While the Rhode Island Unclaimed Property Division has helped individuals reclaim more than $263 million in cash, General Treasurer Seth Magaziner tells 12 News that the programme has also helped residents reclaim other treasures.
Rhode Island Unclaimed money isn’t the only type of property that can be found
Unclaimed goods, such as jewellery, trading cards, and cutlery, are stored safely in a vault in the basement of the Rhode Island Unclaimed Property Division, according to Magazine.
Magaziner explained, “It might be family heirlooms that have gone missing, and part of our responsibility is to reconcile Rhode Islanders with those missing treasures.”
Each item’s path to the vault is unique, according to him; it could come from a dormant safety deposit box, a police agency, or even a hospital.
“If a person passes away in a hospital with jewellery and other valuables on them, and the hospital is unable to locate the next of kin, those items come to us, and it is our obligation to locate the next of kin,” Magaziner added.
Before being catalogued into their system, the artefact must remain untouched in the vault for a year, according to Magaziner.
Magaziner stated, “We will hang onto these goods for as long as it takes to reconnect them with their original owner.”
According to Magaziner, over 320 tangible items have been reunited with their owners since 2015. Within the last year, 23 of those goods were returned to their respective owners.
Magaziner urged all Rhode Island residents to check the FindRIMoney database to discover whether they are owed any unclaimed funds. He also encouraged everyone to look into the names of their relatives.
“Look for your parents, grandparents… because the original owner of many of these artefacts has passed away,” Magaziner added.
The R.I. Unclaimed Property Division will work with the person who claims the property online to ensure they are the legitimate owner.
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