Fees
Updated
One fee: 10% of the amount the California State Controller pays on your claim. Nothing up front. Nothing if the state does not pay.
How the fee works
- 10% is the legal cap. California's Code of Civil Procedure section 1582 limits an investigator's fee for recovering property from the Controller to 10% of the value recovered.
- No fee before payment. The same law bars any fee until the Controller has approved and paid the claim.
- Paid by the state, not by you. On approval, the Controller mails your share to you and a second warrant for our 10% to us.
- Written agreement. Before you sign, the agreement lists each property, its value and that the Controller holds it.
| State pays | Our fee (10%) | Your business receives |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $1,000 | $9,000 |
| $25,000 | $2,500 | $22,500 |
| $40,761 | $4,076 | $36,685 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 | $90,000 |
Costs you pay directly
- Notary. When the claim form must be notarized, you pay the notary. California caps the fee at $15 per signature (Government Code 8211); a mobile notary may add a travel fee.
- Postage. Sending the signed original to us by tracked mail.
That is all. No sign-up fee, membership or hourly charge.
When there is no fee at all
If the Controller denies the claim, or you decide not to sign, you owe us nothing. Checking whether your business has property costs nothing.
Common questions
Is the fee negotiable?
Our fee in California is 10%. Larger or multi-record claims do not cost more than 10%.
Do I have to pay you when the check arrives?
No. In California the Controller sends our share to us directly by a separate warrant.
What if only part of the claim is paid?
Our fee is 10% of what is actually paid, nothing on the rest.
Sources
- Code of Civil Procedure section 1582 (investigator agreements, 10% cap)
- Government Code section 8211 (notary fees)
- California State Controller - Unclaimed Property Investigator Handbook (January 2023) - linked from the Controller's unclaimed property pages