Aug. 23, 2023 (Eureka Springs, Ark.) – Auditor of State Dennis Milligan, whose office administers the state’s unclaimed property program, the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt, visited Eureka Springs earlier this month and located a check for Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.
“I have a big heart for animals, so when I learned that Turpentine Creek had unclaimed money through the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt, I directed my staff to work with the nonprofit to get this money back into their hands where it belongs,” Milligan said. “Hopefully these funds will help offset some of the costs this nonprofit incurs in its daily operation.”
Unclaimed property can be any number of items, such as unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts, certificates of deposit, contents of safe deposit boxes, etc. When owners abandon an account – through a move or a death, perhaps – and the holder of the property cannot locate the owner, the money or properties are submitted to the Auditor of State’s office. The Auditor’s office is required to return unclaimed property back to citizens.
“Since I took office on Jan. 10th, we’ve returned more than $16 million to citizens through the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt,” Milligan said.
To see if you, your business or nonprofit organization might have unclaimed property in Arkansas, visit https://claimitar.com/.
Pictured is Tanya Smith, President and Co-Founder of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (left) and Outreach Coordinator Jordan Gipson with the Auditor of State’s office. Learn more about the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt at ClaimItAR.com.
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Dennis Milligan was elected Auditor of State in 2023. The Auditor’s office is responsible for ensuring payroll for more than 600 state government elected officials, Supreme Court justices, prosecuting attorneys and deputy prosecutors. The office also administers the state’s Unclaimed Property Program, The Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt. Learn more at https://auditor.ar.gov/.