State Officials Locate Vets Who Have Unclaimed Property

A new partnership between the state treasurer’s office and the Department of Veterans Affairs is putting unclaimed property in the hands of its rightful owners.

That’s how the state was able to locate David Coss, a veteran from Wisconsin Rapids. Coss is $1,000 richer, and in a tough economy, Coss said the extra cash is really nice. He and his wife plan to use the money to visit the veterans’ memorials in Washington.

The state has $411 million in unclaimed property. State treasurer Kurt Schuller said his office has been able to locate about 4,500 veterans in Wisconsin who have unclaimed property.

WAOW-TV reported some of the claims may be pocket change. But, others are life changing. Schuller said he hand-delivered $750,000 to an elderly couple in Wauwatosa.