BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVDN) – State Treasurer Riley Moore today announced his Office’s Unclaimed Property Division returned nearly $23,000 to benefit the Beckley Area Foundation in Raleigh County.
“The Beckley Area Foundation is one of West Virginia’s largest nonprofits, and I am proud my Office was able to return this large sum of money back to the foundation,” Treasurer Moore said. “While we have been partnering with community groups across the state, I want to encourage individuals and other organizations to keep checking our unclaimed property database because you never know if there may be unclaimed funds in your name.”
The unclaimed property check, valued at $22,993.48, consisted of an endowment fund from an estate that was turned over to the Office’s Unclaimed Property Division.
The fund was established by sisters Freda and Sula Soter in memory of their parents who were ethnic Greeks born and raised in the seaside village of Katirli, Turkey, about an hour’s boat ride west of Istanbul. After Greece lost the Greco-Turkish war in the early 1920s, the couple had to leave their homes in Turkey and relocate to Greece. Mr. Soter later immigrated to the United States, returning to Greece only to marry and bring his bride back to this country. Since becoming American citizens, the Soters were very active in giving back to their community.
“We were very surprised to learn that we would receive over $22,000 in unclaimed property from the State Treasurer’s Office,” Beckley Area Foundation Chief Financial Officer Rebecca Williams said. “We will place this money in the Athas and Helen Soter (Athanasios and Eleni Karakasis Soteracopoulos) Memorial Fund as Freda Soter directed in her will. This money will grow and provide a permanent income stream for the YMCA of Southern WV, Raleigh County Public Library, and the Beckley Concert Association. We are grateful for the State’s assistance in getting this money to us to fulfill our donor’s wishes.”
Treasurer Moore recently announced that his Office returned $3.1 million worth of unclaimed property to individuals, businesses and organizations during the month of July, which was the first month of the state’s 2025 Fiscal Year.
The Treasurer’s Office has more than $400 million worth of unclaimed property listings in its database. Currently, Raleigh County has more than 125,000 unclaimed property listings worth more than $15.5 million for individuals, businesses and organizations.
“Through our efforts to modernize the state’s unclaimed property program, we have reunited citizens and West Virginia businesses with their money at the fastest pace in state history,” Treasurer Moore said. “Last fiscal year, my Office shattered a state record by returning $28 million worth of unclaimed property to its rightful owners.”
Treasurer Moore encourages everyone to visit www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov to find out if the Office is holding any money for you or your family.
What is Unclaimed Property?
Unclaimed property can include financial accounts or items of value in which the owner has not initiated any activity for one year or longer. Common examples include unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards. (While the title includes the word “property,” it does not however include real estate.)
West Virginia’s unclaimed property laws protect the public by ensuring money and property owed to them is returned to them, rather than remaining permanently with financial institutions, business associations, governments and other entities. The Treasurer seeks to reunite the unclaimed property, including uncashed paychecks, stocks, or safe deposit box contents, with its owner.
Nationwide, nearly 33 million people in the United States – one in every 10 – are estimated to have unclaimed property available for them to claim.
How Can I Find Unclaimed Property in My Name?
West Virginians searching for lost financial assets can go to www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov. In addition to finding property, the website will also help you track a claim.
A demonstration of how to use the Unclaimed Property search site is available on the Treasury’s YouTube page, at: https://youtu.be/K09yQ7YNKlE.
To search for lost financial assets outside West Virginia, visit www.MissingMoney.com.
