$1.98 Lays Unclaimed by Mehlville Schools in State Treasurer's Fund

Someone from The Mehlville School District should take note: There's $1.98 in unclaimed property languishing in the Missouri State Treasurer's Unclaimed Property Fund with your name on it.

A quick search for "Mehlville" in the fund showed another Mehville school District entry for $10-$20, one for the Mehlville Mothers Club for "over $50" among the 13 accounts that showed up in the Mehlville search.

In an "Oakville" search, only seven unclaimed property listings turned up, including one for Oakville Elementary School, 2911 Yeager Road, for $5-$10 and one for the Oakville Tom Boy grocery store for three bucks.

Zweifel put on display some of the most interesting items in his unclaimed property vaults in Jefferson City Thursday. The items were found in more than 1,000 new safe deposit boxes that have been turned over by law to Treasurer Zweifel since November, according to a news release from the treasurer's office. The safe deposit boxes are being opened and catalogued so their contents can be returned to their legal owners or heirs. Signed photos of Spencer Tracy and Bette Davis, a St. Bernard-shaped nutcracker, antique tools and four Purple Hearts were among the items on display.

“Each year I receive hundreds of safe deposit boxes and my staff goes through each one to catalog the contents for its owners or their heirs,” Zweifel said in the news release. “Safe deposit boxes represent less than 1 percent of the $700 million of unclaimed property that I protect, but these boxes provide an interesting glimpse in to what is important to people. A lock of hair, family pictures, military medals, a high school diploma from 1928 – these items tell the stories of life in Missouri. I encourage everyone to regularly check www.ShowMeMoney.com for their name and to sign up for email alerts as new unclaimed property is added every week.”

Banks are required by state law to turn over safe deposit boxes after five years of no contact with the owners. The property received in safe deposit boxes is sold at auction as needed, with the proceeds held indefinitely for owners.

Zweifel also receives unclaimed property from financial institutions, insurance companies, public agencies and other business entities if there has been no documented transaction or contact with the owner for five or more years. Most unclaimed property consists of cash, stocks and bonds from abandoned accounts. The average account returned is $300 and one in 10 Missourians has unclaimed property.

You can check to see if you have any unclaimed property on file by visiting the website, www.ShowMeMoney.com.

In a previous story, Jon Galloway, former communications director for the state treasurer's office, said "It's common to see the overpayment of fees and fines. A lot of government entities will check the website routinely."