Millions of Unclaimed Washakie and Big Horn Counties Property Held By State

It seems the state is holding onto some money and property you might have claim to.

Jeff Robertson, the Administrator of Unclaimed Property for the Wyoming Treasurer’s Office says there is lots of unclaimed property throughout the Bighorn Basin that is currently held by the state. While people are spending more time stranded at home or looking to make ends meet, its as good a time as any to look into their unclaimed property. And its not an insubstantial amount. In Washakie County alone, there is $802,301 being held by the state of Wyoming. In Big Horn County – $987,301. Based on 2019 population estimates, that’s an average of $101.75 per Washakie County resident and $83.14 per Big Horn County resident. And its all just waiting to be claimed.

This money is listed in the names of current and former residents, businesses, organizations, governmental entities, etc. with a last known address within the county. Some individuals and agencies are owed more than others:

One individual in Big Horn County is owed more than $70,000.
$20,000 is owed to the Washakie County’s Predator Animal Board.
More than $2,200 is owed to the City of Worland.
Nearly $2,000 is owed to Absaroka Head Start in Worland.
There are at least 30 individuals with a last known address in Lovell and another 30 in Greybull owed over $1,000. There also are at least 15 people in Basin, 5 in Burlington, 5 in Cowley, 4 in Byron, 4 in Deaver, 3 in Manderson, 3 in Shell, 2 in Emblem and 1 in Otto owed over $1,000.
There are at least 15 individuals with a last known address in Worland owed over $5,000. There also are at least 7 people in Ten Sleep owed over $1,000.
KWOR Inc. is owed more than $520.
KZMQ AM FM is owed more than $585.

In all, Wyoming’s Unclaimed Property Division has more than $91 million waiting to be returned to its rightful owners. To make a claim, owners will need to provide a valid ID. It can be uploaded directly to the website, emailed to wyomingup@wyo.gov or mailed through USPS. Additional documentation may also be required depending on the property in question and complexity of the claim. Wyoming law requires the state to hold unclaimed property in perpetuity until the rightful owner is able to claim it.