Unclaimed Property

Unclaimed Property

You may have heard that each state has a depository where unclaimed property is reported by banks, insurance companies, and other entities.  It is worth a few minutes of your time to look for yourself and relatives. This money is legally owned by someone and it just could be you.

While doing the search just in my state, I found two direct relatives and several distant relatives listed as having unclaimed property.  I also located someone who is deceased, to whom I notified their one and only legal heir.

To be sure you have the correct web site, either go to your state’s Treasury Department or to http://www.unclaimed.org.  This unclaimed money or property legally belongs to someone who “forgot” about it.  The entity who held it must be law make attempts to locate the rightful owner in the state of their last known residence.  At some point, it is turned over to their state’s Treasury Department.

Per the web site listed above comes their definition:

“What is unclaimed property?

Unclaimed property (sometimes referred to as abandoned) refers to accounts in financial institutions and companies that have had no activity generated or contact with the owner for one year or a longer period. Common forms of unclaimed property include savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed dividends or payroll checks, refunds, traveler's checks, trust distributions, unredeemed money orders or gift certificates (in some states), insurance payments or refunds and life insurance policies, annuities, certificates of deposit, customer overpayments, utility security deposits, mineral royalty payments, and contents of safe deposit boxes.”

In Pennsylvania, there is a form that must be completed with proof of who you are (copy of your driver’s license).  A notary’s stamp may also be required to assist in verifying that you are the individual you claim to be via the paperwork.  By also registering an email address in Pennsylvania, you can track the status of your claim for the property once the claim form is submitted.

If you have gone to a web site that lists unclaimed property but charges a fee or asks for a credit card, DO NOT follow through with their process, as it may be a scam.  Make sure you are on the official state site for each and every state in which you have resided.  Why pay someone else when you can do it for yourself.  Their finder's fee could take a nice chunk of your claim if the property is monetary.  However, if unclaimed property is items such as jewelry, you could be putting out money to receive your property.

Who knows what you may find with just a few minutes of your time, and check at least once a year since unclaimed items are turned in all the time.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Here in Pennsylvania, we have had a very mild winter and spring, which has encouraged many people to start planting their gardens early this year.  When I took stock, I noticed that most of my herbs from last year survived.  Even a few of the annuals in my containers lived.  That is very unusual, as a good frost normally kills plants that are not hardy here in the northeast.

There are ways to save money while beautifying your flower and vegetable gardens.  Some of my best tips on saving money include:

1.      Before purchasing any plant, you should know in which zone you reside as many plants will not thrive nor survive in certain zones.  The web site I recommend is from the US Department of Agriculture, a very reliable source.  By entering your zip code you can learn number and letter combination for the zone in which you dwell.  Check it out at:  http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb

2.      Doing your research is important in planning your garden.  Check out books at the library, talk to the experts at garden centers, and use the Internet.  Most plants will have a tag indicating if the plant is an annual (one year) or a perennial (repeated years), how many hours of sun it requires, how to plant it in regards to depth and space, any other special details.

3.      Because some plants and vegetables come in quantities of more than one, consider the option of sharing them with someone.  By splitting the cost, you can receive some of each plant, and not be overwhelmed with too many of the one plant.  You can do the same with swapping plants that multiple and can be either divided or produce offshoots like Hosta and Forsythia.  Share with your family and friends.  Also, check your newspaper for groups who offer swaps where you bring your extra plants and go home with some new varieties.

4.      Starting plants from seed is another option.  Start them now as the number of days to maturity on certain plants may take the date into mid to late July before you can truly enjoy some vegetables!  Building a cold frame using some lumber and an old glass window with hinges, purchase a seed starter kit, or as I did, saving the plastic 4-packs from other plants and placing them inside near a window and watering them.  My lettuce and green beans are started.  I will also be planting a second batch in a few weeks to stagger my crop to keep receiving its produce.

5.      Create your own flower container combinations.  Why spend $15 to $20 on a hanging basket?  Instead of purchasing a pre-made basket at a garden center, I create my own combinations based upon what I find on the Internet and use baskets and containers in my collection.  On the Internet, there are many great sites for you to view to become familiar with what is available in our zone and get an idea of prices, growing conditions, and colors available.  My favorite site is the Proven Winners web site because they have combinations showing a photograph and a scheme of where to plant the flowers in the pot.  Check it out at www.provenwinners.com/container-gardening/container-recipes/search.  Although my baskets are smaller in diameter than they recommend, I adapt their combinations to fit, and sometimes even change the colors they recommend.  Their products are also available in my local area.  I have also found that the local businesses where I shop (many are roadside stands and small Mennonite run greenhouses) will take back the empty pots I purchased from them.

6.      Once everything is planted, remember to tend to your plants, knowing when to water, weed, and fertilize to get the best results.  One product to help reduce the need to water is Soil Moist.  It is a product that allows you to water less because the soil stays moist.  It is similar to the granules in a baby diaper that absorb the moisture.

I am very anxious to begin enjoying the fruits of my labor, eating homegrown produce - tomatoes, colored bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, green beans, cucumbers, lettuce, and herbs!  Yum!  Not only will I know where and how my produce was grown, but I will be cutting my grocery bill and if there is abundance, I will be sharing with family and friends.

In the next week, I anticipate finishing my planting and mulching.  So what are you looking forward to in your garden this year?