How to Locate Lost Escrow Accounts by Name in California
"Finders keepers, losers weepers" has never been a legal maxim. A California business -- including banks, brokerage firms and real estate companies -- holding money or assets belonging to an individual must make efforts to locate the owner. After the account has been inactive for the statutory dormancy period, the business must turn the property over to the unclaimed property division of the Controller's Office. California facilitates reuniting owners with abandoned property by providing an Internet search engine available in six different languages.
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Instructions
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Locate as much information as possible about the lost escrow account. If you have names or phone numbers of escrow officers, contact them and ask for help, even if you do not have your account number.
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Open the Internet page of the California State Controller's Office. Choose your language in the upper left hand corner, then click on "Search for Unclaimed Property." Start your search by typing in your name and city of residence.
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Look through the list for the escrow account. The site provides a list of lost or abandoned property that the state holds in your name.
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Search for the initial to the right of the escrow account listing to find out if the property is still in the possession of the business (marked "N"), about to be transferred to the state (marked "I") or already transferred to the state (marked "P"). Follow the directions on the listing to recover your property. Claim property still held by the business by contacting the business. Claim all other property by using the procedures described on the website.
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Attempt the search again in a few weeks if you do not find the missing escrow account. The Controller's Office adds new items to the list every day.
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Tips & Warnings
The abandoned property list is public. Type in the names of your friends and family and advice them if they have money waiting for them.
Some individuals and businesses contact individuals whose names are on the abandoned property list, offering to reunite them with the missing property for a finder's fee. This is a waste of your money. Instead, go directly to the unclaimed property website and run your own search.
