I've recently been receiving unsolicited letters from various law firms of questionable repute. Don't worry. I'm not in any sort of trouble. Actually they all claim that they've found money owed to me from some mysterious location. When I received the first such letter I laughed and tossed it out. Now that I've received five similar notices I'm a bit intrigued.
I really think that they're legitimate. Why? Well they're all for the exact same dollar amount: $6,243.18. Surely they're just looking at some governmental report and sending me that line item. The only thing I can think of is that it's something to do with selling my home in Atlanta. Probably PMI reimbursements or something. Here's the catch, though. All of them want me to give them Power of Attorney to get my loot and to let them take sixty percent of the windfall.
Surely there has to be a way for me to track down this money on my own. Any ideas?
Posted by mikewolf at January 28, 2005 10:59 AMTotally. I've seen news stories about stuff like this on television before. Probably once a year or so. I don't remember the details, but I'm pretty sure they all said that you could claim the money on your own. I don't remember them saying a lawyer would be necessary. (I'd do some research or you, but got lots of work to do!) Good luck with it! Keep us posted.
Posted by: C on January 28, 2005 11:16 AMI guess you'll be getting that Powerbook from your wish-list after all?
Posted by: spinsouth on January 28, 2005 11:24 AMTry looking your name up here. There are directions for what to do if you've got unclaimed property: http://www2.state.ga.us/departments/dor/ptd/ucp/index.shtml
Posted by: zeebah on January 28, 2005 12:58 PMGood idea, Z., but not it. I think it's probably something from HUD. I'll do some research this evening.
Posted by: mrw on January 28, 2005 01:03 PMI remember when I lived up the line and got the New Haven Register daily, occasionally they'd run a section with huge lists of all the people who had money coming to them-- abandoned money, owed, whatever. I remember wondering who ARE these folks? Who *forgets* they have a bank account?! I figured it had to be mostly people who move around a lot, and who can't be traced. Fast forward to fall of 2004, and while doing research I'm on the Connecticut State website-- and happened by a link to the unclaimed property rolls. On a lark (I needed a break!) I look up my own name. And there it is-- WITH my previous address (YES, I forwarded all my mail when I moved.) Even funnier, when I went back into the site to show a friend, while scrolling down to my own name, I saw the name of another friend! (And after that, we found two more, just looking for random names.) Here's the CT site: http://www.state.ct.us/ott/ucplisting.htm
If by Atlanta you mean Georgia, try here:
http://www2.state.ga.us/departments/dor/ptd/ucp/
In CT they send you forms in the mail, you just have to submit proof back that you are really you, and they release the funds (no, mine wasn't any wonderful sum, and it was from an insurance check that they supposedly "couldn't get to me" (despite the postal service always knowing my whereabouts!)
Good luck-- my guess is it IS true, and these greedy b******s just want to take a cut (that's quite a finder's fee!)
~rin
Posted by: rin on February 23, 2005 01:32 AM