Jimmy Patronis announces $32M in unclaimed property returned in May

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Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis announced that $32 million in unclaimed property was returned to Floridians in May.

Patronis said in a statement that the month of May saw $32 million in unclaimed property returned to Floridians, with $2.4 billion being returned since Patronis took office in 2017.

“As inflation continues to squeeze the wallets of Floridians and the price of gas and groceries continues to rise, every dollar counts,” Patronis said.

Unclaimed property is a financial asset that has been lost or inactive, including dormant bank accounts and stocks. They are usually held by business or government entities for a period before being remitted to the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Miami saw the most unclaimed property returned among Florida regions, with about $10 million worth of returns. The Tampa and St. Petersburg area saw $6.2 million worth of returns, and Orlando saw $5.3 million worth of returns. Several other regions saw more than $1 million in returns, including Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Fort Myers.

In the statement, Patronis urged Floridians to go to FLTreasureHunt.gov to see if they had unclaimed property.

“An estimated one in five Floridians has unclaimed property waiting to be claimed, with the average claim being about $825,” Patronis said. “That’s extra cash for folks that may be on a fixed income or families who need just a little more money to pay the light bill.”