Unclaimed money in court
Unclaimed money held by the Court Funds Office, usually called unclaimed funds in court, is money that is being held because the rightful owner cannot be found. This could be because the person has moved or has died.
About unclaimed funds
Unclaimed funds can include:
- money held for minors
- money held on behalf of patients under the control of the Office of Care and Protection
- surplus funds lodged in court after a property has been repossessed
- bail money paid in by a surety
- money left in a will where the beneficiary cannot be found
- money paid in High Court or County Court disputes which has been overlooked once the case was settled
- money paid into court to execute the conveyance of land where the owner of the land cannot be found
For minors, funds are held until they reach the age of 18 years. Forms are automatically sent to the minor on their 18th birthday so that they can claim the funds.
If this form is never returned, the funds will be classified as unclaimed if there have been no transactions for 15 years and the beneficiary has reached the age of 23.
If no date of birth is held, the fund will be classed as unclaimed if there have been no transactions for 25 years.
In all other cases the funds are classed as unclaimed if there have been no transactions for 15 years.
Unclaimed Funds List
A list of funds currently considered to be unclaimed can be found on the Courts Service website.
For privacy reasons, the Unclaimed Funds List does not show the amount owed. If you would like to know more you can contact the Court Funds Office.
You should note that there is still money which has not yet been classified as unclaimed, as investigations are still ongoing.
If your name does not appear on the Unclaimed Funds List, you can still contact the Court Funds Office to check if there are funds held for you.
Claiming money you are owed
If you think there may be money held on your behalf, you should contact the Court Funds Office for advice.
You may then need to contact the relevant court office to show proof that you really are the person who is entitled to the money.
Claiming the money of a deceased relative
You can claim the money of a deceased relative, as long as you are their heir and are entitled to the money.