Every year as people move, get married or lose a family member, thousands of dollars in assets are misplaced or abandoned. In some cases, this property may be as small as a few dollars left in a checking account and forgotten about, or may be thousands of dollars in mutual funds or stocks and bonds. It is important to know how to find unclaimed property in Louisiana for those who have lived or worked in Louisiana or who had family members in Louisiana.
Contacting the State Treasurer
The first step for those who believe they have property in the State of Louisiana is to contact the State Treasurer. Since the Louisiana laws were changed, the Treasurer’s office is responsible for administering all unclaimed property claims. The office may be contacted by phone toll-free at 888-925-4127 or for local calls 225-219-9400. Another option is to write to the office at State Treasurer, Attention: Unclaimed Property Division, P.O. Box 91010, Baton Rouge, LA 70821 or by email by filling out the Louisiana State Treasurer online contact form.
Searching database
The State Treasurer of Louisiana maintains a database of unclaimed property. This listing shows property that is listed by the name of the owner. It is important to note that property is listed in this database based on the last known address of the account owner. It is a good idea to check commonly misspelled names by all common spellings and to search women’s names by married and maiden names.
Claiming property
Once a search has been completed, if property is identified a claim form may be submitted. It is important to note that if the claim is being filed by a finder (a third party paid to find property) that the property must have been held by the state for not less than two years. Claim forms must be submitted with specific documents that prove ownership, identity of the claimant and a social security number must be provided. There is no charge to claimants to file a claim for property held under the Louisiana unclaimed property laws.
Like all states, Louisiana administers their abandoned property in a manner that makes it easy to identify property. No state charges claimants for filing claims or for searching for claims. Louisiana also has restrictions on fees that finders may charge to property owners. Learning how to find unclaimed property in Louisiana on your own and filing a claim could mean savings of up to ten percent of the found property.