INDIANA
INDIANA MAYOR PETE BUDDHA JUDGE FOR A PRIVATE FUNDRAISER.
>>> WHAT IF WE TOLD Y+@OU PEOPL
IN NORTH TE+@XAS HAVE MORE THAN
$1 BILLION JUST WAITING TO BE
CLAIMED?
CLAIMED?
CLAIMED? >> I WOULD RAISE MY EYEBROWS,
+@BUT UNCLAIMED PROPERTY IS MOR
THAN JUST MONEY.
CHARLOTTE HUFFMAN WENT +@INSIDE
THE TEXAS VAULT OF FORGOTTEN
TREASURES.
TREASURES. >> WE HAVE A WIDE ASSORTMENT
OVER THE YEARS AND UNCLAIMED
PROPERTY.
PROPERTY.
PROPERTY. >> Reporter: INSIDE THIS VAULT
THERE IS A HUNDRED OUNCE GOLD
ARE.
ARE.
ARE. +@
ARE. >>
ARE. >> +@THAT IS A CANARY YELLOW
DIAMOND RING.
DIAMOND RING. >> Reporter: PRICEY JEWELRY,
DIAMONDS, ROLEXES, VALUABLE
RELICS, TOO.
RELICS, TOO. >> EVERYTHING FROM A VERY, VERY
OLD MATH BOOK TO THE
INTERESTING STUFF.
INTERESTING STUFF. >> A LOCK OF JOHN LENNON'S HAIR
RIGHT THERE.
RIGHT THERE. >> Reporter: ALL OF IT SITS
INSIDE A VAULT OWNED BY THE
STATE OF TEXAS WAITING FOR ITS
RIGHTFUL OWNERS TO CLAIMANT.
IT IS CALLED UNCLAIMED PROPERTY.
YOU HAVE PROBABLY HEARD OF IT.
BA+@CK IN THE DAY THE STATE USE
TO RUN ADS IN THE BACK OF THE
NEWSPAPERS.
NEWSPAPERS. LET'S SAY A RELATIVE SUDDENLY
DIES LEAVING FAMILY MEMBERS
UNAWARE THEY HAVE A SAFETY
DEPOSIT BOX AT THE BANK.
AFTER A FEW YEARS THE BANK
SHIPS THE CONTENTS OF THE
SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX HERE TO THE
STATE UNCLAIMED PROPERTY
DIVISION IN AUSTIN.
THE GOODS ARE UNPACKAGED,
INVENTORIED AND GET THIS, IF NO
ONE CLAIMS IT, THE STATE
ACTUALLY AUCTIONS IT OFF HERE
ON eBAY.
ON eBAY.
ON eBAY. IT IS NOT JUST VALUABLES.
THERE IS COLD, HARD CASH, TOO.
$5.4 BILLION TO BE EXACT.
MORE THAN 1 BILLION OF IT
BELONG+@S TO NORTH TEXANS.
AND HERE'S THE KICKER.
MANY OF YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
>> IT JUST FLOORED US.
PEOPLE DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT
LOOKING.
LOOKING.
LOOKING. >> I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT LOOKING.
>> Reporter: THE MONEY COMES
FROM THINGS LIKE A BAND AND
SAVE IT ACCOUNTS, OVERPAYMENT
ON UTILITY AND MEDICAL BILLS
AND REFUNDS OR REBATES OWED TO
CUSTOMERS.
CUSTOMERS. >> ANY KIND OF PAYMENT +@THAT I
OWED TO YOU THAT YOU DON'+@T TA
ANY ACTION ON AFTER CERTAIN
PERIOD OF TIME TH+@AT CAN COME
UNCLAIMED AND COMPANIES ARE
REQUIRED TO REPORT THOSE TO THE
CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY.
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY. >>+@ Reporter: IT +@IS TRANSFER
TO THE STATE GENERAL REVENUE
FUNDS.
