ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 15, 2008) - Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot's Unclaimed Property Booth visited the Anne Arundel County Fair, reuniting 19 people with over $10,000 in unclaimed funds. Comptroller employees were at the Fair from Wednesday, September 10 until Sunday, September 14 as part of a statewide initiative to help reunite Marylanders with money they are owed. Fair attendees were able to check Comptroller files for their names to see if they had any unclaimed property. So far this year, the Comptroller Office has been able to reunite 669 Marylanders with $290,085 at county and state fairs.
"In these tough economic times, it is our duty and our pleasure to return unclaimed property to its rightful owners," said Comptroller Franchot. "Everyday we work vigorously to locate the owners of the unclaimed property and to make sure they get what they deserve. This is just one of the ways we strive to serve the people of Maryland in the most efficient and effective way possible."
This year, 278 Anne Arundel County Fair attendees searched for unclaimed property, with 19 discovering they had money in their name. The largest individual amount found during the fair was $2,477.56. The total amount discovered by fairgoers was $10,925.85.
Financial institutions, utilities, insurance companies and other corporations are required to report to the Comptroller any bank accounts, security deposits, wages, insurance benefits and contents of safe deposit boxes that have been unclaimed after three years. In addition to his booth at the Fair, the Comptroller searches for owners of unclaimed funds by advertising in local newspapers and matching files with IRS and the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles.
The Comptroller's Unclaimed Property Booth next moves to the Great Frederick Fair from September 12 to September 20. The Booth is scheduled to attend a few more county fairs and festivals in Calvert, Talbot and Wicomico counties through November.
The Comptroller encourages everyone to log onto our website, www.marylandtaxes.com, to search our records for unclaimed funds, or call our office at 410-767-1700 in Central Maryland, or toll-free 1-800-782-7383 from elsewhere.
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Contact: Lisa Lester (410) 260-7210
