Unclaimed Property - Estate of Deceased Persons

Under certain circumstances, the County Treasurer-Tax Collector may receive unclaimed money from estates of decedents who have either unknown or unlocated heirs. These monies may be deposited with the County Treasury pursuant to Probate Code Sections 7663 or 11850, et. seq. and may be claimed pursuant to applicable Probate and/or Government Code Section(s).

Estates of Deceased With Heirs

California Code of Civil Procedures Section 1444 specifies that any unclaimed estates of deceased with known heirs will be transferred to the State Controller's Office semi-annually after the deposit has remained in the County Treasury for one (1) year.

Estates of Deceased Without Heirs

California Government Code section 50050 provides that unclaimed monies, including estates of deceased without known heirs, which remain in the County treasury for at least three (3) years may be escheated to the County's general fund after public notice. At the end of the three-year period, unclaimed items over $15 must be published in a newspaper of county-wide circulation as notice that these funds will become the property of the County if they remain unclaimed after a specified date, 45 to 60 days after publication. Once the unclaimed items become the property of the County, a claim may no longer be submitted.

Claim Process

If you locate a deposit that you believe is owed to you, please complete the Estates of Deceased Claim Form. The County of Nevada has a duty to release funds to the rightful claimant, and we require that proof of identification be provided with the notarized claim form. Claims may be made directly to the County of Nevada without any service charges or fees.

What to Include with the Claim Form:

The claim form provides guidelines for proof of identity. Along with your completed claim form, please include documents and records that evidence your relationship to the decedent or prove that you are the legally appointed personal representative of the decedent. The documents provided should include a copy of the decedent's will, if any, and a copy of the decedent's death certificate. At least forty (40) days must have elapsed since the death of the decedent before a claim can be processed.

Where to Mail the Claim Form & Supporting Documents:

County of Nevada
Treasurer-Tax Collector
Attn: Estates of Deceased Claims
P.O. Box 128
Nevada City, CA 95959

How we Process the Claim Form:

All claim forms are reviewed in detail. If adequate documents are not provided with the submitted claim, our office will return all documents to the claimant along with a letter explaining why the claim was denied. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks to process.

Unclaimed property escheated to the California State Controller must be claimed through their office. To claim money escheated to the State of California, contact the State Controller's Office.