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The unclaimed property process

Kamloops, BC

What is unclaimed property?

Unclaimed property is the legal term for money an organization has that the rightful owner hasn't used for a long time. Credit unions, utility companies, insurance companies, and the government can all have unclaimed property. When we refer to "property" we always mean money; we don’t mean land, houses or any other physical property.

What is unclaimed property?

  • Credit union accounts

  • Unpaid wages

  • Insurance payments

  • Court payments

  • Intestate estates (death without a will and next of kin cannot be located)

  • Companies in liquidation

  • Overpaid debt collections

  • Real estate deposits

  • And more!

What is not unclaimed property?

  • NOT Land

  • NOT Buildings

  • NOT Vehicles

  • NOT Jewelry

  • NOT Electronics

  • NOT Physical possessions

What happens to unclaimed property?

BC Unclaimed receives unclaimed property from such places as courts, estates, and insurance companies. We actively search for rightful owners of unclaimed property and publish a list of unclaimed property owners on our website. We hold onto unclaimed property until the rightful owner is found. When someone claims to be the rightful owner, we verify this through identification and documentation. If we confirm that they are the rightful owner, we send them a cheque and reunite them with their unclaimed funds.

Every year, we donate a portion of excess unclaimed funds to the Vancouver Foundation for charitable purposes. Read more about our relationship with the Vancouver Foundation.

What type of documentation is required to make a claim?

To verify a claim, we generally need:

  • one piece of documentation which matches the owner to the property, AND

  • two pieces of government-issued personal identification.

In some instances, such as unclaimed court funds and outstanding estates, we require more documentation. See our documentation requirements page to learn more. See our claiming court funds page to learn more about the process of obtaining unclaimed property from courts.

How does this work?

Organizations that hold unclaimed funds transfer them to BC Unclaimed
BC Unclaimed tries to find the rightful owner for unclaimed fund amounts over $200
BC Unclaimed doesn't find the rightful owner
BC Unclaimed finds a possible rightful owner

Frequently asked questions