• Contact your state to recover any money that belongs to you.dollars image by peter Hires Images from Fotolia.com
  
  Like many people, you would probably be excited to know that the United States government may be holding money for you that is waiting to be claimed. Money often goes unclaimed for a variety of reasons, such as tax refund checks that are mailed to an incorrect address. If you believe that the government is holding onto unclaimed property that belongs to you, you only need to contact your state's treasury department.
  
  

Determine the Type and Location of Unclaimed Property

• Determine whether you are likely to have any unclaimed property owed to you. Have any of your relatives died? You may have been left money or property in a will, but were not notified of it. Have you ever moved to a different address? A check may have been sent to your old address if the sender was unaware of your new address. Make out a list of all of your old addresses and the states in which you lived.
  
  

Discover Your Unclaimed Property

• Go to a website, such as the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, that will allow you to search for unclaimed property for free. You can also go directly to any state's Treasury website and search for property there. It is possible to search for property that may have belonged to a deceased relative. You can claim this property if you were listed on the person's will or are the next of kin. If there is any unclaimed property available to you, it is listed on the search results page.
  
  

Recover Your Unclaimed Property

• To recover your unclaimed property, you will typically need to print out a claims form, which is often found on the same website that provided you with your search results. Fill out the form completely, and include all of the requested information. If you changed your last name, for example, you generally must include a marriage license or other identifying proof. If you are claiming property that belonged to a deceased relative, you will need to send a copy of that person's death certificate.
  
  Mail your form to the provided address. If the treasury department approves the claim, you will receive your property within six to eight weeks.