More than $1.6M in funds remain unclaimed in Riverside County

Hundreds of people are missing out on potentially thousands of dollars in unclaimed funds in Riverside County.

According to the Riverside County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office, nearly 1,300 claimants are entitled to a portion of more than $1.6 million in unclaimed funds that are at risk of being permanently forfeited in the coming months.

The County Treasurer-Tax Collector, which is responsible for billing and collecting property taxes, said the funds remain unclaimed due to “ roll changes ” that resulted in a refund.

Roll changes can result from an “escape assessment,” which is an assessment of a property that was not assessed or under-assessed on the original roll. They can also happen as the result of a correction, which is any type of authorized change to an existing assessment, excluding errors made by the individual or entity that led to an underassessment.

Once a roll change happens, the Treasurer-Tax Collector is required to mail a form to the appropriate person entitled to the refund before the funds can be released. That form needs to be completed within four years from the date the payment was made or within one year after the letter was mailed, whichever is the latest.

Some entities are entitled to tens of thousands of dollars.

“Our office is working diligently to contact the potential claimants, in hopes that they will recoup these funds that are due back to them,” said Riverside County Treasurer-Tax Collector Matthew Jennings. “We will continue to exhaust all methods of communication to distribute these unclaimed funds to the rightful owner.”

Riverside County officials said those who are entitled to unclaimed funds have already been contacted but have yet to come forward to submit a claim. The next window to submit a claim opens on Wednesday, and potential claimants have until Aug. 1 to have their claims submitted or postmarked.

After the deadline passes, any unclaimed money will be transferred into the County’s general fund.

Those who may have unclaimed funds that are at risk of being permanently lost can visit the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s website or call 951-955-3900 to learn more.

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