San Diego residents might be missing hundreds of thousands of dollars, and County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister is on a mission to ensure these funds find their way back to the rightful owners. In a recent release, McAllister noted a pool of $867,171 in unclaimed money that needs to be claimed by September 22. Otherwise, it will be absorbed into the General Fund. These funds come from various county transactions, including overpayment of property taxes.

"If you have done business with San Diego County in the last three years, including paying property taxes, you could be on the Unclaimed Monies list," McAllister articulated via the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector's website. Unclaimed sums typically result from uncashed county-issued checks that were undeliverable by the postal service, whether due to address changes or other delivery issues. But with amounts ranging up to $25,000, it's worth a cursory check for residents who may have left their money on the table.

The mechanism behind this pool of unclaimed cash is simple: when taxpayers or organizations overpay on taxes or services, the county issues refunds. However, not all refunds reach their intended recipients, stranded in bureaucratic limbo. After several years without a claim, these funds escheat—or default—back to the county, hence the essential push by McAllister and his team to reunite these funds with their owners while still possible.

For those interested in verifying whether they are owed money, the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector's website lists all unclaimed refunds. Additionally, printed lists are available at various Treasurer-Tax Collector branch offices in the county. Knowledge of the whereabouts of unclaimed funds could significantly impact a resident's finances, notably when the largest unclaimed amount stands at a substantial $25,118.40.

Claim processes are outlined on the website, with options to file via email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-877-829-4732. McAllister encourages spreading the word: “We want all of this money returned to San Diegans, so please tell your friends and family to go to sdttc.com to check the unclaimed money list," as reported by the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector's office.