Latest news with #DennisMilligan
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
New property law to divvy out $83 million to Arkansas residents
Thousands of Americans could soon find surprise checks arriving in their mailboxes thanks to a new state law aimed at reuniting residents with unclaimed money - without them having to lift a finger. Act 114 of 2025, which went into effect last week, allows the Arkansas State Auditor's office to automatically return property valued at less than $5,000 to its rightful owner if they live in the state and the auditor 'reasonably believes' it belongs to them - even if they never filed a claim. State Auditor Dennis Milligan says the change means the agency will start sending out nearly $83 million in unclaimed property to around 360,000 people in the coming months, with the average payout expected to be just over $100. 'The next two or three months is going to be a lot of fun for Arkansans, because the checks will start going out,' Milligan told the MH Observer. 'This program is very, very important to me. You know, $200 might not mean anything to one person, but it may mean the difference between being able to pay a utility bill or … put[ting] some food on the table.' One in four Arkansans has money sitting in the unclaimed property program, which the auditor's office manages alongside its other duties. In total, the office holds around $400 million in unclaimed assets - money that can come from abandoned checking accounts, uncashed rebate checks, insurance adjustments, and even unclaimed wages. Milligan says he's had his own small payday from the program: 'I got 20 bucks here a while back off of some kind of rebate. The office maintains a catalog of items from abandoned safe deposit boxes, including a World War II-era telegram referencing Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, a $10,000 bill, and signed Nolan Ryan baseball cards. Until now, reclaiming any amount - even a few dollars - required filling out paperwork and verifying identity. But Republican Sen. Dave Wallace of Leachville, who sponsored the bill, said Milligan approached him last year with the idea to streamline the process. 'The state has $238 that belongs to either me, or my wife, Karen, from some event a couple years ago. I didn't even know about it,' Wallace told the MH Observer. 'And there's going to be thousands and tens of thousands of Arkansans in that same situation.' The auditor's office will use software to confirm identities and addresses before mailing checks, with letters going out first to alert recipients. As long as the notice isn't returned as undeliverable, the check will follow a few weeks later. 'I mean, who can argue about Arkansans getting their money back?' Milligan said. 'I haven't had anybody complain yet.' The automatic payments only apply to amounts under $5,000. Anyone owed more than that - or with physical property or jointly held assets - will still need to file a claim through the state's unclaimed property database. Milligan still encourages residents to check the online database from time to time, noting that even Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has unclaimed property listed in her name.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
$83m cash bonanza as surprise checks sent to residents in red state
Thousands of Americans could soon find surprise checks arriving in their mailboxes thanks to a new state law aimed at reuniting residents with unclaimed money - without them having to lift a finger. Act 114 of 2025, which went into effect last week, allows the Arkansas State Auditor's office to automatically return property valued at less than $5,000 to its rightful owner if they live in the state and the auditor 'reasonably believes' it belongs to them - even if they never filed a claim. State Auditor Dennis Milligan says the change means the agency will start sending out nearly $83 million in unclaimed property to around 360,000 people in the coming months, with the average payout expected to be just over $100. 'The next two or three months is going to be a lot of fun for Arkansans, because the checks will start going out,' Milligan told the MH Observer. 'This program is very, very important to me. You know, $200 might not mean anything to one person, but it may mean the difference between being able to pay a utility bill or … put[ting] some food on the table.' One in four Arkansans has money sitting in the unclaimed property program, which the auditor's office manages alongside its other duties. In total, the office holds around $400 million in unclaimed assets - money that can come from abandoned checking accounts, uncashed rebate checks, insurance adjustments, and even unclaimed wages. Milligan says he's had his own small payday from the program: 'I got 20 bucks here a while back off of some kind of rebate. 'A former employer tried to send you your last check, and they couldn't find you, so they forwarded it to us. It's a multitude of different reasons why we get sent this money.' While much of the unclaimed property is cash, some is far more unusual. The office maintains a catalog of items from abandoned safe deposit boxes, including a World War II-era telegram referencing Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, a $10,000 bill, and signed Nolan Ryan baseball cards. Until now, reclaiming any amount - even a few dollars - required filling out paperwork and verifying identity. But Republican Sen. Dave Wallace of Leachville, who sponsored the bill, said Milligan approached him last year with the idea to streamline the process. 'The state has $238 that belongs to either me, or my wife, Karen, from some event a couple years ago. I didn't even know about it,' Wallace told the MH Observer. 'And there's going to be thousands and tens of thousands of Arkansans in that same situation.' The auditor's office will use software to confirm identities and addresses before mailing checks, with letters going out first to alert recipients. As long as the notice isn't returned as undeliverable, the check will follow a few weeks later. 'I mean, who can argue about Arkansans getting their money back?' Milligan said. 'I haven't had anybody complain yet.' The automatic payments only apply to amounts under $5,000. Anyone owed more than that - or with physical property or jointly held assets - will still need to file a claim through the state's unclaimed property database. Milligan still encourages residents to check the online database from time to time, noting that even Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has unclaimed property listed in her name.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How to claim your unclaimed property checks
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A bill passed in the Arkansas legislature allows Auditor of State Dennis Milligan to automatically mail unclaimed property checks. Senate Bill 14 aims to return Arkansans' unclaimed money without having to file a claim through a process known as 'data match initiative.' This allows audit offices to send checks to those with unclaimed funds between $50 to $5,000. The auditor's office has more than $400 million in unclaimed Arkansan property and funds. 'This is a government efficiency bill that will cut red tape and bureaucracy and will help my office get citizens their unclaimed money more effectively,' said Milligan. 'Once fully implemented, this data match initiative will allow us to return several million dollars back into Arkansans' hands where it rightfully belongs. It's just the right thing to do.' Arkansas bill would allow the use of nitrogen gas in executions The initiative has identified 360,000 properties valued over $83 million, and the office plans to process all of these returns. When owners unclaimed or abandoned assets cannot be immediately matched, it is remitted to the Auditor of State's office where it sits before the Unclaimed Property's division, which works to connect the property to its owner through the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt program. 'As eager as I am to reconnect citizens with their unclaimed property, implementing the data match program will take time. Once we begin each batch, we will notify the owners via postal mail that we intend to mail them a check,' Milligan said. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announces Arkansas ACCESS higher education reform legislation This process will only apply to individual claims. Since January 2023, Milligan and his administration returned over $70 million to citizens through the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt. You can check for unclaimed property and collect a claim for a deceased relative or business here. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
