Unclaimed Estates

Estates of Deceased With Unlocated Heir

California Code of Civil Procedures section 1444 specifies that any unclaimed estates of deceased with known heirs will be transferred to the State Controller's Office semi-annually after the deposit has remained in the County Treasury for one year.

Estates of Deceased Without Heir

California Government Code section 50050 provides that unclaimed monies, including estates of deceased without known heirs, which remain in the County Treasury for at least three years may be escheated to the County's general fund after public notice. At the end of the three-year period, unclaimed items over $15 may be published in a newspaper of county-wide circulation as notice that these funds will become property of the County if they remain unclaimed after a specified date, 45 to 60 days after publication. Once the unclaimed items become the property of the County, a claim may no longer be submitted.

Unclaimed Estates Lists

• Estates of Deceased with Unlocated Heirs (PDF)
• Estates of Deceased with Unknown Heirs (PDF)

Filing a Claim

If you locate a deposit that you believe is owed to you, please complete the Declaration in Support of Request for Release of Funds held by the Treasurer-Tax Collector to a Beneficiary of a Deceased person (PDF). The County of Butte has a duty to release funds to the rightful claimant, and we require that proof of identification be provided with the signed claim form. Claims may be made directly to the Butte County Treasurer without any service charges or fees.

The claim form provides guidelines for proof of identity. Along with your completed claim form, please include documents and records that evidence your relationship to the decedent or prove that you are the legally appointed personal representative of the decedent. The documents provided should include a copy of the decedent's will, if any, and a copy of the decedent's death certificate. At least forty (40) days must have elapsed since the death of the decedent before a claim can be processed.

Mail the completed form and documents to the Treasurer-Tax Collector's Department. All claim forms are reviewed in detail. If adequate documents are not provided with the submitted claim, our office will return all documents to the claimant along with a letter explaining why the claim was denied. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks processing time.