Find Vallejo Unclaimed Funds

Searching for unclaimed money in Vallejo covers three key sources. The California State Controller holds billions in lost property from banks and employers statewide. Solano County keeps unclaimed funds from tax refunds and estates. The City of Vallejo Finance Department may hold utility deposits and uncashed city warrants. All three sources are free to search and free to claim. No time limit exists for filing claims. People find money from decades past all the time. The state system is fastest for most claims. County and city funds require direct contact with those offices. Start with the state database and work your way down to local sources for complete results in the Solano County area.

California State Controller Property Search

Start at the state level. California holds more than $11 billion in unclaimed property. The State Controller keeps money from inactive bank accounts, unpaid wages, stock dividends, and insurance proceeds. Banks must report accounts after three years of no contact. Employers send unpaid paychecks after one year. These funds sit in Sacramento waiting for owners to claim them.

Search for free at ucpi.sco.ca.gov/en/Property/SearchIndex anytime. Enter your name and click search. The system shows matches immediately. Each result lists the holder who sent it, the type of property, and an amount range. Click any match to see if you can file online. Many small claims are processed electronically with just an ID upload and signature.

Claims under $1,000 usually qualify for online filing. You upload a photo of your California driver's license or state ID. Fill in your current address. Sign the digital form. Submit it. The state reviews and processes most simple claims in 30 to 60 days. You get a check if approved. No fee is charged at any point in the process for Vallejo residents.

Larger claims need more steps. Amounts of $1,000 or above require notarization. Print the Claim Affirmation Form from the website. Complete all fields. Visit a notary public with valid ID. The notary verifies your identity and stamps the form. Then mail it with ID copies to the Unclaimed Property Division in Sacramento. These claims take longer but most finish within 120 days.

Solano County Unclaimed Money Program

Vallejo serves as the county seat of Solano County. The county treasurer maintains unclaimed property from local government operations. Old county warrants are a big source. When the county issues a refund check or payment and you do not cash it, the warrant becomes stale after six months. After three years, the county can take ownership. But you never lose the right to claim it back later.

Estates of deceased persons also end up with the county. When someone dies without a will or known heirs, their property goes through probate. If no family comes forward, the estate escheats to Solano County. Years later, distant relatives may discover they have a claim. The county will verify relationships and pay valid claims even decades after escheatment.

Visit solanocounty.com treasurer unclaimed money for program details. The county treasurer keeps a trust fund for unclaimed monies as required by state law. Call (707) 784-6295 to inquire about funds in your name. The county does not charge fees to claim what belongs to you. File directly with the treasurer to avoid paying unnecessary service charges to third parties.

Government Code 50050-50057 governs county unclaimed property in California. These sections allow local agencies to escheat dormant funds after three years. But the same law protects perpetual claim rights. There is no statute of limitations for claiming your money from Solano County.

City of Vallejo Finance Department

The City of Vallejo may hold unclaimed money from municipal operations. Utility deposits are common. When you close a water, sewer, or trash account, the city should refund any deposit on file. If the refund check gets mailed to an old address and returns undelivered, the city keeps that money for you. Vendor payments and business license refunds can also become unclaimed if checks are never cashed.

Contact the Vallejo Finance Department at (707) 648-4592 to ask about unclaimed funds. They can search their records by your name or business name. If they find a match, they will tell you what documents to provide. Most cities need proof of identity and a signed claim form. The process is free when you file directly with the city instead of using a paid service.

Cities often transfer unclaimed funds to the state after holding them locally for several years. So if Vallejo no longer has your money, it probably went to the State Controller. Always search the state database first since it consolidates property from many sources. Then check county and city offices to cover all bases in your search.

What Becomes Unclaimed Property

Many asset types turn into unclaimed money. Bank accounts are the biggest category. You open an account, use it for a while, then forget about it. After three years with no deposits, withdrawals, or contact, the bank must send it to California. Safe deposit box contents also go to the state if you stop paying rent. The bank tries to reach you but eventually turns everything over to Sacramento.

