Reclaim what is yours through unclaimed funds

Nothing spurs Buckeye State residents to action like sports fandom — or, at least, it's tempting to leap to that conclusion after a report that visits to Ohio's unclaimed funds website skyrocketed after lawmakers suggested paying for a new Cleveland Browns stadium with some of that money. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, there is approximately $4.8 billion of Ohioans' money sitting unclaimed, with some Republicans in the state Senate wanting to spend approximately $1.7 billion of what has been unclaimed for at least 10 years on sports and cultural projects. That would mean $600 million set aside for a domed stadium for the Browns at Brook Park, among other things. That announcement was made June 3. The Beacon Journal reports that on that day, Ohioans filed 8,057 claims on the website. The following day, 15,777 claims were filed. The day before the announcement, there were a mere 1,448 claims filed. While it may be fun to wonder whether the leap in claims was prompted by fans of opposing teams, it is good to see increased interest in Ohioans reclaiming what is theirs. If mention of the Browns has got you interested, all the better. According to the Ohio Department of Commerce, "Unclaimed (or abandoned) money and other assets not used for a length of time or whose rightful owner cannot be located are turned over to the Division of Unclaimed Funds. "A bank account, rent or utility deposit, uncashed check, undelivered stock certificate, or uncashed insurance policy are some of the unclaimed funds that come to the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Unclaimed Funds. If there is no activity in the account for a period of time and the company cannot reach the account owner, the funds are reported to the Division for safekeeping." To find out whether there is money with your name on it waiting in state government coffers, check here: https://unclaimedfunds.ohio.gov/app/claim-search. Whether your motive is personal curiosity or reducing the amount of money lawmakers might be able to consider giving to the Browns doesn't matter. Reclaim what's yours. OGDEN NEWSPAPERS