NYS Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky, County Legislator David Imamura) Photo: Office of David Imamura
On Saturday, December 2, Legislator David Imamura (D – Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Edgemont, Hartsdale, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington) was joined by NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, NYS Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and NYS Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky as part of a special Unclaimed Funds workshop at the Hastings-on-Hudson Public Library (view a brief clip here). The event was the culmination of a months-long effort led by Imamura, in cooperation with Stewart-Cousins and Shimsky and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, to alert residents across District 12 that they had Unclaimed Funds owed to them through the Comptroller’s office. These funds are typically the result of dormant accounts associated with banks, corporations, insurance companies and the courts. Eligible residents received a mailer with detailed instructions in early November, after which Imamura’s office fielded calls from recipients to provide further information and guidance in the process.
The event in Hastings provided an opportunity for those with more complex claims or who were more comfortable expediting their claims in-person with a chance to receive personal assistance and meet their elected officials. Claim totals can vary, but among those who received the targeted mailer, there were multiple individual claims totaling in the thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars.
Legislator Imamura, who spearheaded the initiative, said, “This is money that belongs to constituents, but in most cases, they probably aren’t even aware of it. I’m thrilled that, along with my peers in the State legislature and at the Comptroller’s office, we were able to raise awareness of Unclaimed Funds and hopefully help ease the burdens of holiday spending for thousands of district residents.”
Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “I was very happy to work with County Legislator Imamura, my colleagues in the State legislature and Comptroller DiNapoli to make several thousand Greenburgh residents aware that there are unclaimed funds in the Comptroller’s office that belong to them. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are over 594,000 unclaimed accounts belonging to Westchester residents, totaling over $395 million dollars. So I urge everyone to go to the State Comptroller’s website to see if they are claimants. It’s a very simple thing to do, and the funds could be substantial.”
Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky said, “There is nothing like an unclaimed fund event to remind us that government is a consumer service industry. And any day that we can help our residents reclaim their money is a good day. Thanks to Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and his staff for running an efficient and productive workshop, and to Legislator David Imamura and his office for spearheading this event. Along with State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, we were pleased to announce that this event also identified $2,214.35 due to the Greenburgh Graham school district.”
