AUGUSTA, Maine — The state treasurer’s office is trying one last time to reach the rightful owners of some long-lost items.
When bank safety deposit boxes are abandoned for three years after their leases end, the contents go to the state, which accepts claims from owners or heirs to get them back to the right home.
The treasurer’s office auctions off items it can’t return, but it hasn't had an auction in 17 years.
Finally, its storage room is full, and Deputy Treasurer Greg Olson announced his office was trying one last time to get the items home before they found new homes by the end of the year via an auction.
"We’ve made efforts over the years to reunite this property with the rightful owners, and I think, you know, at the end of the day, it's better being enjoyed by somebody than sitting here in a basement of the state office building for perpetuity," Olson said.
The treasurer’s office scans copies of personal documents and shreds the originals, in case loved ones need to find them later. And, even after they auction the other items, the office keeps the money, ready to distribute to someone who makes a successful claim.
You can make a claim by phone or here.