon would be a good time to have the head official of the program look it up for you.
State Treasurer Scott Meacham will be at the treasurer office’s unclaimed property booth in the Cox Pavilion at the fair.
He’s expected to show up about 2 to work at the booth.
During the first four days of the Oklahoma State Fair, workers from the treasurer’s office found more than $100,000 for more than 170 people who visited the booth.
Forgotten safe deposit boxes, stocks, bonds and uncashed payroll checks are among the items considered unclaimed property.
Checks from oil and gas companies that never have been claimed also end up in the unclaimed property fund, as I found out through personal experience.
I’ve been writing about the unclaimed property fund the past couple years, and even have visited the treasurer office’s booth at the state fair. My wife and I checked out our last names, but didn’t think about checking the last name of her mom’s mother, who died nearly 20 years ago.
A gas company sent a notice to my wife’s mom last month, stating it had some royalty checks for her mother. If the gas company didn’t hear back, it would send the checks onto the state’s unclaimed property fund.
Ding! The light bulb in my brain turned on, and I went to the treasurer office’s Web site, typed in Grandma Cecile’s last name and found four items listed for her.
My wife and her mom went to the treasurer’s office last week and started the process of retrieving those checks. They probably are no more than $100 or so, but still it will provide an unexpected windfall for my mother-in-law, who, like many on fixed incomes, is worried about rising energy and food prices.
So, take the time – a couple minutes at most – to check out the treasurer’s Web site, www.treasurer.ok.gov. Or make plans to enjoy today’s great weather and go to the fair and wander over to the treasurer’s booth. Check every family name you can think of, and who knows – you might be able to afford an extra cinnamon roll.
- Michael McNutt, Capitol Bureau
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Good thing gas prices went down this weekend…I did not find any fortune on the website