Search Victorville Unclaimed Money

Victorville unclaimed money comes from multiple sources you should check. The California State Controller holds billions statewide from dormant bank accounts and unpaid wages. San Bernardino County maintains its own database for property tax refunds and unclaimed estates. The City of Victorville may hold utility deposits or city payments that went unclaimed. All three agencies offer free searches and free claims. No deadline exists for filing. You can find money from many years ago. Search your name and the names of family members who lived in the Victor Valley. Old employers and banks in Victorville may have reported your name to these databases over the years.

California State Controller Database

The state holds the most unclaimed money. Over $11 billion sits with the California State Controller waiting for owners. Banks send inactive accounts after three years. Employers report unpaid wages after one year. Stock companies transfer dividends that were never cashed. Insurance firms send life insurance proceeds when beneficiaries cannot be found. All this money goes to Sacramento and stays there until claimed.

Search for free at ucpi.sco.ca.gov/en/Property/SearchIndex any time of day. Enter your full name. Results show immediately. Each entry lists the holder who sent it, the property type, and an amount. Click a match to see details. The site tells you if you can file online or need to mail a form.

Small claims go fast. Amounts under $1,000 usually qualify for online filing. Upload a photo of your California ID or driver's license. Fill in your current mailing address. Sign the electronic form. Submit. The state reviews most simple claims within 30 to 60 days. If approved, you get a check mailed to you. No fee is charged for the service.

Big claims need more work. Any claim of $1,000 or above must be notarized. Print the Claim Affirmation Form from the website. Fill it out. Visit a notary public with your ID. The notary verifies you and stamps the form. Mail it with ID copies to the Unclaimed Property Division in Sacramento. These take longer but most finish in 60 to 120 days from Victorville.

San Bernardino County Programs

Victorville is in San Bernardino County. The county runs unclaimed property programs through the Auditor-Tax Collector's Office. San Bernardino County holds property tax refunds that were never claimed. When assessments drop or you overpay, the county owes a refund. If the refund check goes uncashed, the county keeps it in trust. You can claim it anytime with no deadline under state law.

Search the county database at sbcounty.gov property tax refund search to see if they hold funds. The online tool lets you search by name or property. If you find a match, contact the county office to file a claim. San Bernardino County does not charge fees to get your own money back.

Estates of deceased persons also end up with the county. When someone dies without a will or known heirs, assets go through probate. If no family appears, the estate escheats to San Bernardino County after a waiting period. Later, relatives can still file claims if they prove their relationship. The county will verify and pay valid claims even years after escheatment happened.

Government Code 50050-50057 governs local unclaimed property. Counties can take ownership after three years of dormancy. But the law protects your perpetual claim rights. No time limit applies for getting money back from San Bernardino County.

City of Victorville Unclaimed Funds

The City of Victorville may hold unclaimed money from city operations. Utility deposits are common. When you close a water or trash account and move away, the city refunds your deposit. If the check gets sent to an old address and returns undelivered, the city holds it. Business license refunds and vendor payments can also go unclaimed when checks are never cashed.

Contact the Victorville Finance Department to ask about unclaimed funds. The city can search by name or business name. If they find money for you, they tell you what documents to provide. Most cities need proof of ID and a signed 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 a few years. So if Victorville sent your money to Sacramento, you will find it in the State Controller database. Always start with the state search since it consolidates property from many sources across California including city transfers.

What Property Becomes Unclaimed

Many types of assets turn into unclaimed money. Bank accounts top the list. You open a checking or savings account, use it for a while, then forget it. After three years with no deposits, no withdrawals, and no contact, the bank must send it to the state. Safe deposit box contents also go to California if you stop paying rent on the box for three years.

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

• Checking and savings accounts after three years of no activity
• Uncashed payroll and wage checks after one year
• Stock dividends and mutual fund payments after three years
• Life insurance proceeds when beneficiaries are not located
• Utility deposits not refunded within three years of closure
• Customer refunds and rebate checks never cashed
• Safe deposit box contents when rent goes unpaid for three years

Businesses report each year. Most firms report in November and send funds in June. Life insurance companies report in May and remit in December. New property gets added twice per year. If a Victorville business just reported your name, it will show up in the next database update from the controller.

How to File Claims

Start your search at sco.ca.gov/search_upd.html for the state database. Type your full legal name. Try variations. Use your maiden name if you got married. Search family who may have died. You can claim on behalf of estates if you are an heir with proof of relationship.

Results show the holder, property type, and amount range. Click any match for details. The site guides you on next steps. Many small claims can be filed online in minutes. Upload your ID. Enter your current address. Sign digitally. Submit. The state processes simple claims in 30 to 60 days usually.

Claims of $1,000 or more need notarization. Print the Claim Affirmation Form. Complete it. Take it to a notary with ID. The notary checks your identity and stamps it. Mail the notarized form with ID copies to Chief, Unclaimed Property Division, P.O. Box 942850, Sacramento, CA 94250-5873. Include extra documents if requested based on property type.

Claiming for deceased owners takes more steps. You need the death certificate. Spouses and children send proof of relationship. Small estates under $166,250 can use a Declaration Under Probate Code 13101. Larger estates need Letters from probate court. The controller has forms for estate claims in California.

Note: California charges no fee to search, file, or process unclaimed property claims through the State Controller.

Related Unclaimed Money Programs

Not all funds go to the State Controller. Pension systems are separate. CalPERS handles public employee benefits at calpers.ca.gov unclaimed property if you worked for government. CalSTRS manages teacher pensions at calstrs.com/unclaimed-property for education workers.

Tax refunds stay with the Franchise Tax Board. Call 800-852-5711 if you never cashed a California tax refund. They reissue checks over six months old. Recent ones are quick. Older refunds need Form 3900A or 3900B and take longer.

EDD keeps unclaimed unemployment and disability benefits. File Form DE 903SD to claim old UI or SDI payments. No fee applies since 2016. Call 1-800-300-5616 for unemployment or 1-800-480-3287 for disability questions from Victorville.

Nearby High Desert Cities

Other Victor Valley and High Desert cities also have programs. Check these if you lived or worked there:

• Hesperia - Neighboring city in San Bernardino County
• Apple Valley - Victor Valley city to the east
• San Bernardino - County seat to the southwest
• Fontana - San Bernardino County city

Visit the San Bernardino County page for county-wide programs covering Victorville and surrounding areas.