As a part of the highly successful “unclaimed funds” program managed by New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, Westchester County Executive George Latimer joined with Westchester County Legislators over the course of the last two months to help Westchester seniors reclaim funds they may have sitting idly in old consumer accounts.
Latimer said: “Westchester County Government is here to serve the people. By working with our partners at the New York State Comptroller’s office, County Legislators and I were able to help dozens of Westchester seniors recover their money. We look forward to continue to raise awareness of this program putting money back in your pocket.”
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said: “My office holds tens of billions of dollars in unclaimed funds, and we are always working to make sure that every New Yorker has the opportunity to access money that is owed to them. Thanks to my partnership with Westchester County Executive George Latimer and Westchester County Legislators, we are helping Westchester seniors find their lost money. At a time when every dollar counts, I encourage all Westchester residents to take five minutes and check our website.”
The Comptroller’s Unclaimed Funds program has netted over $162M for New York State residents in 2023 alone. Banks, insurance companies, corporations and the courts are among the many organizations required by law to report dormant accounts to the State Comptroller. These organizations must attempt to notify you by mail and publish the information in newspapers. Despite these efforts, many funds remain unclaimed and are turned over to the Office of the State Comptroller.
Types of Unclaimed Funds Accounts
- Bank Accounts – savings, checking and CDs
- Court Funds
- Dividends
- Estate Proceeds
- Insurance Benefits/Policies
- Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds
- Telephone/Utility/Security Deposits
To date, Latimer has joined with Legislators Nancy Barr, Erika Pierce and Catherine Parker at various senior centers in their districts to help assist seniors through the online process.
Vice-Chairwoman Barr said: “I was so pleased to partner with Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office and with County Executive George Latimer to bring the Unclaimed Funds Workshop to my district. New York State has $17.5 billion in unclaimed funds – money which is held until the rightful owner claims it. It was rewarding, and also lots of fun, to help our senior citizens search the New York State database for funds which are owed to them. We had many successful searches, and during this process, I even found funds which were owed to me.”
Pierce said: “We have now had three unclaimed funds events in our district. They have been fun ways to interact with our seniors, and in one case was part of a larger event providing a variety of resources, from transportation to funds for home improvements to food and other supports. A positive experience for all involved.”
Parker said: “Westchester residents in the Sound Shore got to see firsthand, that their county officials have focused on ways big and small to put money back into taxpayers’ pockets. Not only have we cut taxes for the last four years amounting to approximately a 15% cut, and not only have we given sales tax holidays on the cost of home heating and electricity this winter, but by working with the Office of our State Comptroller we helped to connect a good portion of those that came to our meeting with long lost money. I want to personally recognize and thank County Executive George Latimer for suggesting we add this to our repertoire of ways to help our constituents.”
Unclaimed funds sessions have been held in Rye Brook, Lewisboro, Mamaroneck, Port Chester, Mount Kisco, the City of Rye, and Bedford Hills to date. Dozens more sites and dates are planned.
To find out more about the New York State program, Call 1-800-221-9311 on Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. or visit the State Comptroller's website. to search for your funds.