We Recovered Unclaimed Church Assets from the State of NJ
by Jamie Evans
Flemington Presbyterian Church recently discovered we were owed significant funds that the State of New Jersey had been holding on our behalf. In the March Resource and Mission Newsletter, Highlands Presbytery shared information about New Jersey’s Unclaimed Property Administration (UPA), which recovers and records abandoned or lost intangible and tangible property. The article noted that several Highlands Presbytery churches have been found on the list of unclaimed property holders. I’m so glad I set aside a few minutes to investigate whether our church was there.
Following the link provided (https://www.nj.gov/treasury/unclaimed-property/), I found that FPC was, indeed, on that list – six times! Five claims added up to just over $300 combined; the sixth was worth thousands.
The UPA’s goal is to return this property to the rightful owner and/or heirs. After submitting a claim online, UPA sends an email detailing the documentation required to process your claim. The process isn’t complicated, but it does require verifiable proof of your church entity (FEIN, corporate resolution, and proof of address) and who you are as a church corporate officer (e.g., notarized letter from another church corporate officer and your notarized signature).
As a volunteer, the challenging part was finding a way to prove my official role at church. The UPA asks for an employer-issued work ID with photo. Upon request for an alternative, their second option was a church business card. We don’t issue either of those items, even to employees.
The workaround: Our website identifies our corporate officers and session members, including a group photo. I submitted screenshots of the webpage, highlighting my name, photo, church email address, and church roles, along with the corresponding URL. They accepted this alternative, and we’re currently awaiting our check from the State of NJ for our reclaimed assets.
Advice from our experience: Check out the NJ unclaimed property website and determine if your church has assets being held by the state. Reclaiming property is free and can be easily managed online through their website and email.
Feel free to email me at clerk@flemingtonpres.org if you have any questions about the process. Bonus: UPA customer service employees were very helpful when I called with questions.
Jamie Evans is the Clerk of Session and Corporation Secretary of the Flemington Presbyterian Church
The Unclaimed Property Administration NEVER charges a fee to search and claim your unclaimed property
New Jersey’s Unclaimed Property Administration (UPA) recovers and records abandoned or lost intangible and tangible property. The UPA’s goal is to return this property to the rightful owner and/or heirs. Several churches within Highlands Presbytery have been found on the list of Unclaimed Property holders. Go here to see if your church is one of them!
This is a free and secure service provided by the New Jersey Unclaimed Property Administration.
