Attention Lakeland: you may have unclaimed money

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There are a lot of intense events happening right now, so we thought we’d bring you some good news today.

You might have free money. Kaylee here, and yes, I said free money — and no, it’s not a scam nor does it require a complicated process in order to claim your cash.

Anyone with a last-known address in Florida may have unclaimed money that the state is holding. It could be an old utility deposit you forgot about or an old payroll check that didn’t make it to an address before you moved.

If a company tries to send the money but it doesn’t make it, that money goes to the Florida Department of Financial Services. Then, the state tries to find the rightful owner. If that person has died, the appropriate family member can claim it. There is no time limit for residents to make claims.

Do you have any unclaimed money, honey?

Here’s how to start your treasure hunt

  • Click here for the state’s unclaimed money search, and from there, click the green rectangular button that says, “Start your search” 💰
  • Enter your last + first name where it says, “Name search.”
  • Prove you aren’t a robot. 🤖
  • You also have the option of adding in more details with an “advanced search,” or you can just click the “search” button. Either way, you’ll be prompted another page, with names + addresses.
  • Search the list of names to see if your name is there, along with a familiar address. If it is, click your name.
  • Once you find your information, there’s a short form that asks you for your social security number, along with a bit more basic information. 🕵️
  • Type that info in to make your claim + voilà, information on how much money you may be owed will appear.
  • From there, state officials go through a due diligence process to make sure the right person is claiming the money. Claims can take several weeks to process. ⌚

While researching this, I literally found a few hundred dollars I didn’t know I had. It’s like finding $10 in an old pair of jeans, but better. 🙌

– LALtoday team (Abby and Kaylee)

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Kaylee is based in Lakeland, FL and helped launch LALtoday as a City Editor. When she’s not writing, eating popcorn, or reading, you can probably find Kaylee searching for gators on a humid swampy Florida trail.
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