Geddes (WSYR-TV) - Billions of dollars are waiting to be claimed in New York, and state officials are hoping residents will step forward to see if they are owed any money.
The state is holding on to $28 million and a booth has been set up in the Center of Progress Building at the New York State Fair so that fair-goers can see if there is any money waiting for them.
On Monday, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli handed over a check for $725 to Syracuse Stage.
While the average account is less than $100, one person who hasn’t stepped forward is owed $1.7 million.
Most of the money is from old bank accounts that people have forgotten about. But some of the money is from insurance companies or utilities.
"Typically what has happened is people have moved and have not kept up with forwarding addresses. And the bank or whatever the financial institution has lost track of you and, after a certain amount of time, by law, they have to turn that money over to the state and we are the custodians until we can reunite people with their money,” DiNapoli said.
There is no fee to reclaim funds.
People can also look into whether or not there are funds waiting for them
by visiting the comptroller’s website.
The comptroller’s booth will be set up at the Center of Progress Building through the end of the Fair.
