Search Monroe County Unclaimed Funds

Monroe County has unclaimed money waiting for residents and former residents of the Florida Keys. This island chain county stretches from Key Largo to Key West and has about 81,000 people. Unclaimed property from dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance payments, and court surplus builds up each year. The Monroe County Clerk of Courts in Key West manages locally held funds while the state tracks the rest through its central database. Searching for unclaimed money in Monroe County is free and available to everyone at any time.

Monroe County Unclaimed Property Search

Start with the state search. Florida's Division of Unclaimed Property keeps a database of all unclaimed funds at fltreasurehunt.gov. It covers Monroe County and every other county in the state. Just type your name. Results show up in seconds. The search runs 24 hours a day and it costs nothing. With about one in five Floridians having unclaimed funds, Monroe County residents should take a few minutes to look.

Use every name you have been known by. Maiden names, former married names, and nicknames can all have unclaimed money tied to them in Monroe County. People who lived in the Keys years ago and moved away often have funds waiting under old addresses. Businesses that reported the accounts used whatever name was on file at the time. Try different spellings. A single wrong letter can hide a real claim. The state database holds bank accounts, insurance checks, refunds, stocks, dividends, utility deposits, and wages from Monroe County.

For a wider net, search at MissingMoney.com. This site checks several states at once. Monroe County draws a lot of seasonal residents, and some may have unclaimed money from their home state sitting untouched.

Monroe County Clerk Unclaimed Money

The Monroe County Clerk of Courts in Key West holds some unclaimed funds at the local level. These are mostly tied to court cases and county operations. Tax deed surplus tops the list. When a property in Monroe County sells at a tax deed auction for more than the debt owed, the former owner gets the extra. If they don't claim it, the Clerk keeps it until the holding period ends.

Foreclosure surplus from mortgage cases follows the same pattern. Court registry deposits from civil lawsuits sit with the Clerk too. Cash bonds and uncashed checks from jury payments, vendor services, and county refunds are also tracked as unclaimed money in Monroe County. Section 116.21 of Florida law requires the Clerk to report all unclaimed court-related funds. After roughly one year, unclaimed money moves to the state system under Chapter 717.

The Monroe County Clerk of Courts website has information on local services, including unclaimed funds held at the county level.

Check the Clerk site for any Monroe County funds still held locally in Key West before they get sent to the state.

Note: Monroe County has multiple courthouse locations across the Keys, but the main Clerk office for unclaimed funds is in Key West.

How to Claim Funds in Monroe County

Found something? Here is what to do next. For state-held unclaimed property from Monroe County, go to the Florida Treasure Hunt claim page. Click your account and follow the steps. A claim form comes to you listing every document you need to provide. Each claim is different depending on the type of unclaimed money and the amount.

A government-issued photo ID is required for every Monroe County claim. Your driver's license works if it has your current address. Old address on the ID? Include a utility bill or bank statement as backup. You also need to prove ownership. Same name is not proof. The state gets multiple claims on the same accounts all the time. For Monroe County claims, old bank records, tax returns, or correspondence from the holding company help prove the money is yours. Mail your completed form and documents to the address on the claim form.

Processing takes up to 90 days from the date they get your full package. For funds held by the Monroe County Clerk, contact them at (305) 292-3415 or go to 500 Whitehead St. in Key West. Some claims need a court order. A W-9 form is standard for all payouts.

Unclaimed Money Types in Monroe County

Unclaimed money in Monroe County comes from a variety of sources. Dormant bank accounts make up the largest share statewide. Under Chapter 717, accounts idle for five years get reported. Insurance benefits and annuities follow the same timeline. Uncashed payroll checks have just a one-year dormancy per Section 717.115. Stocks, bonds, dividends, and credit balances from Monroe County businesses and residents all feed into the system.

Locally, Monroe County generates surplus from tax deed sales and foreclosure proceedings. Safe deposit box contents become unclaimed after three years under Section 717.116. Money orders go dormant at seven years. Traveler's checks take 15 years, which can be relevant in a tourist-heavy area like the Florida Keys. Court bonds, registry deposits, and uncashed county checks round out the types of unclaimed money held in Monroe County.

• Bank accounts and deposits (5-year dormancy)
• Uncashed checks and wages (1 year)
• Insurance proceeds (5 years)
• Safe deposit box contents (3 years)
• Money orders (7 years)
• Tax deed and foreclosure surplus

Monroe County Unclaimed Property Laws

Florida law gives you forever to claim your unclaimed money from Monroe County. There is no deadline. No statute of limitations. The state does not take ownership. It holds your funds as a custodian under Chapter 717 until you or your heirs come forward. This applies whether the money has been in the system for a few years or a few decades in Monroe County.

While unclaimed, funds go into the State School Fund for public education. But the full amount reported is always set aside for the rightful owner. Interest is not paid unless the holder originally reported it with the principal. Heirs can claim after an owner dies. They need a certified death certificate and proof of their relationship. Section 717.124 governs how the state reviews claims. The administrative rules under 69G-20 detail what heir claimants must submit for Monroe County accounts.

The state Treasure Hunt homepage lets you search for all unclaimed money from Monroe County and the rest of Florida.

This is the central hub for unclaimed property searches covering Monroe County and the entire state.

Monroe County Contact Information

Reach out to these offices for help with unclaimed money in Monroe County. The Clerk handles local court-related funds. The state covers everything that has been escheated from Monroe County businesses and financial companies.

The state contact page has additional details for each department that handles unclaimed property claims from Monroe County.

Cities in Monroe County

Monroe County covers the Florida Keys from Key Largo down to Key West. No cities in Monroe County maintain separate unclaimed property programs. All local unclaimed funds go through the Monroe County Clerk of Courts, and most older funds are in the state database.

Key West is the county seat. Other communities include Key Largo, Marathon, Islamorada, and Big Pine Key. Search for unclaimed money from any Keys location through the Monroe County Clerk or at fltreasurehunt.gov.

Nearby Counties

Monroe County connects to mainland Florida through just two neighboring counties. If you have lived or worked in either area, check for unclaimed funds there too. The state database covers all counties in a single search.