We are asked this question a lot, “Is it worth my effort to notarize my claim form when I don’t know how much money it’s for?” It’s a fair question.
The answer is really two fold: first, if something of yours is floating around unclaimed, regardless of what it is, you should collect it. There’s great satisfaction in accomplishing tasks and collecting your Unclaimed Funds is an easy one. If you left your sweatshirt at a friend’s house, chances are they would tell you and you’d be sure to pick it up. If you would do it for a sweatshirt, you should also do it for your lost money.
The flip side to the question is a more exciting one for most people. To quote a famous advertising line… “Hey, You Never Know.” In New York State, claim amounts are not disclosed until the claim is verified with proof of address and a notarized claim form. Every state is different, but in the Big Apple this is how it works. And since NY holds the largest amount of Unclaimed Funds out of any state (over $16 Billion) it’s in your best interest to follow their simple steps.Remember there are claims waiting to be collected that range from over $1,000,000 to under $100 and everything in between. The reason the amount of Unclaimed Funds increases every year is because most people assume if they find a claim, the amount will be insignificant. In our click-to-buy culture today, goods come to our door in hours without thinking much about the cost and that has fundamentally changed the value being placed on money.
Years ago (June 15, 1982 to be exact), when The New York State Returnable Container Act was passed (more commonly referred to as the “Bottle Bill”) families would bring bags of cans and bottles to get recycled for a nickel apiece. It might have been to help the environment or because of the satisfying sound of a bottle being crushed, but for most people the money they got back had value beyond the dollar amount. It’s this respect for money and doing the right thing that we should all think more about.Next time you walk into your bank ask them if they will notarize something for you for free. Chances are they will, and with 1 in 4 people in NY being owed money they don’t know about… the sound of the notary stamp will sound even better than a can being crushed.