Code of Civil Procedure Section 1513 defines dormancy periods. Wages and paychecks have the shortest window at just one year. Final paychecks, commission payments, and expense reimbursements all go to the state after 12 months of no contact. Stock dividends take three years. Money orders need seven years. Traveler's checks take 15 years before they escheat.

• Inactive checking and savings accounts after three years
• Uncashed payroll checks and wage payments after one year
• Stock dividends and mutual fund distributions after three years
• Life insurance proceeds when beneficiaries are not located
• Utility deposits not refunded after three years from account closure
• Customer refunds and rebate checks that were never cashed
• Safe deposit box contents when box rent goes unpaid

Businesses report annually. Most firms report in November and send funds to the state in June. Life insurance companies report in May and remit in December. New property gets added to the database twice per year on these schedules. If a Vallejo employer or business just reported your name, it will appear in the next database update.

Filing Claims for Unclaimed Money

Begin your search at sco.ca.gov/search_upd.html to access the state database. Type your full legal name as it appears on your ID. Try variations. Search your maiden name if applicable. Look up your spouse and children. Search deceased parents or grandparents. You can claim on behalf of estates if you are an heir with proof.

Results show the holder name, property type, and amount range. Click on any match for details. The site guides you through next steps. Small claims can often be filed online in minutes. Upload your ID. Enter your current mailing address. Sign digitally. Submit. The state reviews and processes most simple claims within 60 days from submission to check in the mail.

Claims of $1,000 or more need a notary. Print the Claim Affirmation Form. Fill it out completely. Take it to a notary public with your ID. The notary checks your identity and stamps the form. Mail the notarized claim with ID copies to Chief, Unclaimed Property Division, P.O. Box 942850, Sacramento, CA 94250-5873. Include any additional documents the website requests based on property type.

Claiming for deceased owners requires extra paperwork. You need the death certificate. Spouses and children send proof of relationship like marriage certificates or birth certificates. Small estates under $166,250 can use a Declaration Under Probate Code 13101 instead of full probate. Larger estates need Letters from probate court. The controller provides a Table of Heirship form for complex family situations with multiple heirs.

Note: California charges zero fees to search, file, or process unclaimed property claims through the State Controller.

Other Unclaimed Money Programs

Not all unclaimed funds go to the State Controller. Retirement systems manage pension money separately. CalPERS handles public employee benefits. If you worked for a city, county, or state agency, search calpers.ca.gov unclaimed property for pension funds. CalSTRS manages teacher pensions at calstrs.com/unclaimed-property for education workers.

Tax refunds stay with the Franchise Tax Board. If you never cashed a California income tax refund, call 800-852-5711. They reissue checks over six months old. Recent refunds are quick to replace. Older refunds need Form 3900A or 3900B and take longer to process through the tax board system.

EDD keeps unclaimed unemployment and disability benefits. If UI or SDI payments went to a closed bank account or old address, you can claim them now. File Form DE 903SD with the Employment Development Department. No fee is required since 2016. Call 1-800-300-5616 for unemployment questions or 1-800-480-3287 for disability benefits related to Vallejo claims.

Life insurance policies can be located through the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator at eapps.naic.org/life-policy-locator maintained nationally. If a family member died and you think they had life insurance but do not know the company, submit a request. The system searches participating insurers. California Department of Insurance helps consumers at 1-800-927-4357 with questions.

Nearby Cities With Unclaimed Money

Other cities in the North Bay and Solano County area also have programs. Check these if you lived or worked there:

• Vacaville - Neighboring Solano County city
• Fairfield - Nearby city in Solano County
• Benicia - Solano County waterfront city
• Napa - Napa County seat to the west

Also visit the Solano County page for county-wide unclaimed property programs covering Vallejo and surrounding areas.