When BC Unclaimed receives a new unclaimed property over $200, we make an effort to locate the rightful owner of the funds. If we find someone with the same name as our information, we send them a letter.
Not always. When we search for people, we are looking for anyone with the same name as the name we have on file. The individual needs to provide identification and documentation to prove they are the same person listed in our database.
BC Unclaimed has access to names and contact information found in databases like ICBC, Healthnet and BC Online. We use that contact information to try to connect unclaimed property with rightful owners.
Do you need more information about BC Unclaimed before you’re ready to start a claim? Check out our About us page to learn more about BC Unclaimed, our mandate from the Province of British Columbia, and how our non-profit organization works.
Unclaimed property is the legal term for money an organization has that the rightful owner hasn't used for a long time. Credit unions, utility companies, insurance companies, and the government can all have unclaimed property. When we refer to "property" we always mean money; we don’t mean land, houses or any other physical property.
BC Unclaimed receives unclaimed property from such places as courts, estates, and insurance companies. We actively search for rightful owners of unclaimed property and publish a list of unclaimed property owners on our website. We hold onto unclaimed property until the rightful owner is found. When someone claims to be the rightful owner, we verify this through identification and documentation. If we confirm that they are the rightful owner, we send them a cheque and reunite them with their unclaimed funds.
Every year, we donate a portion of excess unclaimed funds to the Vancouver Foundation for charitable purposes. Read more about our relationship with the Vancouver Foundation.
To verify a claim, we generally need:
In some instances, such as unclaimed court funds and outstanding estates, we require more documentation. See our documentation requirements page to learn more. See our claiming court funds page to learn more about the process of obtaining unclaimed property from courts.
