Uncashed cashier's checks and bank-issued checks
Updated
Cashier's checks, certified checks, money orders and other checks drawn by a bank on its own funds are reported when the payee never cashes them.
How it ends up with the state
A cashier's check bought for a deposit that was not needed, or received and filed away, or a bank check sent to an old address.
When the holder cannot reach the owner for the period set by law, it reports the property to the California State Controller, along with the owner's name and last known address. The Controller then holds it until the owner claims it.
The Controller's categories
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cashier's checks | $21.7M |
| Miscellaneous outstanding checks | $13.7M |
| Bank-issued checks | $10.3M |
| Aggregate uncashed checks | $8.4M |
| Warrants | $7.2M |
What helps prove the claim
Anything showing the business as the payee or purchaser, and the address used. On top of that, every business claim needs the signer's photo ID, proof of authority to act for the business and proof of its FEIN. See the document checklist.
How we help
We search every name and address your business has used, match the records, assemble the papers and file. Our fee is 10% of what the state pays, after it pays.
Source: California State Controller unclaimed property file, records of $500 and up, dated November 4, 2026. Open records only (no claim pending or paid), owner address in California, owner = name + ZIP code, business-type names only, government names removed, owners whose records total $10,000 or more. RecoverOwed computation; classifying owners by name pattern is approximate. No individual owner is named on this site. Amounts here count only this kind of property for owners whose total across all kinds is $10,000 or more.
Common questions
Who can claim an uncashed cashier's check?
It depends on how the bank reported it, as payable to the payee or to the purchaser. The record shows which.
Sources
- RecoverOwed analysis of the Controller's unclaimed property file (November 4, 2026)
- California State Controller - Unclaimed Property Investigator Handbook (January 2023) - linked from the Controller's unclaimed property pages