Rutland County employers get over $100,000 in unclaimed property

Vermont Treasurer Mike Pieciak joined Rutland Mayor Mike Doenges on Thursday, Feb. 13, to return over $100,000 of unclaimed property to Rutland County employers. The event was held in connection with the Treasurer’s Claim Your Money campaign, an effort to return at least $1 million of unclaimed property to Vermonters in the month of February.

“Vermonters have over $130 million waiting to be claimed, and as employers face rising costs and workforce shortages, our office is working hard to return these dollars to communities like Rutland that need it most,” said Treasurer Pieciak. “I hope Vermonters will search MissingMoney.com to see if they, a family member, or a local business have unclaimed property waiting for them. Searching is easy, free, and it takes minutes.”

The ‘Claim Your Money’ campaign was announced in connection with National Unclaimed Property Day, Feb. 1 to encourage Vermonters to search for unclaimed property. The effort will include targeted paid advertising, collaboration with local lawmakers, and public events. Already, the campaign has returned over $600,000 of unclaimed property to Vermonters.

Mayor Doenges thanked Treasurer Pieciak for returning forgotten funds to Rutland employers, highlighting the benefit to their bottom line.

“These recovered funds represent a significant boost to our local businesses, many of whom are working to find ways to maximize every dollar,” said Mayor Doenges. “I’m excited that Treasurer Pieciak and his team have been proactive in their efforts in returning this money to Rutland.  I’m grateful for their ongoing commitment to supporting our community.”

Unclaimed property includes forgotten assets like uncashed checks, security deposits, investments, insurance proceeds, and other financial property. Financial institutions annually report these properties and turn them over to the state. The Treasurer’s Office safeguards assets until claimed by rightful owners or heirs.

Unclaimed property can belong to individuals, businesses, nonprofits, local media organizations, government entities, and more. Since the start of FY25 (July 1, 2024), the Treasurer’s Office has returned over $6 million to Vermonters—more than double the average amount typically returned by this time of year. While the office is returning more funds than ever, the amount of unclaimed property held by the state continues to rise, with over $1.5 million added to the state’s holdings since the start of the fiscal year.

All Vermonters are encouraged to visit missingmoney.com to check for unclaimed property.