Madison County Unclaimed Money

Madison County unclaimed money is held by the Illinois State Treasurer through the ICash program. The county does not run its own unclaimed property program. With over 260,000 residents across Edwardsville, Granite City, Alton, Collinsville, and other Metro East cities, Madison County has a large pool of potential unclaimed funds. The nearby Belleville area alone has over $37 million in unclaimed money tied to it. Searching is free and open to everyone.

Madison County Treasurer's Office

Treasurer Chris Slusser runs the Madison County Treasurer's Office. The office handles property tax collection and investment of county funds. It does not maintain an unclaimed money program. For unclaimed property, residents need to use the state ICash system instead.

The Madison County Treasurer's website provides online property tax payment and lookup tools. You can check your tax bill, view past payments, and pay online through the site. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

The Madison County Treasurer website offers property tax tools and county financial information.

The Treasurer's Office invests idle county funds to earn extra revenue. Investment objectives focus on safety of the principal first, then liquidity, and then the best possible rate of return. The office reports to the county board on a regular basis about the financial health of county accounts.

Note: If you think you are owed a property tax refund or have an uncashed check from the county, contact the Treasurer directly at (618) 692-6260.

Illinois ICash for Madison County

The Illinois State Treasurer's ICash system is where Madison County residents search for unclaimed money. Illinois holds over $5 billion in unclaimed property. The Metro East area, which includes Madison County, has a significant share of those funds.

Reports show that over 254,000 unclaimed properties worth more than $37.7 million are tied to the nearby Belleville area alone. Madison County shares this Metro East corridor, and many of those unclaimed funds belong to people who have lived in Edwardsville, Granite City, Alton, Collinsville, Troy, Glen Carbon, and other Madison County cities.

The state collects unclaimed money from banks, insurance firms, brokerages, employers, and utility companies. When these businesses cannot find the owner of an account or payment after a waiting period, they send the money to the state. It stays there until someone files a claim. There is no expiration.

Go to the ICash search portal and enter your name. The search is free and shows results right away. Each record tells you the type of property, the cash value, and the company that reported it.

How to Search in Madison County

Start by going to the ICash website. Type your first and last name. The system will pull up any unclaimed money linked to you across all of Illinois. If you have lived in more than one city in Madison County, all results will show up under your name regardless of which address was on file.

Madison County is a large county in the St. Louis metro area. Many people move between cities within the county or between Madison and St. Clair counties. Check under all the names you have used over the years. Maiden names, former married names, and nicknames can all have separate unclaimed property records.

Search for family members too. Parents, grandparents, and other relatives who lived in the Metro East area may have unclaimed funds. Heirs can claim money that belonged to a deceased person with the right documents.

The whole search process takes less than five minutes. There is no cost at any point.

Types of Unclaimed Property

Madison County residents can find several types of unclaimed money in the state system. Common sources include the following.

• Forgotten bank accounts at local and national banks
• Uncashed checks from employers, insurance companies, or tax refunds
• Life insurance benefits not paid to the named beneficiary
• Stock dividends and brokerage account balances
• Utility deposits from old electric, gas, or water accounts
• Safe deposit box contents from closed accounts

With over 264,000 people in Madison County, the number of potential unclaimed records is large. People move, change jobs, switch banks, and forget about small accounts. All of these create unclaimed property over time. The state adds new records throughout the year as businesses file their reports.

How to File a Claim

When you find unclaimed money on the ICash site, click claim. The system walks you through the steps. You need a copy of your ID. If the funds are tied to an old address in Madison County, you may need proof you lived there. An old bill, lease, or tax statement will work.

Claims over $2,000 need a notarized signature. Smaller claims are faster and need less paperwork. Upload documents at the ICash upload page, email them to unclaimedproperty@illinoistreasurer.gov, or mail them to the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer, P.O. Box 19495, Springfield, IL 62794-9495.

Estate claims for deceased family members need a death certificate and proof of heirship. The state may take up to 90 days for the first review. All claims are free to file. No one should charge you a fee to claim what is already yours.

Madison County Resources

The Madison County official website has links to all county departments, services, and public records. While the site does not have an unclaimed money search tool, it is useful for finding contact information for any county office.

For property tax questions, use the Treasurer's online tools. For other county services, the main website directory can point you to the right department. Madison County also has a strong system of township assessors who handle property assessments and exemptions.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Madison County in the Metro East area. Search each one if you have lived in southwestern Illinois.