Find Settlements you are owed and see if you are Eligible

By: Patricia K., Published: Mar 19, 2020 | Related: Personal Injury Compensation

If you believe you have a settlement you are owed, there are ways to search for them. When settlements or property go unclaimed, they do not just vanish. States are required to hold onto unclaimed money for many years to wait until the rightful owner comes forward to claim it. If you look hard enough, you might find you are owed a settlement from something such as a class action lawsuit, an insurance claim or even a bankruptcy case.



Searching Through Bankruptcy Settlements

When assets from a bankruptcy get liquidated, the trustee will first pay off the creditors. Most of these payments are issued in the form of a check. When a check does not get cashed within a 90 day limit or gets returned due to a wrong address, the trustee will then hand the funds over to the courts. These will go into the unclaimed funds department. If you were a debtor and had to file bankruptcy, you could have funds owed to you from a dismissed case or from liquidated assets. If you didn't receive a check from the trustee, you can search online for unclaimed funds you might be owed.

Both debtors and claimants are able to search for funds that have yet to be claimed in the state where the case was originally filed. To get more information, you can search through your state's bankruptcy court website for details. Check the section called "Public Notice" for a list of unclaimed money. You will be able to search by entering the case number, the debtor's name or the recipient's name. If you are able to find some funds listed that are owed to you, you will be able to fill out an application to receive your payment. In order to verify you are the entitled recipient of the funds, you are going to have to verify your identity.



Check The Treasury Department

Another place to check for any unclaimed funds you may have is through your state's Department of the Treasury. Online, you can find access to all unclaimed funds from your state. For each state, there is a listing of unclaimed property such as assets, unclaimed property and bank accounts. When you have lived in multiple states, you can run a search for each state separately. Each state has their own specific claims process. However, for most states, you will need to show proof of your identity in order to apply for unclaimed settlement checks.

Search Through Many States

There are many ways you can search through multiple states during a single search. This can be performed through sites such as MissingMoney.com. Through this website, you can enter your full name to search through the government database of unclaimed property listings. There are many different types of unclaimed properties listed including insurance policies, bank accounts, CDs, uncashed paychecks and safe deposit box items. You can also find unclaimed property from bonds, stocks and escrow accounts online through the site as well. If you locate a listing for some unclaimed property in your name, you can verify your last known address before being able to complete an application to prove you are entitled to the found property.

Class Action Settlements

There are many sites online where you can search for many different class action settlements that you could qualify for. Many of these settlements can be from products or services you have purchased in the past. Some settlements you find yourself qualifying for may be from companies such as credit card issuers, banks, debt collectors and cell phone carriers. Some of the top settlement websites to search through include Class Action Rebates, Class Action News, Top Class Actions and Consumer Action.



When searching through the sites, you might come across multiple settlements you are entitled to. To get your settlement, click on the link that says "file a claim." This will direct you to the lawyer's website who will be handling the case for each specific settlement. Most claims will allow you to be able to fully complete your settlement request online. Once your claim is filed and approved, you will get notice about when you should receive your settlement check. Be sure to apply for a settlement before the deadline approaches.