Español/Spanish  |  FLDFS HOME  Frequently Asked Questions I have received my claim form, what do I do now? Read carefully, fill out completely and sign your claim form . Each claim form will detail the documentation you are required to provide. The required documentation will include (but may not be limited to) a copy of your current identification reflecting your current mailing address and documentation proving your ownership of the account. Please refer to your claim form for the specific documentation required for your particular claim. Mail the completed claim form with the required documentation to the address indicated on the form. How Long Does it Take to Get my Money? The Department is allotted up to 90 days from the date it receives your complete claim package to make a determination. Claims are often processed sooner, but due to the high volume of claims received by the department, the full 90-day period may be required to finalize your claim. Please allow this time period to pass before calling our office. The period may be extended if all of the required documentation is not included with the original claim package. Please read your claim form carefully to ensure you provide all of the necessary documentation. Failure to return your claim form completely filled-out, along with all of the required documentation, will result in the missing information being requested, and the delay of processing your claim. How Do I Prove the Account Belongs to Me? Each claim form will detail what documentation will be required in order to verify your ownership of the property. Having the same name as that on an account does not establish entitlement, as there are many people who share the same names. Often, claims are received from more than one person with the same name, trying to claim the same account(s). Proper entitlement can only be established by providing the required documentation. Providing your identification alone may not be sufficient. What documentation you are asked to submit may vary depending upon what information the company that reported the funds to the department provided about the owner of the account. You may be asked for documentation of your Social Security Number, a past address or proof of your past connection or relationship to the entity that reported the account to the Department. If you are the heir of a deceased account owner, you will also be asked to provide certified copies of official documentation that establishes your entitlement to the property. Examples of unacceptable documentation are: hand written letters, letterhead and business cards, printouts from the Internet and telephone directories. What Types of Identification are Accepted? Florida law requires claimants to provide a copy of their driver’s license or another form of government-issued photographic identification. If your Identification does not reflect your current address, please include other documentation (such as a current utility bill, etc.) reflecting your current mailing address in addition to your Identification and proof of ownership. If the account has more than one owner and one of the owners is deceased, a certified death certificate for the deceased owner is required in addition to the Identification for the person claiming the account. Note: Each claimant must submit identification and sign the claim form. What if the Original Owner of the Property is Deceased? Proof of ownership (detailed above) must still be established with documentation (as detailed on your claim form). In addition, you must provide a certified death certificate for the owner, along with identification and signed claim forms for all heirs of the owner (or for the personal representative if the estate remains open). Additional documentation may be required depending on the specific case. Please review the Florida Administrative Code section 69I-20.0022 (paragraph 3) for more information. I’ve Moved Since I Sent My Claim In, What Do I Do? State issued warrants (checks) are not forwarded by the postal service, even if you have a forwarding order in place. Please have your claim number ready and call the Customer Service line or email us to inform us of the address change. I received what I thought was my unclaimed property payment, but "Do Not Cash" was printed on it. What should I do? The warrant (check) is the lower, red-tinted portion of the payment document you receive from us after the claim is approved. Please tear along the perforation and keep the upper, white portion for your records. The red portion (that looks like a check) can be cashed or deposited. The words "do not cash" printed on the white, attached statement portion of the document refers only to the statement portion, not to the entire document. Deposit or cash the warrant (check) portion . What does the State do with the money before it is claimed? Unclaimed Funds are deposited into the State School Fund and used to support public schools. However, the original amount reported can always be claimed by the owner, or his/her heirs, at no cost. Why does it come to the State? Chapter 717, FS requires financial institutions and other entities to report intangible personal property they are holding that is considered unclaimed or abandoned. The property must have been inactive for a set period of time, usually between one and five years. These reports are filed annually, prior to May 1st, covering the previous calendar year. Are any efforts made to find owners? What if money is not claimed? Businesses (holders of unclaimed property) are required to try to locate the owner, but when their attempts fail, they report the property and the owner's name, last known address and other information to the Department. The Department acts as custodian for the State of Florida, but never takes legal ownership of the property. The State uses various methods, including database searches, in an effort to notify owners of their property. Citizens have the right to claim their property, at no cost, any time, regardless of the amount. Does the state pay interest on claims? Chapter 717, Florida Statutes, does not provide for the payment of interest on claims other than that reported and remitted to the Department by the holder. Locators FAQs Who qualifies to register with the Bureau of Unclaimed Property and file claims on behalf of another person? Pursuant to Chapter 717, Florida Statutes, you must