City Controller’s audit finds significant progress made to help people claim money they are owed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 18, 2025

PHILADELPHIA – City Controller Christy Brady today issued the latest audit of the City of Philadelphia’s Internal Control over Financial Reporting that found the city remitted more than $2 million in uncashed checks to the state. Remitting those checks to the state means that individuals and businesses who are owed that money can now search for and file claims to recover those funds.

The city is required to turn over unclaimed property and money to the Pennsylvania Treasury Department when the owner cannot be located or is deceased without legal heirs. In fiscal year 2024, the city sent uncashed checks to the state, which included payments owed to vendors who did business with the city, payroll for current and former employees and money owed to election workers.

Some of those checks were dated as far back as 2017.

“The Philadelphia Treasurer’s Office made significant progress over the last couple of years to address its unclaimed funds backlog,” said Brady. “Turning over the uncashed checks to the state is a major step toward helping individuals and businesses get the money they are owed.”

Brady continued, “This has been a recurring audit issue for years, and it’s very encouraging to see meaningful progress.”

By the close of the audit period on June 30, 2024, the city was still addressing the remaining $350,000 in uncashed vendor and payroll checks.

Once the funds are filed with the state’s Unclaimed Money Fund, individuals and businesses can search for and claim any money they are owed.

Brady encouraged all city residents to visit the Pennsylvania Unclaimed Property search at www.patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property/

According to the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, 1 in 10 Pennsylvanians has unclaimed property, and the average claim is about $1,600.

Visit the City Controller’s website to view the complete Auditor’s Report on Internal Control and on Compliance and Other Matters for the City of Philadelphia Fiscal 2024.

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