A legal notice published in the Press last week by the Finance Department listed the names of people, businesses, and institutions who have not claimed or cashed checks, totaling about $28,600, issued by the town. The list of 103 individual names was posted on the department’s website in November, but state law requires the list also be printed in the local newspaper 60 days after its release.
The list of uncashed or unclaimed checks is split into two sections—checks under $100 and checks over $100—with some dating back to 2014. There are 59 individuals eligible to claim checks under $100 that total $3,175.68, and 44 individuals eligible for checks over $100 that total $25,423.83. Among the entities listed are Pro EMS Solutions, On Deck Sports, Patriot Ambulance Inc., Fitchburg State College, and Clark University.
“A lot of these checks are old. I can’t say that it’s ever been done here before, that they’ve gone through this process to post the checks,” said Finance Director Jared Mullane, adding that anyone who has lost one of these checks can get it reissued by filling out a form on the department’s website. “Since it’s the first year we’re doing this, it’s a longer list.”
According to the notice, checks under $100 must be claimed by May 15. Otherwise, the unclaimed funds will go to the town. Checks over $100 must be republished in the newspaper if they remain unclaimed after 60 days from the first publication, according to Chapter 200A, Section 9A of the state law. “One year after that second notice, any check over $100 can be taken in as revenue for the town,” said Mullane.
“We’re going to start going through this process either annually or every other year depending on how many old checks we have out,” said Mullane, adding that the cost of running the ad is likely to influence the department’s decision. (One ad has run in the Feb. 11 edition of the Harvard Press.)
To view the list of checks or file an unclaimed property form, go to https://www.harvard-ma.gov/finance-department/pages/unclaimeduncashed-checks.
