Bay Area man going through state's unclaimed property process to help family

It's become an all-too-familiar routine for Doug Brown. He loads his car with stacks of paperwork, drives to his childhood home, unloads it all, and sorts through what needs to be signed.

It's a process, he says, that isn't easy, but one he believes is worth it.

Brown is trying to recover roughly $18,000 in estate funds tied to his late father. It's money that was never claimed and eventually turned over to the state.

Now, it's meant for his 96-year-old mother and his older brother, a veteran with medical needs.

"I mean if you don't read AARP, if you aren't reading money magazines, if you really don't care much about your finances at all, how would you know?" Brown said. "It's kind of every man for themselves."

Brown believes the money went unclaimed after his father passed away, and with his mother now suffering from dementia, he says she likely never remembered it existed.

That's how it ended up in the state's unclaimed property system, where it sat for years until Brown decided to search for it himself. Now, getting it back has proven to be a challenge.

"They need the death certificate. I've got that," he said. "They want proof of the trust ID number. I have no idea how to get that other than going through the IRS somehow."

Brown's story is far from unique.

Across California, billions of dollars sit in unclaimed property accounts, from uncashed checks and dormant bank accounts to insurance payments and other financial assets.

Even cities like Oakland and San Francisco have unclaimed funds listed in their names.

According to the State Controller's Office, the state safeguards unclaimed property on behalf of individuals, businesses, and public agencies. In some cases, funds can come from routine financial activity that was never reconciled or claimed.

A newer program now allows some government agencies to automatically receive certain unclaimed funds, but not all property qualifies. For many claims, the process still requires documentation and can take months to complete.

As for Brown, he says the process may be frustrating, but he doesn't necessarily blame the state.

Instead, he hopes sharing his story encourages others to check for themselves. He still doesn't know when or if his family will see that money.

But if it helps someone else find what's theirs, he says, it's worth it. For now, it's back to paperwork and signatures.