Georgia Has $1 Billion In Unclaimed Funds

ATLANTA,None — About a billion dollars in unclaimed funds sits at the Georgia Department of Revenue, waiting to be found.

The exact amount is $985,650,801 and the funds include a wide variety of resources.

"Over paid utility bills, gift cards that were unredeemed, cashier's checks, money orders, overpaid insurance premiums," said representative Jill Chambers of the origin of the funds.

WEB EXTRA: Unclaimed Property Search

People are urged to search the Georgia Department of Revenue Web site to see if they qualify for the funds. Valid identification and affidavits are required for people who think they are entitled to a share of the funds.

Channel 2 Action News reporter Erin Coleman did a quick search on the site and among the names that popped up were Jermaine Dupris, former mayor Shirley Franklin, Bill Campbell, Dominique Wilkins, Elton John and Andrew Young.

The amount of return someone could expect to receive ranges from a few cents to hundreds thousands of dollars.

"Someone who invested in MARTA bonds, back whenever, they have $147,000 sitting there waiting for their claim," said Chambers.

Lawmakers said they are considering using $287 million of the funds that can't be traced to an owner for public safety needs, including furlough days for state police.

WATCH: Georgia Has $1 Billion In Unclaimed Funds

Some unclaimed funds may be for corporations and other state agencies.

"That's a lot of money, nearly a billion dollars. Most definitely worth checking out, most definitely," said Atlanta resident Terrain Bradley.

WSBTV