The County of Santa Clara Department of Tax and Collections (DTAC) published a list of 676 individuals and businesses who are potential owners of $490,476 in unclaimed general collections monies. Potential owners who qualify for these monies must file claims by March 14, 2022. The list of names and claim forms can be obtained here. The list includes monies that have been on deposit with the County’s General Collections Trust Funds for a period of greater than three years.
DTAC is the central collection agency for the County of Santa Clara. It collects public assistance overpayments, fines, fees, penalty assessments, and restitution due to victims of crime ordered by County departments and the Superior Court of California. The unclaimed monies come from overpayments, duplicate payments, adjustment of charges, payments to victims who cannot be located, victims who refused the monies, are out of business, and a variety of other reasons.
The department made attempts to locate the payees without success. Some of these monies have been in the County’s trust funds for more than 10 years despite continued efforts to refund the owners. The department received no acknowledgment, letters were returned, checks remained uncashed, or payees refused the funds.
“We make every effort to refund the rightful owners of the unclaimed money,” said Margarita Rodriguez, Acting Director, Department of Tax and Collections. “We encourage individuals and businesses to file a claim if they believe that they may be due the funds based on their published names.”
The online search on the department’s website is ongoing. In accordance with Government Code Section 50050, this notice is published in the Metro Silicon Valley for two successive weeks – Jan. 12 and Jan. 19, 2022.
Process for Submitting a Claim
Individuals and business owners can see if they are on the list of unclaimed monies by going to this website. If people believe they may be due funds based on the published names, they are encouraged to submit their claim form online or by mail.
When a claim form is submitted, it requires a name, address, amount of claim, account number, and a copy of a valid ID and/or other supporting documents to the claim. All claims must be filed by March 14, 2022. After the deadline, unclaimed monies in the General Collections Trust Funds will be transferred to the County funds as allowed.
For questions, contact DTAC’s Fiscal Services Division at 408-326-1007 or email dtac-gen-refunds@fin.sccgov.org.