The Treasurer’s Office manages the following types of unclaimed funds:
1) Absent Heir
The county Treasurer in accordance with California Probate Code(s) 7643, 11850 and 11851 receives deposits to the Treasurer's office by the Public Administrator, or other representative of an estate who delivers a Court Order directing funds be deposited to the Treasurer's office, when identified heirs or beneficiaries cannot be located.
If estates monies with missing heirs remain unclaimed for one year of the deposit or as directed through Court Order, with the Treasurer’s Office, the funds will be escheated to the California State Controller’s Office along with its semi-annual report of unclaimed funds from estates of deceased persons with missing heirs.
If you have any questions regarding monies transferred to the State Controller’s Office, please contact:
State Controller’s Office
Unclaimed Property Division
P.O. Box 942850
Sacramento, California 94250-5873
2) Unknown Heir
The county treasurer in accordance with California Probate Code 7663 shall receive funds by the Public Administrator, or by other representatives of an estate who delivers a Court Order directing the funds be deposited to the Treasurer’s Office in matters when a decedent does not specify beneficiaries.
3) Landlord Sales Surplus (Abandoned Property)
Monies received primarily from public storage companies for the sale of abandoned property, or from hospitals for abandoned property, as required by Business and Professions Code, Division 8, Chapter 10, Self-Service Storage Facilities, and monies received from an abandoned mobilehome in a mobilehome park as required by California Civil Code Section 798.61(F).
For funds related to (2) Unknown Heir and (3) Landlord Sales Surplus sources, California Government Code 50050-50057 outline that unclaimed monies, including estates of deceased without known heirs, which remain in the county Treasurer for at least three (3) years may be escheated to the County's general fund after public notice. At the end of the three-year period, unclaimed items will be published in a newspaper of county-wide circulation as notice that these funds will become property of the County if they remain unclaimed after a specified date, 60 days after publication. Once the unclaimed items become the property of the County, a claim may no longer be submitted.
Claim Process
Interested parties who believe a deposit with the Treasurer is owned by you, must do the following to initiate a request for disbursement of funds:
In accordance with California probate code 11854:
(a) A person may claim money on deposit in the county treasury by filing a petition with the court that made the order for distribution. The petition shall show the person’s claim or right to the property. Unless the petition is filed by the person named in the decree for distribution of a decedent’s estate, or the legal representative of the person or the person’s estate, the petition shall state the facts required to be stated in a petition for escheated property filed under Section 1355 of the Code of Civil Procedure. On the filing of the petition, the same proceedings shall be had as are required by that section, except that the hearing shall be ex parte unless the court orders otherwise.
(b) If so ordered by the court, a copy of the petition shall be served on the Attorney General. The Attorney General may answer the petition, at the Attorney General’s discretion.
(c) If the court is satisfied that the claimant has a right to the property claimed, the court shall make an order establishing the right. On presentation of a certified copy of the order, the county auditor shall draw a warrant on the county treasurer for the amount of money covered by the order.
- Once an order from the court establishing the right to funds is made, a certified copy of the distribution order must be delivered to the San Mateo County Treasurer’s Office, in person, during regular business hours.
- Provide two forms of government-issued identification.
Claim requests must be submitted in person at our Redwood City Office during regular business hours.
San Mateo County Treasurer's Office
555 County Center, 1st Floor
Redwood City, California 94063
If your submission is not satisfactory to proceed upon initial review, a copy of the presented materials will be mailed back to you, along with a letter of explanation for not moving forward.
If you have any questions about Absent and Unknown Heirs processing, please email TreasMaster@smcgov.org or call our Absent and Unknown Heirs team at (650) 363–4580.
All submitted documentation to our office may be subject to disclosure under public records laws, with limited redaction for personal identifiable information and SSN.
Effective immediately, all claims must be made in person and accompanied by two forms of government-issued identification and a certified court order.
Thank you for your cooperation.