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Confidentiality concerns, both on the part of owners and the
institutions where safe deposit boxes are located, make this type of
asset one that commonly goes unclaimed by family members and heirs.
If you know the name
of the bank where the safe deposit box was held, but the branch has
since moved, changed its name, or closed, don't assume that
unclaimed safe deposit box contents are lost forever. It is possible
the contents were transferred to a successor institution.
If you do not know
where the safe deposit box was held, it is still possible to find
and claim its contents. Safe deposit boxes with expired leases and
no further rental payments or claims eventually revert to government
custody. Dormancy periods - the time during which there has been no
box entry or rental payments - vary by state, but typically range
from one-to-five years.
Important note:
Unclaimed safe deposit boxes at failed banks may be drilled and
their contents sold at auction, so prompt action is necessary. For
an unclaimed safe deposit box search and information on reclaiming
items stored in a dormant unclaimed safe deposit box complete the
form below. (For assistance with a lost bank account go to:
Missing Bank
Account Search) |