be a Florida licensed private investigator with an office in Florida, a Florida licensed CPA, or an attorney licensed to do business in Florida. You may also be a private investigator intern working under an established, licensed private investigator. Florida Statutes, Chapter 493 allows these services to be performed by a licensed private investigator, or by any attorney in the regular practice of her or his profession, or by any licensed Florida-certified public accountant who is acting within the scope of the practice of public accounting as defined in chapter 473. Refer to Ch. 717.1400 for more information. What do I need to send the Bureau of Unclaimed Property in order to register with your office? Chapter 717, Florida Statutes requires all parties interested in acting as a claimant's representative to register with the Bureau of Unclaimed Property. Once registered, you will be assigned a "User ID" and "PASSWORD" for access to the 'Locators' section of our Website. Please Note - Florida law requires that an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) account for payment of fees be established as part of the registration process. Click below to access registration forms: Private Investigator Application with EFT Form    CPA Application with EFT Form    Attorney Application with EFT Form How do I purchase the CD-ROM? To obtain a copy of the CD-ROM send a Check or Money Order for $35.00 made payable to the "Florida Department of Financial Services" and your request to: Department of Financial Services, Unclaimed Property Bureau, 200 E. Gaines St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0358. How much can I, as a Claimant's Representative, charge my clients? Contracts without full disclosure- a maximum of 20% can be charged. Contracts with FULL DISCLOSURE (see Chapter 717, F.S. for full disclosure requirements); no limitation. Is there a bonding requirement for my company? Currently there is no bonding requirement for research companies under Chapter 717. How can I access records on the Unclaimed Property database? Registered asset locators can purchase a CD-ROM of claimable accounts, or access the information through the website. What can I use as Personal Identification for my clients when submitting their claim? A copy of a photographic identification of the claimant issued by the United States or a foreign nation, a state or territory of the United States or foreign nation, or a political subdivision thereof. In lieu of photographic identification, a notarized sworn statement signed by the claimant may be provided which affirms the claimant's full name and current physical address. (This must be done exclusively on Form DFS-UP-144, Effective 01/03/2005.). What do I need to include when submitting a claim for one of my client's as proof of ownership? What is needed to establish proof of ownership will be listed on the claim form. It may be: a) Copy of a document that has the name and the address that match the address of the owner reported to this office, or b) Copy of a document showing the owner's connection to the holder that reported the account, or c) Copy of a document that has the owner's name and account number that match the account number reported to this office for the owner, or d) Copy of the Social Security card, medicare card, Wage and Earnings statement, tax returns or another official document that has name and address. NOTE: Telephone and city directories ARE NOT acceptable as proof of address. All official documents submitted must be certified by the issuing authority. What type of Court Orders do I need when the owner is deceased and my client is one of the heirs? When the owner is deceased, a probate court order certified to be in "FULL FORCE AND EFFECT" by the court within one year of receipt of the claim by this office must be attached. The court order must reflect the heir or the personal representative's right to act for the estate of the apparent owner. If the estate is closed, attach a copy of the probated will, a petition for order of discharge, and order of discharge. This is not required for named beneficiaries of insurance policies and bank accounts. Any court order sought should be limited to the determination of heirship. The determination of the proof of ownership remains solely with this office under Chapter 717, Florida Statutes. Holder FAQs I don't have reporting forms. Can I photocopy last year's forms? Holders are required to use an original Cover Sheet (DFS-UP-111). You may photocopy the other reporting forms, DFS-UP-121, DFS-UP-128, and DFS-UP-129. These forms can be found under the Reporting Information link under Paper Reporting Forms. The owner's address is in another state, but our company is based in Florida. Where do I report the property? The U.S. Supreme Court, in Texas vs. New Jersey in 1965, stated the property was due to the state of the owner's last known address. If there is no last known address, the property is due to your state of incorporation. What does the term "aggregate" mean? Aggregate items are accounts where the amount is less than $50 or accounts where the owner is unknown, regardless of the amount. For statistical reasons, our office asks holders to report all aggregate totals, broken down by property type. What do I do if I find additional items after I file my report? You should file a supplemental report, following the same process as the original report. Please be aware, late reports are subject to late filing and interest penalties. I have received a penalty notice. What can I do? Waivers of penalties are granted under certain circumstances for specific reasons on a case-by-case basis. All waiver requests must be in writing. Please be specific regarding the reasons why you were late filing your report and why you believe a waiver of penalties should be considered. Do I have to file a "zero" report if I have never filed before or if I have no unclaimed property to report? All business entities are required to file an annual unclaimed property report. If you are holding no unclaimed property and have nothing to report, a “zero” report should be filed. Pursuant to Chapter 717, F.S., the department has the authority to audit holders to verify information filed with the department and/or to audit for unclaimed property that may have been un-reported or under-reported.

Department of Financial Services / Unclaimed Property /© 2005