Checks without Claims

Checks Without Claims is an annual effort by Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Program to proactively return unclaimed funds to current and former Oregonians.
In 2024, thousands of current and former Oregonians will receive payment in the mail for their unclaimed property from Treasury as part of the initiative.
The 2024 Checks Without Claims effort will disburse payments to verified owners of unclaimed funds reported to the state in 2021 and 2022.
Towards the end of 2023, individuals will receive a notification letter from Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read informing them of their upcoming payment. The payments, via check, are funds - referred to as unclaimed property - that have been reported to the state by companies and organizations that do business with Oregonians and have been unable to return the money to the correct owner. Typically, individuals need to file a claim to receive their unclaimed funds. In some cases, Treasury can proactively verify owners of unclaimed property and send payments directly to them.
We understand you may have questions about Checks Without Claims and the upcoming distribution of payments. Below are answers to frequently asked questions about this initiative. If you still have questions, you can email claims@ost.state.or.us or reach us by phone at (503) 566-9445.



What is the Unclaimed Property Program?

The Unclaimed Property Program is administered by the Oregon State Treasury. The program supports Oregon’s unclaimed property laws, which were created in 1957 to protect consumers by holding their unclaimed funds in a central registry. The Unclaimed Property Program works to reunite as many people as possible with their money.

What is unclaimed property?

Unclaimed property is any amount of money that has not been returned to an individual or entity. It becomes unclaimed once an organization or business cannot contact the owner for a specific amount of time.

Typically, unclaimed property occurs when:

  • People lose or forget to cash a check, or overpay a final bill
  • A person’s address changes and mail forwarding ends
  • An account holder dies and heirs are unaware of the account
  • An account holder has no activity or contact with the financial institution for at least two years

Some common examples of unclaimed property are uncashed checks, forgotten bank accounts, security deposits, tax refunds, credit balances, investment accounts, payroll checks, refunds, mutual funds and securities, and unpaid wages and commissions.

What is Checks Without Claims?

The annual effort by Treasury reconnects current and former Oregonians with their unclaimed property. Typically, individuals need to file a claim with the Unclaimed Property Program to receive the funds they are owed. However, given the program’s ability to proactively verify some owners of unclaimed property, payments will be mailed directly to the owner. Throughout Checks Without Claims, individuals that are eligible for payment will not need to take any action. Treasury is preparing payments, in the form of a check, which will be distributed via mail over the course of the three (3) phases outlined above.

Why am I receiving this check? What are the criteria?

You are receiving this payment because you are owed unclaimed property by a business that has reported and remitted that property to the state in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Typically, people must submit a claim to the Unclaimed Property Program to receive their funds; however, the state has determined that some types of unclaimed property meet certain criteria and may be mailed directly to the correct owner.

Qualifying property owners met the following criteria to be distributed: the assets are owned only by a single individual; they do not include investments in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds; they have a value of $50 to $10,000; and they were reported to the state under the owner’s social security number.

If I have reported property from multiple years (2018, 2019, or 2020), will I receive one payment for all my unclaimed property or a payment for each year?

Individuals will be notified and paid separately for each year that unclaimed property was reported to the state.

If I have multiple unclaimed properties under my name in a single year, will I receive one payment for all of my unclaimed funds or a payment for each unclaimed fund?

Individuals who have multiple properties in holding at Treasury for one of the qualifying years listed above will receive one check for the sum of all the unclaimed funds held under an individual’s name.

Where did this money come from?

This money was turned over to the state by a business or organization that owes you unclaimed property. The business or organization was unable to return the funds directly to you, so it reported and remitted them to the state.

How long will it take to receive my check in the mail?

Individuals can expect to receive their check in the mail in the middle of the month outlined for each phase. Prior to receiving the check, individuals will receive a notification letter from Treasurer Read, informing them of Checks Without Claims and their anticipated payment. The second letter will provide further confirmation and will also be accompanied by the check.

If you’ve received the first letter but have not received the second letter and payment within the time period shared above, you can email claims@ost.state.or.us or reach us by phone at (503) 566-9445.

I see that I am owed unclaimed property via the online search tool, but I did not receive a letter or check. Why not and what can I do?

There are several possible reasons you may have not received your unclaimed property in the mail as part of Checks Without Claims. Some potential reasons include:

We may not have your current address in our system, or your property was not reported under your social security number. If you have recently moved or have not updated your mailing records, we may not have your current address on file. If you believe this is the case, you can email claims@ost.state.or.us or reach us by phone at (503) 566-9445.

Your unclaimed property may not meet certain criteria for property distributed this round. The criteria are as follows: (1) the assets are owned only by one individual (2) the assets do not include investments in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds (3) the assets have a value of $50 - $10,000 (4) the assets are reported to the state under a social security number that is associated with the owner.

To claim funds not included in the automatic distribution, you can submit a claim at unclaimed.oregon.gov.

Can I place a claim for property after I receive a letter?

The Unclaimed Property Program advises people who receive letters about the forthcoming checks to wait for the checks to arrive, as filing a claim may delay processing by 6 to 7 months. However, if you have property that is outside the criteria for the automatic distribution, you can start a claim at any time at unclaimed.oregon.gov.

How do I know this is not a scam?

Here is what you can do to verify this is not a scam:

Visit the Oregon State Treasury’s website or unclaimed.oregon.gov to learn more about the Unclaimed Property Program’s Checks Without Claims distribution effort.

If you have any additional questions after reviewing this information, please reach out to us via email claims@ost.state.or.us or by phone at (503)566-9445.

What If I received a letter or check for the campaign that is addressed to someone else?

The checks being mailed belong to the person to whom the letters and check are addressed. If the person addressed no longer lives at that location, please notify the Unclaimed Property Program at claims@ost.state.or.us or 503-566-9445.

What if any personal or mailing information is incorrect in the letter sent to me or will be outdated when the payment is disbursed?

Please contact the Unclaimed Property team at claims@ost.state.or.us to inform us of incorrect or outdated information contained within the mailed letter.

What if the letter is addressed to someone that no longer lives at the listed address?

Please contact the Unclaimed Property team at claims@ost.state.or.us or reach us by phone at (503) 566-9445 to inform us that a receipiant no longer lives at the address listed on the letter.

One of my family members/friends received a letter. Why didn’t I?

Payments to be distributed through Checks Without Claims represent unclaimed property reported to the state in 2018, 2019, and 2020 by various businesses and organizations that were unable to return funds to the rightful owner. Common examples of unclaimed property that will disbursed through Checks Without Claims include uncashed checks, forgotten bank accounts, tax refunds, credit balances, investment accounts, payroll checks, refunds, and more.

The effort excludes payments to owners of more challenging claims such as safety deposit boxes, securities, or co-owned property. To search for and recover funds that were not distributed as part of this campaign, individuals can search for an unclaimed asset and file a claim at unclaimed.oregon.gov.