Missouri Launches 'Lost & Found' Worth $700M

Missouri residents can now search for pontential property windfalls when they renew their drivers' licenses or license plates.

State Treasurer Clint Zweifel unveiled Wednesday his Unclaimed Property Search Kiosk at the O’Fallon Department of Revenue License Office at 2421 Highway K. Kiosks are also in Columbia, MO and Joplin.

The kiosk, developed by Treasurer Zweifel, is a one-stop shop by allowing people to search for Unclaimed Property and begin the claims process while completing their business at the license office.

In what is believed to be the largest single return in the nation, $6.1 million, was made to a Kansas City area woman.

Missouri is one of the first states in the nation to offer this service. There is nearly $700 million in more than 4.3 million accounts waiting to be claimed. Of that, $208 million in 1.2 million accounts belongs to people in the St. Louis region.

“I am constantly seeking new ways to make it easier for Missourians to find and claim their Unclaimed Property, and these Unclaimed Property Search Kiosks are about as easy as it gets,” Treasurer Zweifel said.

“Since the kiosks were first installed in January of 2011, more than 830 claims have been filed worth more than $125,000. Customer service isn’t just answering a phone, it is about interacting with the taxpayers we serve and making sure the process is convenient for them. The kiosk is innovation that does just that.”

The kiosk provides an easy step-by-step process for searching and claiming property, and provides a portal to the online search system for Missourians who may not have home Internet access.

More than 50 percent of all claims can be filed paperlessly, and record numbers of Missourians are receiving property because of the ability to quickly and easily file claims online. If a claim requires paperwork, the kiosk offers options to have it mailed directly to the user. All searches and claims are conducted in a safe and secure manner, free of charge. O’Fallon is the third city is Missouri to house a kiosk. Another kiosk is in Joplin, Mo.

O’Fallon license office business hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Treasurer Zweifel has returned nearly $117 million to more than 362,000 account owners since January 2009.

Missourians can visit www.ShowMeMoney.com 24 hours a day, seven days a week to search for Unclaimed Property that belongs to them.

Editor's note: This is a press release statement sent to Chesterfeld Patch.