Claim package as an heir in California online
A claim package for a deceased is a collection of documents provided to support a request to recover unclaimed property. All claim packages are handled in the order in which they are received by the SCO.
Please include the following paperwork with your claim package to speed up the claim process:
For each claimant, a duly completed Standard Investigator Agreement.
A Claim for the Estate of a Deceased Person that has been signed and notarized by the claimant. The claim form must also be signed by the investigator. The investigator’s signature does not need to be notarized.
The SCO has marked all papers with an “X” in Section A of the claim form.
The claim form should be on blue paper, which will be forwarded to the relevant personnel for processing when it is sent to the SCO. The blue paper will help with the speed the claim is processed.
If the claimant is not a listed heir, a birth, death, or marriage certificate of the decedent, or both, that demonstrates the claimant is the heir to the decedent’s inheritance will be required.
A claimant’s current picture identity, such as a driver’s license or a state-issued ID card.
A document that verifies the claimant’s Social Security number or tax identification number.
If the SCO does not already have this document, the decedent’s estate’s Final Decree of Distribution should be included in the package.
If the paperwork submitted does not show the claimant’s blood tie to the estate’s decedent, more documents may be requested. A Table of Heirship; a Declaration under Probate Code Section 13101; additional blood relatives’ birth, marriage, or death certificates; census reports; genealogy charts; and/or an Application for Social Security Account Number may be necessary (SS-5).
Organize, Reference, and Index Files
To make evaluating the claim package easier, documentation substantiating complicated claims should be structured, referenced, and indexed. A package containing unorganized, unreferenced, or unindexed documentation may be returned to the investigator or claimant to be rearranged or referenced.
The claim procedure is sped up when claim packets are properly constructed.
Multiple Claims and Confidential Information
The SCO tells each investigator of the other’s claim when more than one investigator files a claim for the same estate on behalf of the same claimant. Within 30 days, the claimant must choose one investigator to represent his or her claim before the SCO.
The claimant must also make the designation known to the investigators. The SCO will not process the claim until the representation problem is rectified. In such cases, all information provided by either investigator about the allegation is kept private.
Submitting a Claim Package
Any of the following ways can be used to submit a claim package to the Unclaimed Property Division.
USPS Mail – Sent to the following address:
State Controller’s Office
Unclaimed Property Division
Consumer Services Unit
P. O. Box 942850
Sacramento, CA 94250-5873
Expedite/Overnight Delivery or Delivery in Person
State Controller’s Office
Unclaimed Property Division
10600 White Rock Road, Suite 141
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
Claim Approval or Denial
Upon submission of the relevant documents substantiating the claim, the SCO will evaluate, request additional documentation, approve or deny it.
If the claimant or investigator receives a written notification from the SCO, it is because :
The claim form is either missing information or has not been signed and notarized as required. The Investigator Agreement is either incomplete or does not comply with SCO standards;
The individual claiming the property is ineligible for it, or the evidence given does not adequately establish the claimant’s link to the estate’s deceased. The complete claim package is returned to the investigator in this scenario.
And lastly, the claim is now being processed, or the account has already been paid.
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