>> Anchor: IT IS A $2 BILLION
JACKPOT HERE IN MICHIGAN.
MAYBE DOWNTOWN KNOW IT.
BUT IT COULD BE YOURS.
>> I WAS EXCITED I GOT THIS
EXTRA MONEY I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.
>> Anchor: BUT LOCAL FAMILY
RAN INTO TROUBLE CLAIMING THE
CASH PAY OUT.
COULD IT HAPPEN TO YOU?
>> WE ARE AT A DEAD-END AND WE
DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO GO.
>> Anchor: FUN MONEY, THE KIND
YOU DO NOT KNOW ABOUT.
BUT IT TURNS OUT CLAIMING
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY CAN BE
TOUGHER THAN YOU WOULD THINK.
>> FAMILY YOU ARE ABOUT TO ME.
EVEN WENT TO A PRIVATE
INVESTIGATOR AND COULD NOT SOLVE
THE FAMILY MYSTERY UNTIL THEY
CALLED HELP ME HANK.
INVESTIGATOR.
HANK WINCHESTER.
>> Reporter: HOW WOULD YOU
LIKE IT IF SOMEONE HANGING ON TO
YOUR MONEY AND MAKING IT TOUGH
TO GET BACK.
LOCAL FAMILY IN A BATTLE WITH
THE STATE OF MICHIGAN OVER
UNCLAIMED MONEY THEY SAID WAS
TONIGHT THEIR STORY.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET THE
CASH THAT IS RIGHTFULLY YOURS.
>> IT WAS A MONEY MYSTERY THAT
PART-TIME DETECTIVE.
>> I DON'T THINK I AM THE ONLY
PERSON WITH THE PROBLEM.
>> Reporter: BARETTA THOUGHT
IT WOULD BE EASY.
ONLINE DISCOVERED STATE OF
MICHIGAN HOLDING UNCLAIMED
FAMILY.
HER SISTER-IN-LAW RECENTLY
TRACKED DOWN $400 OWED TO HER.
>> I WAS PRETTY EXCITED THAT I
GOT THIS EXTRA MONEY I DIDN'T
KNOW ABOUT.
>> Reporter: STATE ALSO
HOLDING ON TO PROPERTY BELONGING
SISTER.
BOTH HAD ALREADY PASSED AWAY.
AND SIX ITEMS ALTOGETHER.
CONNECTED TO JON HANCOCK LIFE
INSURANCE.
>> THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO
ANYONE'S MIND WOW! MAYBE THERE
IS SOMETHING REALLY BIG HERE.
>> Reporter: BUT FIRST BIG
PROBLEM, STATE WILL NOT TELL YOU
HOW MUCH MONEY IS INVOLVED UNTIL
OWNER.
>> I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR.
I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD BE
UPFRONT AND HONEST ABOUT WHAT IS
FIGURE.
FRUSTRATION.
>> WE HAVE SENT THEM THE DEATH
CERTIFICATES FOR EVERYONE.
NUMBERS.
DATE OF BIRTH AND DEATH.
>> Reporter: IN SPITE OF ALL
THE INFORMATION STATE NEEDED ONE
PARTICULAR ITEM.
THE DETROIT ADDRESS WHERE THEIR
FATHER LIVED IN THE 1940s.
>> THERE MUST BE QUITE A FEW
PEOPLE THAT DO NOT KEEP PRECISE
RECORDS OF EVERY ADDRESS ANYONE
IT IN THEIR FAMILY HAS LIVED IN.
>> THIS IS WHEN WE WERE LITTLE.
BEFORE WE WERE BORN AND WE ARE
SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHERE OUR
FATHER LIVED IN 40s.
>> Reporter: RUNNING OUT OF
OPTIONS BERRETTA CONTACTED HELP
ME HANK TO INVESTIGATE.
MORE ON HOW WE HELPED THEM TO
CLAIM THE THOUSANDS THEY WERE
OWED IN A MOMENT.
AND RIGHT NOW WE BROUGHT
CONCERNS ABOUT THIS MONEY MASS
TO TERRY STANTON.
MANAGER OF THE STATE'S UNCLAIMED
PROPERTY DIVISION.
>> YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THIS
FAMILY WOULD BE FRUSTRATED?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR
EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE
HAVE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO
ASSURE THAT THE CLAIMANT IS THE
RIGHT CLAIMANT.
>> Reporter: STANTON ADMITS
TRACKING DOWN INFORMATION FROM
1930s, 40s, 50s IT CAN BE
A BIG CHALLENGE FOR MANY
FAMILIES.
>> UNLESS BE THEY SAID, AT SOME
POINT, VERIFY OR IDENTIFY THE
ADDRESS THAT WAS CONNECTED TO
THAT PROPERTY.
IT ALMOST IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US
TO DETERMINE THAT IT WAS THEIRS
OR THEY WERE THE RIGHTFUL HEIRS.
>> Reporter: THE IN THIS CASE
STATE DID NOT POINT THE FAMILY
- OFFERED LITTLE HELP.
THEY WERE STUCK.
WE KNEW THE INSURANCE PROVIDER
JON HANCOCK MAY ABLE TO SOLVE
THE MYSTERY.
IT WAS ABLE TO FINALLY TRACK
DOWN THE ADDRESS FOR THE FAMILY.
AND HELPING THEM CLAIM MORE THAN
$2500.
>> SHOULD THAT SUGGESTION HAVE
COME FROM THE STATE OR STATE
HAVE BEEN HELPING THEM TO
NAVIGATE THE BEST WAY TO FIGURE
IT OUT.
AND GENERALLY DOES.
>> Reporter: IF YOU FIND
YOURSELF IN THIS POSITION
STANTON SUGGESTS REACHING OUT TO
ANYONE.
FAMILY, FRIENDS, OLD NEIGHBORS,
COMPANY.
SOMEONE THAT COULD PROVIDE THAT
CRITICAL INFORMATION.
HELPING YOU TO CASH IN ON HIDDEN
MONEY JUST SITTING IN LANSING.
AGAIN, RIGHT NOW, ALMOST
$2 BILLION IN UNCLAIMED CASH AND
PROPERTY JUST SITTING THERE.
WE WILL PUT A LINK TO THE STATE
WEBSITE ON THE HELP ME HANK PAGE
ON CLICKONDETROIT.COM SO YOU CAN
SEARCH FOR YOUR MONEY.
I AM HANK WINCHESTER.
BACK TO YOU.
>> Anchor: PERIODICALLY THEY
MONEY AND NAMES.
I WILL BE HONEST I DID LOOK.
>> Anchor: NOTHING.
>> Anchor: THAT'S A LOT OF