FUNDS.
FUNDS. IT
FUNDS. IT IS UP TO TEXANS TO GO ON TO
THE STATES WEBSITE, SEARCH
THEIR NAME TO SEE IF THEY HAVE
ANY AND THEN FILE A CLAIM TO
GET IT BACK.
+@>> I THINK THE MOST VALUABLE
INDIVIDUAL CLAIM WE PAID WAS
OVER $12 MILLION TO A SINGLE
PERSON.
PERSON.
PERSON. >> Reporter: MAJORITY OF THE
MONEY GOES UNCLAIMED.
WHY?
WHY?
WHY? +@
WHY? +@WELL, BECAUSE THE STATE SAYS
IS NOT THEIR JOB TO FIND THE 14
MILLION PEOPLE WITH UNCLAIMED
PROPERTY.
PROPERTY.
PROPERTY. SO, WE WENT TO WORK.
WE GOT ALL THE FILES FROM THE
STATE DATING BACK TO THE 1980S.
THEN WE BUILT OUR OWN
SEARCHABLE DATABASE.
SEARCHABLE DATABASE. WE SPENT TWO MONTHS TRACKING
PEOPLE DOWN.
PEOPLE DOWN. TAKE HELEN McMILLAN FOR EXAMPLE.
>> THIS WAS HELEN.
THAT WAS HOW SHE LOOKS.
>> Reporter: HELEN'S NAME WAS+@
ATTACHED +@TO ONE OF THE LARGES
AMOUNTS OF MONEY.
HE WENT TO HER APARTMENT BUT
LEARNED SHE DIED A FEW YEARS
AGO.
AGO.
AGO. AND
AGO. AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE ANY
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. BUT WE DID FIND A REPORT FROM
THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE.
IT LISTS A WOMAN NAMED NANCY AS
NEXT OF KIN.
AT THIS HOU+@SE IN MANSFIELD TH
IS WHERE WE FOUND NANCY.
>> THAT S+@MILE, JUST WAS HELEN
>> SHE HAD NO IDEA HOW MUCH
MONEY HER COUSIN LEFT BEHIND
FOR THE FAMILY UNTIL HE SHOWED
UP.
UP.
UP. >>
UP. >> HERE IS HELEN McMILLAN.
THERE ARE T+@WO LISTINGS HERE F
HELEN.
HELEN.
HELEN. +@ONE IS A HALF-MILLION +@DOLLA
$472,000.
$472,000.
$472,000. >> IT IS A TOTAL SHOCK AFTER
ALL THIS TIME.
HE THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS TAKEN
CARE OF.
CARE OF.
CARE OF. IT WAS A GOOD SHOCK.
>> Reporter: THEN THERE IS
ARTIST WRITER.
ARTIST WRITER. >> I FELT LIKE IT WAS A
BLESSING.
BLESSING.
BLESSING. HE DOESN'T NEED ANY MONEY?
>> Reporter: HER SISTER-IN-LAW
DIED SUDDENLY A FEW YEARS AGO.
WE TRACKED+@ HER DOWN TO TELL H
THAT THE STATE HAS $8714 IN A
DEATH BENEFIT WAITING FOR THE
FAMILY TO CLAIMANT.
>> WAIT A SECOND, SHE WAS A
TEACHER, TH+@ERE'S ANOTHER $200
FROM WAGES.
FROM WAGES. AND LOOK, $286 AND A UTILITY
DEPOSIT LEFT OVER.
>> WOW.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT $11,000.
+@
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT $11,000. >> THAT IS GOOD TO KNOW.
>> Reporter: BOTH FAMILIES CAN
NOW FILE CLAIMS TO GET THEIR
MONEY BACK FROM THE STATE.
THE LARGEST PILE OF MONEY WE
FOUND IS $2.6 MILLION THIS
ARLINGTON MAN LEFT IT BEHIND
+@ FOR HIS FAMILY.
