Mt. Vernon Register-News

Local

September 14, 2011

Cash claimed from Treasurer

By DEREK BEIGH derek.beigh@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — State Treasurer Dan Rutherford came to the Municipal Building West Tuesday hoping to give Jefferson County residents as much good news as possible.

He wasn’t disappointed.

Rutherford’s staff discovered unclaimed assets for four of the five residents who attended the first hour of a public informational session for the Illinois Cash Dash program, an initiative to return five-years-dormant funds and items to their original owners.

Rutherford said while that 80 percent success rate is well above the average — between 15 and 35 percent for meetings in Chicago, Danville, Effingham and Rockford — it reflects the effort his office has put into advertising the 50-year-old Cash Dash program across the state since he became treasurer in January.

That emphasis has helped Cash Dash return $19 million from insurance policies, stock certificates and other funds since July 2010, a 58 percent increase over the previous year. The program is funded by interest collected on the almost $1.5 billion — about 10 million claims averaging between $100 and $150 each — that remains available through informational sessions and online at treasurer.il.gov.

More funds will be added to that total soon through an auction of long-ignored physical goods, including jewelry, baseball cards and other memorabilia, the first such sale since 2006. Rutherford said the auction will be conducted soon via eBay and will see all proceeds added to the cash database and available to the original owners of the items sold.

Mayor Mary Jane Chesley, who in 2008 claimed a life-insurance policy purchased for her by her parents at birth, said she was thrilled to host Rutherford and his staff and help get the word out.

“It’s a pleasure to have (Rutherford) in Mt. Vernon with us to explain Cash Dash and have the opportunity for some of our citizens in the area to check and see if they will be able to have a little money coming their way,” she said. “(My policy) is one of those things that was just forgotten. It happened for me. It can happen to you.”

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