Find Unclaimed Money in Towson

Towson is the county seat of Baltimore County, and it is home to the financial offices that handle county-level unclaimed funds alongside the statewide Maryland Comptroller database. As an unincorporated community, Towson has no separate city government, so all financial programs run through Baltimore County. Residents here have two main systems to check: the state's free search portal and Baltimore County's tax sale surplus fund, which currently holds over $1.7 million in unclaimed money tied to more than 71 properties. Searching both takes only a few minutes and costs nothing.

Towson Unclaimed Money: The State Database

The Maryland Comptroller holds unclaimed property sent in by banks, insurance companies, utility providers, brokerage firms, and other businesses. When an account goes dormant for a set period, the holding company is required to report it and transfer the funds to the state under Maryland Code Section 17-301. From there, the Comptroller acts as a permanent custodian. Maryland never cancels your right to claim. There is no deadline, no expiration date, and no fee to search or file.

The free search tool is at claimitmd.gov. You can look up by name, business name, or Social Security number. Search every name you have used, including maiden names and former business names. Results show the property type and the name of the company that reported it. The state holds over 1.3 million accounts statewide, and the average claim is around $2,080.

The Comptroller's main portal is at marylandtaxes.gov/unclaimed-property. That page outlines what types of property are covered, how dormancy periods work, and what you need to file a claim. Former Towson residents who have moved away should still check the Maryland database, since the state holds funds based on the last known address on file when the property was reported.

The Maryland Comptroller's unclaimed property portal is the starting point for every Towson resident searching for lost funds.

Bookmark this portal and return to it periodically. New property is added to the database each year as businesses report newly dormant accounts.

Baltimore County Tax Sale Surplus Unclaimed in Towson

Baltimore County holds over $1.7 million in unclaimed tax sale surplus funds tied to properties sold at the annual June tax sale. When a property is sold at auction for more than the amount owed in back taxes and fees, the former owner is entitled to the leftover money. That amount is called the surplus. If the former owner never files a claim, the funds sit uncollected. Baltimore County has maintained surplus lists going back to 2020, and dozens of those properties still have unclaimed money as of the most recent published data.

The surplus lists for tax years 2020 through 2023 are posted on the Baltimore County Budget and Finance website. The county charges 12% interest on tax liens sold at the annual June sale and sets a $500 minimum threshold for properties included in the sale. Former property owners have a six-month redemption window after the sale before the tax buyer can move to foreclose. If the property sold at a price above the debt and fees, a surplus exists and a claim can be made.

Direct claims from former owners typically require a notarized affidavit and a search of the Circuit Court docket for Baltimore County to confirm no other claims are pending. Third-party heirs or successor owners may need to file through the Circuit Court for Baltimore County depending on how title was held and whether the original owner is deceased.

The Baltimore County MyTax portal is the starting point for tax records and account lookups tied to Towson area properties.

For questions about surplus claims, contact the Baltimore County Office of Budget and Finance at 400 Washington Avenue, Room 150, Towson, MD 21204. The Tax Sale Desk phone number is 410-887-5616. General department inquiries can go to 410-887-2404. Office hours follow the county's standard schedule Monday through Friday.

Note: Because Towson is the county seat, all Baltimore County financial offices are physically located here. Residents from any part of Baltimore County can visit in person to ask about surplus funds or tax records.

How to Search for Towson Unclaimed Money Online

The fastest way to search is through the Comptroller's dedicated claim search tool at ClaimItMD.gov. The interface is straightforward. Enter a first and last name, or a business name, and review any matches that come up. Each result shows the type of property and the reporting company. If you find a match, you can start the claim process directly from the same site.

The state's search database at ClaimItMD.gov pulls results for Towson and all other Baltimore County communities from the same central system.

You can also use MissingMoney.com, a free multi-state search tool that checks Maryland and other state databases at the same time. This is useful if you have lived in more than one state or if you think funds might have been reported under a different state's jurisdiction. Try both tools and search every name variation you've ever used.

Filing a Towson Unclaimed Money Claim

Filing is done online through the Comptroller's portal at marylandtaxes.gov. After finding a match in the search database, you select the property and begin the claim. Most claims ask for a government-issued photo ID and documentation that proves you are the person listed. Common documents include a driver's license, passport, or utility bill showing your name and address.

Under Maryland Code Section 17-401, any person who believes they are the rightful owner of unclaimed property may file a claim. Heirs claiming on behalf of a deceased person typically need to submit a death certificate and, depending on the estate value, either letters of administration or an affidavit of heirship. The Comptroller's office reviews all supporting documents before approving any payment.

If you prefer to file by mail, download the COT-ST912 claim form from the Comptroller's site. Complete it and mail it with copies of your supporting documents to the Maryland Comptroller, Unclaimed Property Unit, 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 320, Baltimore, MD 21202. Online claims typically take six to twelve weeks to process. Mail-in claims take longer, usually twelve to twenty-four weeks.

Note: The state never charges a processing fee. If someone asks you to pay a fee before you can claim your money, that is not an official program.

Towson University and Institutional Unclaimed Funds

Towson is home to Towson University, one of Maryland's larger public universities. Former students who are owed refunds, overpayments, or scholarship disbursements that were never cashed may find those funds in the state database. Universities are required to report unclaimed student refunds to the Comptroller after the dormancy period passes. If you attended Towson University, Goucher College, or any other school in the area and had an outstanding credit balance, it is worth searching the state database under your name and student ID if that option is available.

The same applies to former employees. Uncashed payroll checks, expense reimbursements, or retirement contributions from any employer in the Towson area can end up in the state system after three to five years of inactivity. Under Section 17-102 of Maryland law, the state can claim abandoned funds on behalf of Maryland residents even if the holding company is based in another state. So a paycheck from a national employer with Towson-area operations could still show up in Maryland's database.

Contact Information for Towson and Baltimore County

For state-level unclaimed money, contact the Maryland Comptroller's Unclaimed Property Unit at 410-767-1700 or toll-free at 1-800-782-7383. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Email inquiries can go to unclaim@marylandtaxes.gov. The mailing address is 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 320, Baltimore, MD 21202.

For Baltimore County tax sale surplus questions, contact the Office of Budget and Finance directly. The Tax Sale Desk is at 410-887-5616. The department is located at 400 Washington Avenue, Room 150, Towson, MD 21204. The SDAT real property search tool, which uses Baltimore County code 04, can help you look up property records connected to any claim at dat.maryland.gov.

Under Maryland Code Section 17-404, approved claimants are paid without interest in most cases. The state pays the principal amount of the property as it was transferred, not the current market value if the property was something like stock. Keep this in mind when estimating the value of any investment-related unclaimed property.

Nearby Cities with Unclaimed Money Resources

Towson sits near several other Baltimore County communities where residents may also have unclaimed funds. If you have ties to these areas, check for accounts connected to those addresses as well:

• Baltimore - independent city with its own tax sale surplus program
• Dundalk - Baltimore County community to the southeast
• Bel Air South - Harford County community to the north
• Glen Burnie - Anne Arundel County community to the south

All searches start at the same state database regardless of which community the account was tied to. The county-level surplus programs are separate and each county administers its own.