Heir Finder Information


 

The State of Arizona Department of Revenue Unclaimed Property Section publishes the names and last known addresses of unclaimed property owners on the website www.missingmoney.com.  At this time no other list (hard copy or electronic) is published or available.  Information about the source, value, or nature or unclaimed property is considered confidential and will only be released to official claimants who have provided proof of ownership. 

 

Important Factors to Remember:

  • The Department will issue a separate check, not to exceed 30% of the total payment, to you for the percentage of property assigned to you by the claimant as payment. You must provide a signed copy of your contract with your claimant.
  • You are only legally entitled to collect a fee if the property has been held by the Department of Revenue for over 2 years.  See A.R.S. § 44-327. 
  • To function as locator or heir finder in the State of Arizona you must be a currently licensed private investigator.

 

General Claims Submission Requirements: 

  1. For all claims we will require the heir’s or devisee’s signature on the claim form.  You may sign the form for the claimant if you provide verification that you have power of attorney in this matter to act on behalf of the original owner.  A durable power of attorney is a written instrument by which a principal designates another person as the principal’s agent.  The instrument must contain words that demonstrate the principal’s intent and must in all ways adhere to the guidelines set forth in A.R.S. § 14-5501.  
     
  2. As evidence of your authority as an individual to act on behalf of a company as its employee, such as private investigations firm, in this transaction an additional durable power of attorney that meets the guidelines or a completed form AZ-285UP is required.
     
  3.  We will require official photo identification of you and your client.  
     
  4. If there are joint owners, they will be required to claim together, unless:
  • One or more of the owners is deceased, in which case we will require a copy of the decedent’s death certificate.
  • The joint owners are divorced, in which case a certified copy of the divorce decree and property settlement is required.
  • The joint owners had no familial or marital relationship and have lost contact, in which case an affidavit of those facts is required
  1. If you are representing the heir or beneficiary of a deceased owner, you are required to prove that your client is an individual that the State of Arizona recognizes as having lawful authority to collect the estate.  Acceptable proof includes:
  • Letters of Office naming your client as the personal representative, certified within the last 60 days
  • An un-redacted copy of the decedent’s signed and valid Will (if the Will passes the property to a Trust you will also need to provide either your client’s letters of acceptance as trustee, the Certificate of Trust, or a copy of the Trust which names your client as the trustee).
  • If the decedent did not have a Will, the estate was less than $75,000, and your client is an intestate heir, your client may complete the Section’s Affidavit for Collection of personal property 
  1. If you are representing a client who is claiming unclaimed property that resulted from excess proceeds of a trustee sale, you must also submit proof that your client owned the home at the time of the sale.

 

The protection of property and its rightful return is our first concern. The factors involved in proving a relationship are quite complex.  Therefore, based on the facts and circumstances of each claim, additional information may be required by the Department.  If additional information is required it will be requested in writing with an explanation of the requirement.

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