Washington County Unclaimed Funds

Washington County unclaimed money may be waiting for you in a state database. Florida holds billions in lost property from old bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance payouts, and forgotten deposits. Even a small, rural county like Washington has its share of unclaimed funds tied to local residents. Searching costs nothing and only takes a few minutes. The Washington County Clerk of Courts in Chipley may also hold court-related money like bond refunds and surplus from tax deed sales. If you have ever lived or worked in Washington County, it is worth running a quick search.

Search Washington County Unclaimed Money

The official place to search for unclaimed money in Washington County is fltreasurehunt.gov. The Florida Department of Financial Services runs this database. It is free. The search tool works any time of day. The state says one in five Floridians has lost funds in this system. Washington County residents are part of that number.

Use every version of your name when you search. Try maiden names, married names, nicknames, and even common misspellings of your last name. If you owned a business in Chipley, Vernon, or anywhere else in Washington County, search the business name as well. The database includes personal and business accounts. Old paychecks, vendor refunds, and utility deposits from Washington County all flow into this system when they go unclaimed.

Note: You can search for free without creating an account or giving out any personal details.

Types of Unclaimed Money in Washington County

Chapter 717, Florida Statutes defines what counts as unclaimed property. The most common forms are dormant savings and checking accounts, uncashed checks, life insurance benefits, stocks, dividends, and contents of safe deposit boxes. Under Section 717.106, a bank account with no activity for five years is presumed unclaimed. Wages become unclaimed after just one year per Section 717.115. Safe deposit box contents follow a three-year rule under Section 717.116.

Washington County is a rural area in the Florida panhandle. Residents who worked for local employers, held accounts at community banks, or had insurance policies could have unclaimed money tied to them. People who moved out of the Chipley area sometimes left behind deposits or final paychecks that never got picked up. These funds wind up in the state system over time. Even small amounts add up, and the average unclaimed property claim in Florida is worth about $2,080 according to MissingMoney.com.

Washington County Clerk and Court Funds

The Washington County Clerk of Courts in Chipley handles money that passes through the court system. Cash bonds, court registry deposits from civil cases, and surplus from foreclosure and tax deed sales are all held by the Clerk. Under Florida Statute 116.21, the Clerk must report court-related unclaimed money after a holding period of about one year. Funds that no one claims get sent to the state.

If you had a court case in Washington County and there was money left over, the Clerk may still have it. Contact the office in Chipley to ask before checking the state database. Local funds sometimes take a while to get transferred.

Note: Washington County does not maintain its own online unclaimed funds list, so the state database is the primary search tool.

Claiming Lost Money in Washington County

If you find unclaimed money that looks like it could be yours, start a claim on the Florida Treasure Hunt website. Click the account in the search results and the site guides you through the process. A claim form gets mailed to your address with a list of documents you need to send back.

You must provide a government-issued photo ID. A driver's license is the most common option. If the address on your ID is not current, include a utility bill or bank statement that shows where you live now. Proving ownership is key. Just sharing a name with the account holder is not enough. The state needs something that ties you to the money, like an old bank statement, insurance document, or pay stub from the employer that reported the funds. Washington County residents claiming on behalf of a deceased person need a certified death certificate plus proof of being the heir or personal representative of the estate.

The state gets 90 days to review a complete claim. Many finish sooner. Incomplete paperwork slows things down.

Washington County Unclaimed Property Law

There is no deadline to claim your money. Florida law is firm on this point. Section 717.129 says no contract or statute of limitations can cut off your right to unclaimed property. Whether it was reported last year or 20 years ago, the money is still yours. The state holds it as a custodian under Section 717.102 and never takes ownership.

Holders of property in Washington County, including banks, businesses, employers, and government offices, must report unclaimed funds to the state by May 1 each year under Section 717.117. They are required to try to find the owner first. When that fails, the funds go to the Florida Department of Financial Services. The money gets placed in the State School Fund for public education, but the full reported amount stays available for the rightful owner to claim at any time. This applies to all unclaimed money from Washington County and every other county in Florida.

Florida Treasure Hunt for Washington County

The Florida Treasure Hunt homepage is the starting point for all unclaimed money searches in Washington County.

This site is maintained by the Florida Department of Financial Services and covers every type of unclaimed property in the state. Washington County residents can search for free at any time without creating an account.

State Unclaimed Property Search Page

The Florida Treasure Hunt claim search is where you enter a name and look for unclaimed money.

Results show the property type, reported amount, and which holder sent the funds to the state. Washington County residents who find a match can begin the claim process directly from this page. Call 888-258-2253 to check the status of an existing claim.

Avoid Unclaimed Money Scams

The Florida Department of Financial Services warns people about scams involving unclaimed property. The state will never text you about unclaimed money. Nobody from the government will ask for your bank account number or Social Security number to release funds. If that happens, it is fraud. The real claim process goes through the official state website and there is never a charge.

Some third-party finders reach out to people and offer to file claims for a cut of the money. Washington County residents do not need that kind of help. Filing is free and simple. Go to fltreasurehunt.gov and handle it yourself. If you have lived in other states, try MissingMoney.com to run a search across multiple states at once. That site is backed by the National Association of State Treasurers and costs nothing to use.

Cities in Washington County

Washington County includes Chipley, Vernon, Wausau, Caryville, and Ebro. None of these cities reach the population threshold for their own page. All unclaimed money for Washington County residents runs through the same state and county systems. Chipley is the county seat and the largest town, serving as the hub for local government services.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Washington County. If you lived close to the county line, your unclaimed money might show up under a neighboring county address instead.