Des Moines Residents Owed Millions In Unclaimed Money From Franchise Fees

DES MOINES, IA. -- The word is out and Des Moines residents are logging onto the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt website in record numbers to see if they are among property owners owed money from a franchise fee settlement by the City of Des Moines. Millions of dollars remained unclaimed this week, the Iowa Treasurer's Office reported.

KCCI-TV reported Tuesday that more than 60,000 property owners are owed a portion of the $12 million from the settlement. Court officials asked the State Treasurer's Office to try to find those to whom money is owed.

“We're trying to get this money returned to them,” State treasurer Michael Fitzgerald told KCCI. “That's our goal, to return all this money to the rightful owners.”

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KCCI reported today that the treasurer's office had record online traffic and the largest number of people it had seen in its office since the story was aired.

To see if you're a possible recipient of unclaimed money from the franchise fee or other sources, check the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt website.

Image from the State Treasurer's Office website