$5.4 million in unclaimed funds due Highlands residents
Each year, we publish a list of some of the thousands of people and businesses in the Highlands who are owed money by New York State. The state Comptroller maintains a database of checks — utility refunds, the balance of forgotten bank accounts, stock dividends, insurance payouts, security deposits, unused gift cards — that for whatever reason were returned to sender.
Companies are required by law to report dormant accounts to the state and, if the owner can’t be located, turn over the funds to the comptroller. The agency maintains a public database of these “unclaimed funds” to match lost money with lost people.
So far in 2019 the comptroller has distributed $315 million, but $16 billion remains. That includes $1.3 million owed to Cold Spring and Philipstown residents and businesses, $798,000 to those in Garrison and $3.3 million to those in Beacon, for a total of $5.4 million from 10,027 dormant accounts.
Search the Lists
As a public service, The Current obtained a list from the comptroller of residents and businesses in the Highlands, dead or alive, who appear in the database back to 1985. You can search by any keyword such as first name, last name, business name or (prior) street name. The results that are returned will show the name on the account, the address, the creditor, the year of the payment and the control number.
If your business or name appears, or you are the next-of-kin, visit osc.state.ny.us/ouf. You will be prompted to complete a form, which can usually be submitted online but in some cases must be mailed with further proof of identity. Call 800-221-9311 with questions.
You can search by:
- First name
- Last name
- Business Name
- Street name
Or browse the full lists in PDF format:
Beacon (12508) || Cold Spring/Nelsonville/Philipstown (10516) || Garrison (10524)
Because the public database does not reveal how much is owed, applying for the funds can feel like playing a scratch-off lottery ticket. The amount could be a penny (although the comptroller only pays on claims of $3.01 or more) or $8 million — the two extremes. Your odds aren’t bad; 30 percent of payouts are for more than $100.
