NORWICH — In September, Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak spent two days driving to all 14 counties returning more than $150,000 to businesses, nonprofits and service providers.

The September deliveries returned just a portion of the $130 million in unclaimed property the Treasurer’s Office holds that is ready to be returned to individuals, businesses and nonprofits.

Vermont’s unclaimed property fund grew by over $30 million in less than a decade, most likely due to an increase in online accounts, Pieciak said.

“It’s important that we do everything we can to get this money back into peoples’ pockets anytime, but particularly during this time where there’s rising costs and rising inflation,” Pieciak said in a Wednesday interview in Norwich.

Unclaimed property describes forgotten financial assets such as uncashed checks, old bank accounts, security deposits and insurance proceeds. Most of the money is held in the Treasurer’s Office Bank Account, while some is in the state’s general fund contributing to the day-to-day operations of the state. The office also holds physical safety deposit boxes containing assets such as gold coins and sterling silver tea sets.

Pieciak, a Winooski Democrat who grew up Brattleboro, was re-elected for a second two-year term last week, has taken a “proactive” approach to returning the funds.

In addition to handing out checks, the trip served as an awareness raising campaign, an approach that “seems to be working,” Pieciak said.

Even though the unclaimed property fund is growing, the office had a record number of claims last year — 19,000, totaling $5.8 million. The office is on track to have 24,000 claims by the end of this year.

“People always have the right to claim their unclaimed property,” said Pieciak. “Whether it’s been a year or 30 years, if you’re the rightful owner of it, you have a right to claim it.”

On Wednesday, Pieciak made another delivery, returning about $1,300 in unclaimed property to the Valley News during an interview at King Arthur Baking Company’s cafe in Norwich. Valley News Publisher Dan McClory said the check will go toward the paper’s internship program.

Even though the Valley News is based in West Lebanon, it still had unclaimed property in Vermont, a common phenomenon especially so close to state lines, Pieciak said. He encourages everyone to check for unclaimed property even if they do not reside in Vermont.

Whenever Pieciak travels he’s made it a practice to “look at nonprofits and businesses in an area and at least try to schedule visits with them to return their unclaimed property.”

After the stop in Norwich, Pieciak traveled to a meeting in Springfield, Vt., bringing checks for the town of Springfield, North Star Health and Springfield Hospital, returning about $40,000 in a single day.

The Treasurer’s Office plans to mail a check for about $1,000 to Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society in West Windsor since Pieciak ran out of time to visit the nonprofit during Wednesday’s trip.

“A thousand dollars would help us a lot,” said animal care technician Maria Johnson in a Wednesday phone interview. “Every dollar does count here.”

Typically, a claim is filed by visiting missingmoney.com and searching the name of an individual, business, or organization. If unclaimed property is found, after filling out some identifying information, a check will be mailed to the funds’ owner after up to 90 days. If the claim is under $200 and the individual filing the claim is the owner, they can expect their check within five business days.

The Treasurer’s Office has collaborated with the Department of Taxes and the Secretary of State’s office for a pilot program that verifies the identities and addresses of businesses, nonprofits and individuals and mails them checks without them having to even file a claim.

“We’ve always found when we’re able to proactively return it to people that we hear great stories about how they were able to use it in their lives, businesses and nonprofits,” Pieciak said. “Money is better served in the pockets of Vermonters.”

To check for unclaimed property, visit missingmoney.com. The Vermont Unclaimed Property Division can be reached at 802-828-2407 or unclaimed.property@vermont.gov and the New Hampshire division at 603-271-2619 or unclaimedproperty@treasury.nh.gov.

Emma Roth-Wells can be reached at erothwells@vnews.com or 603-727-3242.