$16 million dollars in cheques, bonds or forgotten utility accounts belonging to 12,000 Albertans, businesses, and organizations are sitting in the Alberta Unclaimed Property Registry, waiting to be returned to their rightful owners.
So far, about $400,000 dollars have been returned to more than 150 people - one of whom is Annette Svederus.
"I was shocked. I had no idea there was any outstanding, you know, money out there that I was owed," says Svederus. She didn't find out about her unclaimed cheque for $659 dollars until one of her cousins was searching missingmoney.com and found her name on it.
"I did work for the government for a few years, so the only thing I can think of is maybe an expense claim that came late to a mailing address that I moved from or something and then ended up in the abyss."
Since 2009, businesses and people holding money or property for someone they can't locate must transfer it to the province.
Some of the property currently in the registry includes dividends, securities, investment certificates and bond payments, property from a dissolved corporation and assets from an estate with no heirs or will. There are also court proceeds, scholarships, and wages.
Each year, Enmax also has hundreds of unclaimed deposits and credits in old customer accounts.
"We've participated in the program for the last two years giving back to the government approximately $375,000 dollars from about 600 customers," says Ian Todd with Enmax.
Jac MacDonald with Alberta Finance tells us this spring, the registry will be getting even bigger.
"We will be listing distributions from life insurance companies, registered retirement savings plans and registered retirement income funds will also become part of the program."
So far, the largest single amount returned to an someone was a stale-dated cheque for $13,000 from a life insurance company. The oldest property the government in holding dates back to the early 90s.
To check if you're there's any money with your name on it, click here. And remember, the property data base is updated regularly so if your name isn't there today it may be there tomorrow.
With files from Tony Tighe, Global News
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