The City of San Diego is reaching out to businesses and individuals who may be owed money in the form of refunds or vendor payments. More than 800 businesses and individuals are eligible for unclaimed monies and the deadline to submit claims is fast approaching, on June 16, 2025. 

Unclaimed monies are refund or vendor payment checks owed to individuals or businesses. The City sends these checks to the addresses on record. If a check is returned, due to an address change, for example, or is not cashed within six months, it's considered unclaimed. 

According to the City’s Unclaimed Monies Report, $916,418 is available to be returned to more than 800 individuals and businesses, with check amounts ranging from $1 to $28,000. The report is updated quarterly and is available to the public free of charge, allowing anyone to review it and file a claim at any time. 

"Returning unclaimed money is part of our commitment to financial transparency and responsibility,” said Roma Nichols, Disbursements Manager with the Department of Finance. 

“We invite everyone to take a quick moment to search for their name or business – it’s a simple process that helps ensure every dollar is returned to its rightful owner.”  

Last year, the City returned approximately $888,059 to 118 recipients listed on the Unclaimed Monies Report, representing only 53% of the total unclaimed money. The average claim was $6,041.  

Recipients are reminded that they typically have about one year from when the check was issued to claim their money. For checks issued before April 1, 2024, the deadline for claims is Monday, June 16, 2025. After this date, any unclaimed money will be transferred to the City of San Diego General Fund on July 1, 2025.  

People and businesses are encouraged to visit the portal at sandiego.gov/finance/unclaimed and search by name or business name.  

To submit a claim, the  Unclaimed Monies Form must be printed and mailed to:  

City of San Diego, Department of Finance 

Unclaimed Monies Claim Processing 

202 C St. – Mail Station 7A  

San Diego, CA 92101 

A check will be issued, once the claim is verified, in three to four weeks. Questions may be submitted to unclaimedmonies@sandiego.gov or 619-236-6310. Include “Unclaimed Monies” in the subject field of the email.