Idaho has $66.9M in unclaimed property

With the hype surrounding last week's Mega Millions lottery jackpot now behind us, there's another way to capture a moment of lottery-like anticipation, and you don't have to buy a ticket. 

 Head on over to the Idaho State Treasurer's office's website, www.sto.idaho.gov,  and search the state's Unclaimed Property database.

Some of the $66.9 million in unclaimed property the state is currently holding might have your name on it, and you can search the database for free.

To get your lottery-like jolt, take a moment to savor the anticipation before you plug in your name.

You can check for friends and relatives too, and maybe have some fun telling them they need to file a claim to be reunited with their cash.

If there's money there that's yours, it could be just a few bucks.

But Melanie Wade, Idaho Unclaimed Property administrative advisor, told The Press her office has seen claims as high as $500,000 to $1 million.

Unclaimed property consists of money and other assets that are considered lost or abandoned because the owner cannot be located.

Idaho law requires state agencies, banks, insurance companies, publicly traded companies, stores, restaurants, hospitals, local government agencies and more to turn over money and assets they cannot return to their owners.

For those who find their names in the database, there is a claim process outlined on the website.

Wade said the length of time it takes to reunite rightful owners and heirs with their property depends on whether there is an "auto match" approved claim, or if they need to get more information from a claimant.

"We have up 90 days to approve or deny a claim," Wade explained.

So, go check it out. It might be your lucky day. 

Maureen Dolan is the online news editor at the Coeur d'Alene Press, you can reach her in the newsroom at (208)664-8176 ext. 2005 or mdolan@cdapress.com