Sheridan County residents have over $3.1 million in unclaimed property

The state of Wyoming is holding over $91 million belonging to current and former residents of Wyoming – including over $3.1 million earmarked for residents in Sheridan County, according to a press release from the office of the Wyoming Deputy Treasurer.

“We were planning to visit Johnson and Sheridan counties in June as part of an outreach mission to help local citizens find and claim their lost money,” Unclaimed Property Administrator Jeff Robertson said. “The pandemic has forced us to change those plans, but we still want to help residents in those areas claim any money that is rightfully theirs. With most everyone spending extended periods of time at home, now is the perfect time to see if the state is holding onto your money.”

A little over a year ago, the Unclaimed Property Division of Wyoming State Treasurer’s Office upgraded its website and simplified the claims process.

“The easiest thing to do is to go to our website (www.mycash.wyo.gov) and watch the 2-minute video located on the left side of the page,” Robertson said. “It shows how you can search to see if you are entitled to any money and then how to complete the claims process.”

This is a tough time for many Wyoming residents, so finding even a little bit of money through Unclaimed Property can help those who are struggling, Wyoming State Treasurer Curt Meier said.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has caused many challenges for all of us in Wyoming, as well as across the country,” Meier said. “Unclaimed Property is one source of funds many may not be thinking of during this time.”

Money and other types of unclaimed property, such as royalties, stocks, mutual funds and safe deposit boxes, are turned over to the state when a business, agency or governmental entity cannot locate the owner for a specified time period.

“Even if you have received unclaimed property in the past, more money is turned over every year,” Robertson said. “Because of this, the amount of money being held by the state continues to increase.”

Wyoming’s Unclaimed Property Division issued over 6,000 checks totaling more than $6.8 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2019.

To make a claim, owners need to provide a valid ID. It can be uploaded directly to the website, emailed to wyomingup@wyo.gov or mailed through USPS. Additional documentation may also be required depending on the property in question and complexity of the claim.

Wyoming law requires the state to hold unclaimed property in perpetuity until the rightful owner is able to claim it.

“We recently paid an individual over $50,000 that was turned over to the state in 1997,” Robertson said. “A lot of the higher-valued properties are in the names of individuals who are now deceased. We want to reunite this money with that person’s heir or heirs, so make sure you also search for the name of a loved one who may have passed.”

Those unable to search the website from a computer or mobile device may call the Wyoming State Treasurer’s Office at 307-777-5590 for assistance, there may be a wait time depending on demand.