# Getting money from a guy long dead

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-money-from-a-guy-long-dead/724164>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 3, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-money-from-a-guy-long-dead/724164 "2015-07-03T20:50:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-money-from-a-guy-long-dead/724164/1 "2015-07-03T20:50:36Z")

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Wisconsin as an “unclaimed property” website, where companies that owe you money are supposed to send that money if they can’t find you. A few weeks ago I did a search and found my uncle’s name. He died in 2009 and I was his estate administrator. At that time I had legal access to all his property, accounts, etc. But the estate has been long closed.

Do I have any right to recover that money? If not, I suppose the state will unltimately get it, because there’s no other relatives/heirs in the picture.

FYI, I have put in a claim for it, but it will probably be another couple of months until I get an answer from the state.

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-money-from-a-guy-long-dead/724164/2 "2015-07-03T21:34:36Z")

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If you can prove that the money SHOULD have been part of your uncle’s estate I don’t see why they wouldn’t provide you (his executor) the funds to distribute as appropriate. I would contact someone in the department holding the money and explain the situation to them. I don’t see how it could hurt.

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-money-from-a-guy-long-dead/724164/3 "2015-07-03T23:02:07Z")

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Same thing happened to me, in Wisconsin, too. A few years after my dad died, I noted there was unclaimed property at that website. I just followed the process at the time, filled out the forms they provided, sent a copy of the paperwork showing I was his executor and heir, and ended up with the money. A whole $79!

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**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-money-from-a-guy-long-dead/724164/4 "2015-07-04T19:03:57Z")

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It might be worth your while to determine roughly how much money is in the account. In some states, they code the accounts with something like “Under $10”, “$10-100”, and “$100 plus”.

My husband was an heir to a stepgreatuncle. We received notification from a third party that there was an unclaimed account. I couldn’t figure out how much it was, but figured it was likely \<$200. I couldn’t go through the claiming process since my husband was not executor (a non-heir third party was). Looking at the hassle involved – it involved sending death certificate, signed affidavits of all the heirs, etc. – we decided to let it go. I couldn’t see where the amount received would be worth the hassle.

Apparently the other heirs made the same determination. We never received anything.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-money-from-a-guy-long-dead/724164/5 "2015-07-05T14:59:27Z")

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Since this involves legal advice, let’s move it to IMHO.

Colibri  
General Questions Moderator

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-money-from-a-guy-long-dead/724164/6 "2015-07-05T15:01:34Z")

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> [@Anny\_Middon](#):
>
> It might be worth your while to determine roughly how much money is in the account. In some states, they code the accounts with something like “Under $10”, “$10-100”, and “$100 plus”.
> 
> My husband was an heir to a stepgreatuncle. We received notification from a third party that there was an unclaimed account. I couldn’t figure out how much it was, but figured it was likely \<$200. I couldn’t go through the claiming process since my husband was not executor (a non-heir third party was). Looking at the hassle involved – it involved sending death certificate, signed affidavits of all the heirs, etc. – we decided to let it go. I couldn’t see where the amount received would be worth the hassle.
> 
> Apparently the other heirs made the same determination. We never received anything.

I know that it something between 250 and 1000 dollars.