by Suzanne Rose

Created on: December 07, 2011   Last Updated: December 11, 2011

You may be entitled to unclaimed property in the state of Mississippi if you have lost track of property or become a beneficiary when someone passes away. Such property may include unpaid wages, bank deposit boxes, utility deposits, life insurance payments, royalty payments, court judgments, checking accounts, savings accounts and more. If the property resides in the state of Mississippi and you are the owner or legal beneficiary, you should take the proper measure to search for and claim your property.

The Office of the Mississippi State Treasurer can help you find unclaimed property to which you may have a right. You can search by the name of a company, your last name or the name of the person to whom you are beneficiary from the State Treasurer website. The search does not cost any money. Once you search for a name, you will be provided with a list of matches. These will include the name, the property ID, the address and whether the cash or shares is over or under $100.

If the search engine provides a positive hit, you will want to file a claim form with the State of Mississippi. Personal claimants will need to provide a photo identification, social security number of the owner, proof of current or prior address that matches the address on the property and name change form (if applicable). You will need to include a death certificate and will or obituary if you are a beneficiary or birth certificate of a minor, as applicable. Business owners will also need to provide an employer identification number and proper documentation establishing proof of ownership. You will notarize the form and mail it to the Mississippi treasury. A timely decision will be made on all unclaimed property claims.

Hiring a professional is another option that allows you to search for unclaimed property in Mississippi. Such professionals may include lawyers or private investigators. Make sure that any professional you utilize holds the proper degrees and licenses. Find out about the fees and charges upfront in your search. Asset locators will sometimes take a percentage such as 10% of the take, which can be significant. You may want to exhaust a personal search before you take this measure to maximize your earnings.

If you believe that you may own unclaimed property in Mississippi, search for it as soon as possible. CNN reports that owners can lose certain types of assets if enough time passes although most do remain available. With time and effort, you can get back the money that is rightfully yours.

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