THERE'S $111,000 FOR THE CITY
OF DALLAS AND 12,004 HALL OF
FAMER RODRIGUEZ.
FAMER RODRIGUEZ. NOT THAT HE NEEDS IT.
IN ALL, THE PEOPLE WE TALKED TO
SAY THEY ONLY WISHED THEY HAD
KNOWN ABOUT THIS MANY YEARS AGO.
>> IT WAS A TOTAL SHOCK.
+@ WE WEREN'T THAT HARD TO FIND,
YOU ALL FOUND US AND WE CANNOT
THINK CHANNEL 8 ENOUGH.
I DO PRAY YOU ALL FIND ALL OF
THOSE PEOPLE ON THAT LIST.
>> WE WILL KEEP AT IT.
>> Reporter: UNTIL THEN, DON'T
THINK THE STATE IS GOING TO
COME KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR.
ALL THOSE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
ARE GOING TO REMAIN IN THE
STATES BANK ACCOUNT.
AND ALL TH+@AT BLING HER+@E BEH
CLOSED DOORS.
CLOSED DOORS. >> SO FAR OUR INVESTIGATIVE
TEAM HAS TRACKED DOWN MORE THAN
A DOZEN PEOPLE AND WE HAVE
CONNECTED THEM WITH ALMOST
$600,000+@.
$600,000+@. YOU ARE PROBABLY WONDE+@RING HA
I GOT ANY MONEY?
YOU CAN GO TO WWW.WFAA.COM+@ /T
KAINE PROPERTY TO FIND OUT. +@
+@
KAINE PROPERTY TO FIND OUT. +@ +@HERE'S THE CAVEAT.
WE ARE TOLD THE PROCESS TO
CLAIMANT CAN BE A BIT OF A PAIN.
THAT IS WHY WE HAVE A STEP-BY-
STEP VIDEO TO HELP WALK YOU
THROUGH THE PROCESS.
IF YOU FIND SOME MONEY, WE WANT
TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
EMAIL US.
EMAIL US.
EMAIL US. >> YOU GUYS A+@RE PROBABLY
WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY MONEY.
>> I'M GOING TO GO CHECK WITH
JASON.
JASON.
JASON. YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
I'VE DONE IT FOR YOU.
CHRIS, I AM SORRY I HAVE
NOTHING FOR YOU.
PETE, LET'S SEE, WE HAVE ABOUT
HUNDRED DOLLARS FROM YOUR DAYS
IN KENTUCKY.
IN KENTUCKY. >> AND YOUR MOM IN ILLINOIS.
>> LUNCH IS ON YOU.
>> HOW ABOUT THAT?
>> IS THE I DIDN'T FIND YOU+@
ANYTHING BUT I FOUND YOUR SISSY
$80.
$80.
$80. >>
$80. >> THAT IS AWESOME.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT MY COMMISSION
RIGHT AFTE+@R.
RIGHT AFTE+@R. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THIS IS A VERY NICE SURPRISE.
+@
THIS IS A VERY NICE SURPRISE. >> IT JUST SHOWS, YOU LOOK AT
YOUR SISTER.
YOUR SISTER. IT IS MY OLD FIFTH THIRD BANK.
>> YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T LOOKED
AT THAT THING IN A DECADE.
>> I HAVE BEEN HERE 14 YEARS SO
IT IS PROBABLY 1+@5 OR MORE.
>> ONCE YOU FILE YOUR CLAIM,
HOW LONG BEFORE YOU SEE YOUR
+@CA+@SH X IT TAKES ABOUT 37 DA
ON AVERAGE.
ON AVERAGE. THAT DEPENDS.
THAT DEPENDS. IF IT IS AN AIRS+@HIP CLAIM IT
WILL TAKE LONGER THAN IF YOU
WERE THE ACTUAL OWNER.
>> GREAT WORK.
>> MY MOM SAYS SHERWIN