Idaho Unclaimed Property Division says it is ‘bursting at the seams’ with safe deposit boxes

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — The Idaho State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division is “bursting at the seams” with safe deposit boxes that it hopes to reunite with the rightful owners, according to a press release.

The state of Idaho is responsible for unclaimed property when businesses and organizations lose contact with the rightful owners of money and other valuables. Businesses and organizations report the unclaimed property annually to the state.

Idaho’s Unclaimed Property Division is holding the contents of 2,300 safe deposit boxes collected from banks, according to the release, which includes items like jewelry, photos, legal documents, collectibles, or stocks and bonds.

“Even if you haven’t owned a safe deposit box in Idaho, one of your family members might have opened one to keep something important or sentimental to them safe. Relatives of someone who is deceased may be entitled to the contents within the safe deposit box,” the release said.

Safe deposit boxes often go unclaimed because the family did not know the box existed, the release said. When the individual dies, the contents of the box are bagged and labeled, kept in a secure location in the bank for five years and then sent to the Unclaimed Property Division to help reunite the items with the original owner or their relatives.

To search the database for any unclaimed property, go to yourmoney.idaho.gov.