West Central PA News

Sen. Cris Dush, Sen. Joe Pittman, and Rep. Brian Smith have announced their partnership with Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity and her office to assist residents in recovering their unclaimed property. To facilitate this, a free Unclaimed Property Clinic will be held on February 15th at the Heritage House in Brookville, Pennsylvania.

"The fundamental purpose of hosting this Unclaimed Property Clinic is to reconnect the citizens we serve with any money and other tangible assets that rightfully belong to them," said Sen. Dush.

The Pennsylvania Treasury Department is currently working to return over $4.5 billion in unclaimed property. With more than one in ten Pennsylvanians owed unclaimed property, the average claim is worth about $1,600. In the last fiscal year, the department returned a record-breaking amount of unclaimed property, nearly $274 million.

Sen. Pittman emphasized the importance of the clinic, stating, "This free clinic will be a great help to residents looking to find and recover unclaimed property." He also mentioned that efforts are being made to cut government red tape, with legislation approved by the Senate allowing the Treasury Department to return unclaimed property without the need for owners to search for it.

Unclaimed property can include dormant bank accounts, abandoned stocks, uncashed checks, savings bonds, and other tangible assets such as collectible coins, sports cards, jewelry, military medals, and antiques. Individuals who prefer to search the unclaimed property database on their own can do so at www.patreasury.gov.

Rep. Smith expressed his belief that unclaimed funds should be in the possession of their rightful owners, stating, "So many Pennsylvanians have money sitting in the state vault. While it's being kept safe and sound, that money deserves to be in its owner's possession, not the state's."

For those interested in attending the Unclaimed Property Clinic on February 15th, please contact Sen. Dush's Brookville district office at 814-646-7272. This free legislative service offers assistance to residents in navigating the entire unclaimed property process.