Albertans can check if they have unclaimed money from the provincial government. (Photo: Pattison Media)

By David Opinko

“Who doesn’t like free money?"

Alberta Government looking for owners of $154 million in unclaimed money and property

Jul 18, 2024 | 10:44 AM

You could receive an unexpected payout from the Government of Alberta.

The province is seeking the rightful owners of a combined $154 million in unclaimed money and property.

They say the unclaimed property registry holds money that is lost, abandoned or forgotten. It contains millions of dollars worth of cash, cheques, money orders and other unclaimed items that belong to Albertans, often related to unclaimed deposits, uncashed cheques, loan overpayments, or inactive investment accounts.

In 2023 alone, the registry returned $1.4 million to 650 people.

Nearly 350,000 individual items remain unclaimed, including one valued at more than $850,000. If claimed, that would be the largest single balance the province has ever paid out.

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“Who doesn’t like free money?” asks Finance Minister Nate Horner. “Alberta’s unclaimed property registry is free and easy to check, and a quick search of the registry could help reunite someone with money that they may not even know they were entitled to.”

Alberta’s unclaimed property program is governed and managed by the province through the Unclaimed Personal Property and Vested Property Act. The Act provides 10 years for owners to stake and reclaim their lost money, after which the money is transferred to the government’s general revenue fund to help pay for programs and services for Albertans.

You can check if you have any unclaimed items by going to MissingMoney.com, the site used by Alberta and other North American jurisdictions.