Are we holding your unclaimed money? Did you lose or forget to cash a check from us? Did you forget to tell us you changed your address?
“Unclaimed Money” includes outstanding checks that have not cleared the bank because they have been lost or destroyed may be reissued. Prior to reissuing a check, the Clerk’s office will verify if the funds have not been paid. There is a 30-day waiting period after a check has been issued to request a reissue. If the funds have been paid from the bank, they will not be reissued. Checks will only be reissued to the original owner of the funds.
Checks dated more than six months old are no longer payable. They may be reissued to the original owner of the funds.
Please note: claims to the Clerk must be filed within certain time limits and these limits are governed by Florida Statutes. Some funds may be claimed after this time limit, but such claims will not be handled by the Clerk.
If unclaimed monies have not been claimed for more than a year, they are submitted to the state in accordance with Florida Statutes 717, Disposition of Unclaimed Property. To request the funds from the State of Florida Department of Revenue’s Unclaimed Property division, visit www.FLTreasureHunt.org.
In July of each year, the Clerk's office publishes a list of people or businesses that have unclaimed money held by our office either for court-related activities or for county-related and other non-court activities.
Please see Florida Statutes Online and review Sections 717.113, 717.117 and 116.21, regarding unclaimed property.
Review the publication list for Unclaimed Court-Related Funds to see if you have money to collect. The deadline to collect the funds from the prior year is September 1 of the current year.
HOW TO CLAIM FUNDS
If you believe that you have unclaimed funds held by the Clerk’s office:
Please print out and complete the appropriate Affidavit or Claim Form.
- UNCLAIMED CHECKS -- checks that are at least six months old and have not been cashed.
Mail completed Affidavits for Stale-Dated Checks, a copy of a valid photo ID, proof of address and notarized signature to the Alachua County Clerk’s Office, Attn: Finance and Accounting Department, 12 SE 1st Street Fourth Floor, Gainesville, FL 32601.
- TAX DEED SURPLUS
Mail completed Claim for Tax Deed Surplus, a copy of a valid photo ID, proof of address and notarized signature to the Alachua County Clerk’s Office, Attn: Tax Deeds, 201 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601.
- REALAUCTION DEPOSITS FOR FORECLOSURE OR TAX DEED SALES
RealAuction accounts for the Alachua County Clerk that have had no financial activity for over a year are forfeited pursuant to Florida Statute 116.21. Refunds must be made before September 1 of the following year. If your account has been inactive for more than a year, please review the following information: RealAuction Deposits for Foreclosure or Tax Deed Sales
- COURT-RELATED CLAIMS
Before the Clerk can release funds on court-related claims, the Clerk will need a court order authorizing the disbursement. A blank motion form, found in the Forms section of the Clerk’s website (Motion For/To (General) Form), can be used to request the disbursement. Once an order is issued, you can send a copy of the order to Alachua County Clerk’s Office, Attn: Finance and Accounting Department, 12 SE 1st Street Fourth Floor, Gainesville, FL 32601.
- FORECLOSURE SURPLUS
Before the Clerk can release funds on a foreclosure surplus, the Clerk will need a court order authorizing the disbursement. See the Foreclosure page for information about claiming surplus funds on a foreclosure.
Please allow the Clerk’s office sufficient time to process your request.