State Treasurer, Michael Fitgerald, says individuals claimed more than $300,000 in lost of forgotten property through the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt at the Iowa State Fair last month. “Many fairgoers took advantage of our on-site, online claims process at our fair booth this year. Over 11,000 searchers were conducted and 2,176 properties were claimed, totaling over $309,000 in value.” The Treasurer’s booth at the fair allowed Iowans access to www.GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov, which was created by Fitzgerald and his staff in 1983 to reunite Iowans with money or other financial assets held by banks or companies that had lost contact with the rightful owner. He says, “The search doesn’t stop at the fair. Over 300 shares were sent out via email, and I encourage those individuals to come forward and claim their property as well.” He notes is as simple as logging on to the website and completing a quick search. In the nearly four decades since its creation, the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt has retuned over $304 million in unclaimed property to nearly 600,000 people.
