Temecula Unclaimed Property Search

Temecula residents can search for unclaimed money at multiple levels. Start with the state database managed by the California State Controller's Office. Search for free at any time with no claim deadline. The state holds billions in lost funds from old bank accounts, wages, stock, and more. Riverside County also keeps unclaimed property from tax refunds and estates. The City of Temecula may hold uncashed checks or deposits. All three agencies let you file claims without paying any service fee. Most people find money they forgot about years ago. Check your name and family members too.

California State Controller Unclaimed Money

The state database is the first place to check. It holds over $11 billion in unclaimed property from across California. Banks send money to the state after three years of no contact. Employers turn over unpaid wages after one year. Insurance companies report life insurance proceeds when they cannot find beneficiaries. Stock dividends, utility deposits, and safe deposit box contents all end up with the State Controller if owners do not claim them in time.

Temecula residents can search the database at ucpi.sco.ca.gov/en/Property/SearchIndex right now. Type your name. Try maiden names and nicknames. The system will show any matches. Each entry lists the holder who sent it and a rough amount. Click on a match to start a claim. Most simple claims get processed in 30 to 60 days. Complex claims with multiple heirs or securities can take up to 180 days.

Claims under $1,000 can often be filed online. You upload a photo of your ID. Sign the form. Submit and wait. Larger claims need a notary signature. Any claim for $1,000 or more must be notarized. You fill out the Claim Affirmation Form, get it stamped by a notary, and mail it with proof of identity to Sacramento. The state charges no fee for this service in California.

Riverside County Unclaimed Funds

Temecula is in Riverside County. The county treasurer runs its own unclaimed property program separate from the state. Riverside County holds funds from estates of people who died without known heirs. They also keep excess proceeds from tax sales. When a property sells at auction for more than the owed taxes, the extra money belongs to the former owner. If no one claims it, the county keeps it in a trust fund for years.

Old warrants are another source. A warrant is a county check. If you got a refund or payment from Riverside County but never cashed the check, it becomes stale after six months. The county treasurer tracks these uncashed warrants. You can check the county program at countytreasurer.org/unclaimed-money to see if they hold funds in your name. The county does not charge a fee to claim your money. Contact the treasurer directly to file in Riverside County.

Riverside County follows California Government Code 50050-50057 for local unclaimed property. These sections let counties take ownership of funds after three years of dormancy. But the rightful owner can always claim the money later. There is no time limit. Even if the county escheated the funds ten years ago, you can still file a claim today.

City of Temecula Unclaimed Funds

The City of Temecula may hold unclaimed money from city services. This includes utility deposits, business license refunds, and vendor payments. If you moved and forgot to claim a deposit, the city holds it for you. If a city check was mailed to an old address and came back, they keep the funds. Small amounts under $15 do not need to be published, but larger amounts must be listed each year.

Contact the Temecula Finance Department to ask about unclaimed funds. Call their main line at City Hall or visit in person. They can search their records by your name. If they find a match, they will tell you how to claim it. Most cities ask for proof of identity and a signed form. No service fee applies when you claim directly from the city.

Cities often transfer unclaimed funds to the state after holding them for a few years. So if the city does not have your money, it may have gone to the State Controller. Always search the state database first since it covers the most ground. Then check with the county and city to be thorough in Temecula.

How Money Becomes Unclaimed in Temecula

Code of Civil Procedure Section 1513 sets dormancy rules. A bank account with no activity for three years must be reported to the state. Wages or paychecks with no contact after one year get sent to Sacramento. Stock dividends go after three years. Traveler's checks take 15 years. Each type of property has its own waiting period before it escheats to the state.

Holders must try to find you. They send letters to your last address on file. If mail comes back or you do not respond, they wait out the full dormancy period. Then they file a report with the State Controller each year. The report includes your name, last known address, and the amount. The holder sends the actual money along with the report.

• Bank accounts and CDs become unclaimed after three years of no activity
• Uncashed paychecks and wages go to the state after one year
• Insurance proceeds from life policies transfer when beneficiaries cannot be found
• Stock dividends and mutual fund distributions go after three years
• Utility deposits become unclaimed if not refunded after service ends

Most businesses report in November and send funds in June. Life insurance companies report in May and remit in December. This means new property gets added to the state database twice per year. Your name might show up in a future update if a holder just reported it from Temecula.

How to File an Unclaimed Money Claim

Start with a search. Go to sco.ca.gov/search_upd.html and type your name. Search different ways. Use your full legal name, then try your first and last only. Search maiden names if you changed your name after marriage. Look up family members who may have died. You can claim on behalf of an estate if you are an heir or executor.

When you find a match, click it to see the details. The site will tell you if you can file online or need to mail a paper form. Small claims are usually online. You upload a copy of your California ID or driver's license. Fill in your current address. Sign electronically. Submit and the state will review it. They remove the property from the public database once your claim is received. This stops other people from filing duplicate claims while yours is pending.

Larger claims need more steps. Any amount of $1,000 or more must be notarized. Print the Claim Affirmation Form from the website. Fill it out. Take it to a notary public with your ID. The notary will stamp and sign it. Mail the notarized form with a copy of your ID to the Unclaimed Property Division in Sacramento. Add other documents if needed. Heirs need a death certificate and proof of relationship. Business claims need articles of incorporation or other business records.

Mail paper claims to Chief, Unclaimed Property Division, P.O. Box 942850, Sacramento, CA 94250-5873. Processing times vary by claim type. Simple cash claims take 30 to 60 days. Claims with securities can take 120 days or more. If the state needs more information, they will send you a letter. Respond quickly to avoid delays. Once approved, the state mails a check to your address.

Note: No fee is charged by the State Controller's Office to file or process a claim in California.

Other Unclaimed Money Sources

Some types of unclaimed money do not go to the State Controller. Retirement benefits are handled separately. CalPERS manages unclaimed pension funds for public employees. Search their database at calpers.ca.gov unclaimed property search if you worked for a government agency. CalSTRS handles unclaimed benefits for teachers. Visit calstrs.com/unclaimed-property if you worked in education.

Tax refunds are managed by the California Franchise Tax Board. If you never cashed a state tax refund check, contact them at 800-852-5711. They can reissue checks that are over six months old. Refunds under three years old are easy to replace. Older refunds need special forms and can take up to 18 months to process.

The Employment Development Department holds unclaimed unemployment and disability benefits. If you had benefits deposited to an old account or never cashed a check, file Form DE 903SD to claim them. No filing fee is required as of 2016. Call 1-800-300-5616 for unemployment or 1-800-480-3287 for disability to check on unclaimed benefits.

Life insurance proceeds may be found through the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator at eapps.naic.org/life-policy-locator maintained by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. This helps you locate policies when a family member dies and you think they had life insurance but do not know which company. The California Department of Insurance provides consumer help at 1-800-927-4357.

Unclaimed Money in Nearby Cities

Other large cities in the region also have unclaimed money programs. Check these nearby cities if you lived or worked there in the past:

• Murrieta - Riverside County, just north of Temecula
• Corona - Riverside County, northwest area
• Riverside - County seat with extensive programs
• San Diego - San Diego County to the south
• Carlsbad - San Diego County coastal city

You can also search all of Riverside County for county-level unclaimed funds that cover Temecula and surrounding areas.