| Confidentiality concerns, both on the part of
owners and the institutions where safe deposit boxes are located, make
this type of asset one that commonly goes unclaimed by heirs.
If you know the name of the bank
where the safe deposit box was held, but the branch has since moved,
changed its name, or closed, don't assume that unclaimed safe deposit
box contents are lost forever. It is possible the contents were
transferred to a successor institution. Go to:
Bank Search for search assistance.
If you do not know where
the safe deposit box was held, it
is still possible to find and claim its contents. Safe deposit boxes
with expired leases and no further rental payments or claims eventually
revert to government custody. Dormancy periods - the time during which
there has been no box entry or rental payments - vary by state, but
typically range from one-to-five years.
For an unclaimed safe
deposit box search and information on reclaiming items stored in a
dormant unclaimed safe deposit box order our Special Report:
Missing Safe Deposit Box
Search
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