Sapp Millionaires surfaces on state's unclaimed money website

TAMPA, FL -- Alex Sink, Florida's Chief Financial Officer, is encouraging all Floridians to find out if they have unclaimed money or property currently being held by the state’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property.

According to Sink, the state is holding more than $1 billion in cash and property. More than $500,000 of that property will be auctioned off later this month.

Sink is urging people to check and see if they have unclaimed property before it's auctioned off.

"When I was a little girl, we were taught to look under sofa cushions and look for quarters, dime and nickels," Sink said. "That's what everyone in Florida ought to be doing. Who knows? You may find dimes and quarters, but you may find half a million dollars."

To check and see if you have unclaimed property, go to www.FLTreasureHunt.org. You can type your name into the search function and see if you have any money or property waiting for you.

ABC Action News searched the database to see what well-known figures had unclaimed money in Florida. Among them were baseball player Derek Jeter (unclaimed money from a life insurance policy), owner George Steinbrenner (unclaimed dividends from Bear Stearns) and actor Burt Reynolds (credit balance on an account).

Warren Sapp, a one-time defensive lineman with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has unclaimed salary from the Bucs waiting for him.

Even Sink had money in the database that she was unaware of.

"See, you just never know," Sink said. "You just never know."

The state will hold the auction of unclaimed property on October 24 in Ft. Lauderdale.



(abcactionnews.com)