STOUGATZ CORP

Banks, insurers and employers are required to hand over accounts that go inactive. California holds that money indefinitely and publishes every record in a public database. Most owners never find out.

I search those records, identify owners who can be reached, and handle the claim filing on their behalf.

What this costs

Nothing up front, and nothing at all unless the claim succeeds.

My fee is a percentage of what is actually recovered — between 7% and 10%, lower on larger recoveries. California law caps it at 10%.

On cash claims the Controller issues two payments: one to the owner, one to me. You never write me a check.

You can do this yourself

I would rather say this plainly than have you discover it later.

Every record I work from is public, searchable for free, and claimable directly. If you want to check whether California is holding something in your name, go to claimit.ca.gov and search it. If something turns up, you can file on your own and pay no one.

What I do is assemble the filing. The Controller requires, for each property, proof of identity, proof of Social Security number, a document showing you received mail at the address the institution reported, and a document showing where you live now. It considers a claim within 180 days of receiving all the documentation that substantiates it — so anything missing doesn't delay a claim by a little. It stops the clock until it's fixed.

Most people who hire me could have done it themselves. They hire me because they would rather not.

How it works

1. I write to you with what I found — the amount, the institutions that reported it, and the Controller's property ID numbers.
2. You verify it yourself at claimit.ca.gov before we speak.
3. If you'd like to proceed, I send the Controller's standard agreement, which sets out the full value of the property before you sign anything.
4. I assemble and file the claim, and follow it through to payment.

There is no deadline. California holds unclaimed property in perpetuity.

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