Highlands County Unclaimed Money Search

Unclaimed money in Highlands County could be waiting for you right now. The Florida Department of Financial Services holds lost funds from dormant accounts, uncashed checks, insurance proceeds, and other sources on behalf of Highlands County residents. You can search the state database for free at any time. The Highlands County Clerk of Courts in Sebring may also hold court registry funds and surplus from tax deed or foreclosure sales. Running a quick search is the only way to know if unclaimed money is sitting in your name.

How to Search for Highlands County Lost Funds

Start your search at fltreasurehunt.gov. This is the official unclaimed property search tool run by the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Unclaimed Property. It costs nothing to use and is available around the clock. The database covers every type of unclaimed money reported in Florida, from idle bank accounts to old stock dividends and forgotten utility deposits. Highlands County residents have the same chance as anyone in the state of finding something. One in five people in Florida has unclaimed property according to the state.

Search under every name you have used. Try your maiden name, former married names, and any nicknames. Misspellings are common in old records, so try variations. If you ran a business in the Sebring area or anywhere in Highlands County, search under that name too. The tool handles both personal and business lookups.

Where Highlands County Unclaimed Money Originates

Chapter 717, Florida Statutes requires businesses and government agencies to send unclaimed funds to the state after a holding period. The most common types include dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, life insurance benefits, stocks and bonds, and safe deposit box contents. A bank account goes dormant after five years of no activity. Wages that no one collects become unclaimed in just one year. Safe deposit box items are turned over after three years. All of these rules apply to holders in Highlands County and throughout Florida.

At the county level, the Highlands County Clerk of Courts may hold funds in the court registry. Cash bonds, lawsuit deposits, and surplus from tax deed and foreclosure sales can all end up unclaimed. The Clerk office is at 590 S. Commerce Ave., Sebring, FL 33870. You can call (863) 402-6565 to ask about any court-held money. Under Florida Statute 116.21, unclaimed court-related money must be accounted for and eventually sent to the state if no one claims it.

Note: County-held funds are typically kept for about one year before they transfer to the state database.

Filing a Claim for Highlands County Unclaimed Funds

Found your name in the search results? Good. You can begin the claim right from the fltreasurehunt.gov website. Click on the matching account and follow the steps to fill out a claim form. The state needs to see your government-issued photo ID. If the address on your ID is not current, include a utility bill or similar document showing your real address.

The hardest part of claiming unclaimed money in Highlands County is proving ownership. Sharing a name with the account holder is not proof by itself. Many people have the same name, and the state sometimes gets multiple claims for the same account. You might need old bank records, an insurance policy, a pay stub, or other documents that tie you to the account. Each claim form spells out exactly what the state wants to see. For unclaimed money that belonged to a deceased person in Highlands County, you also need a certified death certificate and evidence that you are an heir or personal representative of the estate. The state has up to 90 days to process your claim once they have everything.

It is always free to claim. No fee. No deadline.

Highlands County Unclaimed Property Laws

Florida makes it simple when it comes to your rights. There is no statute of limitations on unclaimed property. Your money will be there whether you search today or ten years from now. The state never takes legal ownership of the funds under Chapter 717. It holds them as custodian until the rightful owner or their heirs come forward.

Here is how the timing works for different property types. Section 717.102 covers the general five-year rule for most intangible property. Section 717.115 sets the dormancy period for wages at one year. Section 717.116 makes safe deposit box contents unclaimed after three years. Life insurance proceeds fall under Section 717.107, also at five years. Travelers checks have the longest period at 15 years under Section 717.104. Every year by May 1, holders throughout Highlands County must report any unclaimed property to the state as required by Section 717.117. Once funds reach the state, they are deposited into the State School Fund for public education, but the original amount stays available for the owner to claim at any time.

Search Tips for Highlands County Residents

A few extra steps can help you find unclaimed money tied to Highlands County. Here is what works best:

• Search every past name you have used, maiden and married names included
• Try spelling variations and nicknames
• Look up any business you owned near Sebring or elsewhere in Highlands County
• Search names of deceased family members who lived in the area
• Check MissingMoney.com to search all states at the same time

If you moved to Highlands County from another state, go back and check that state too. Unclaimed property is tied to the last address the holder had for you, which might be somewhere you lived before. Each state runs its own program.

Florida Treasure Hunt Homepage

The Florida Treasure Hunt site is the main portal for unclaimed property in Florida, and it covers all of Highlands County.

You can start a search, check a claim status, or read about the types of unclaimed property the state holds. The site also warns about phishing scams. The state will never text you about a claim.

State Unclaimed Property Search Page

Use the Florida claim search tool to look up unclaimed funds for any Highlands County resident by name.

Search by person or business name. Results show the account type, holder, and reported amount. You can file your claim right from this page. The service is free and has no time limit.

Watch Out for Scams in Highlands County

Scammers target people searching for unclaimed money. In Highlands County and across all of Florida, be careful of unsolicited contact about lost funds. The Florida Department of Financial Services will never send you a text message about a claim. No one from the state will call asking for your Social Security number or banking information to "release" your property. The legitimate process happens only through the official state website.

There are also companies that offer to search and file claims for a fee, usually a percentage of your recovered funds. You do not need to pay anyone. The search and claim process at fltreasurehunt.gov is free and straightforward. You can also call the state toll-free at 888-258-2253 with questions. Keep your full Highlands County unclaimed money by doing it yourself.

Note: The state does not pay interest on claims beyond what the original holder reported.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Highlands County. If you lived close to a county line, your unclaimed money could be filed under a neighbor county address.