Operation’s goal is to reunite Nevadans with what’s theirs

A deck of Elvis Presley playing cards rests next to a U.S. patent for a mail-slot bag.

Stacks of crisp bills - mostly with Benjamin Franklin's face on them - sit next to bars of silver, rare gold coins and a diamond ring.

They're pieces of abandoned property trying to make their way back to their rightful owners through Operation Claim It!, a campaign spearheaded by state Treasurer Kate Marshall's office and geared toward reuniting people with their stuff.

"It is the people of Nevada's money, and I seek to return it to them," Marshall said at a news conference Friday. "It's their property."

More than $400 million in unclaimed property sits in her office, including almost
$1 million in U.S. savings bonds.

Sometimes people are unaware items belonging to them are being safeguarded. Other times, families have died off, leaving behind riches.

Unclaimed property is any financial asset that has not had owner activity for a prescribed period of time, in most cases three years.

It includes account balances, checks, court deposits, insurance payments, payroll, utility deposits and the contents of safe deposit boxes.

There is no time frame to pick up the long-forgotten items - even if it takes 20 years. Some are auctioned off if they aren't picked up, and that money is transferred into the state's general fund.

The state made its largest transfer last year with $83.7 million into the fund.

Before hosting the auctions, Marshall's office attempts to contact the owner through mail, newspaper advertisements and county recorders, among other ways.

"We do a very big push to find the owners before we auction it off," Marshall said.

If the rightful owners contact Marshall, she will make sure they get their money back, even if the items have been sold.

Last year, the treasurer's office completed its most successful year by returning
$32.8 million worth of items, shattering the old mark by more than $7.4 million.

On average, the treasurer's office reunites owners and their property about 40 percent of the time, which is considered high, Marshall said.

The return rate used to be
11 percent to 16 percent, she added.

To find unclaimed property, visit NevadaTreasurer.gov, click on the "Unclaimed Property" link in the top navigation bar and type in your name in the "Looking for your money?" box.

For more information, call 702-486-4140 or 800-521-0019.

Contact reporter Kristi Jourdan at kjourdan@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.