From state treasuries and county surplus funds to dormant securities and complex trust structures, Northstar Asset Group provides the administrative expertise to recover assets that others overlook.
Recovery Service
State & County Unclaimed Property
Every state maintains a treasury of unclaimed assets, funds that have been escheated by corporations, financial institutions, and government entities after statutory dormancy periods expire. These assets include uncashed checks, dormant bank accounts, insurance proceeds, utility deposits, and court-ordered payments.
At the county level, surplus funds from foreclosure sales and tax deed auctions represent another significant category of recoverable assets. These funds are held by county clerks and often go unclaimed because the original property owners or their heirs are unaware of their entitlement.
Northstar Asset Group assists in the administrative preparation of claims for both state-held and county-held unclaimed property. We ensure all statutory requirements are met, including proper identification documentation, proof of entitlement, and chain-of-ownership verification, streamlining the recovery process for beneficiaries and their legal representatives.
Recovery Service
Families, Heirs & Estate Beneficiaries
The most common scenario we encounter is also the most personal: a family member passes away, an estate is settled to the best of everyone’s ability, and years later someone discovers that assets were left behind, sitting unclaimed in a state treasury, a dormant trust account, or a brokerage that never received a forwarding address.
These situations are more common than most families realize. Assets held in trust frequently outlive the trustees who managed them. Investment accounts get overlooked when estates are administered informally. Insurance proceeds go uncashed when beneficiary addresses are outdated. DRIP and dividend accounts accumulate silently for years after the original owner stops receiving mail.
Northstar specializes in these cases. We research the full asset picture across every source, Florida DFS, MissingMoney.com, all 50 state databases, federal bankruptcy registries, county surplus fund records, and regulatory escrow sources, and build the complete claim package so the family receives what they’re entitled to without navigating the process alone.
If a family member has passed away and you suspect there may be unclaimed assets, from investments, insurance, real estate transactions, or trust accounts, contact us for a confidential review. There is no cost unless we recover.
We work with:
- Surviving spouses and children of deceased account holders.
- Successor trustees of dormant or inactive trusts.
- Heirs and beneficiaries of informally administered estates.
- Adult grandchildren of deceased investors and policyholders.
- Personal representatives navigating probate in Florida and other states.
Recovery Service
Complex Trust & Estate Navigation
When assets are held within complex legal structures, identifying the rightful claimants requires specialized knowledge of trust law and estate administration. Our team possesses deep expertise in navigating the administrative nuances of multiple trust types to identify successor trustees and legal beneficiaries, ensuring assets are properly distributed according to the original instrument’s intent.
We conduct thorough genealogical and public record research to trace beneficiary lineages, verify successor trustee appointments, and document chain-of-entitlement for claims preparation.
| Trust Type | Our Administrative Role |
|---|---|
| Revocable Living Trust | Identify successor trustees after grantor’s incapacity or death; locate beneficiaries named in the trust instrument. |
| Irrevocable Trust | Research beneficiary entitlements where trust assets have become dormant or escheated; coordinate with trustee for claims. |
| Land Trust | Trace beneficial interest holders for surplus funds from property foreclosures or tax deed sales held in land trusts. |
| Testamentary Trust | Identify beneficiaries established through probated wills; coordinate with estate attorneys for proper distribution. |
| Special Needs Trust | Locate designated trustees and beneficiaries while ensuring compliance with trust provisions that protect government benefit eligibility. |
Recovery Service
Securities, Dividends & DRIP Accounts
Investment assets, including stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and uncashed dividends, frequently become dormant when account holders relocate, pass away, or simply lose track of smaller holdings. This is particularly common within Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPs), where the lack of active management or correspondence triggers escheatment to state unclaimed property divisions.
According to FINRA, billions of dollars in investment assets sit unclaimed across state treasuries nationwide. These assets often include fractional shares, accumulated dividends, and reinvested distributions that have compounded in value over years or decades.
Northstar specializes in tracking these complex financial instruments, working with transfer agents (such as Computershare, EQ Shareowner Services, and American Stock Transfer) and state treasuries to recover escheated securities and their associated cash equivalents. We handle the administrative documentation required by each transfer agent’s specific claims process.
Common Securities We Recover
Dormant mutual fund shares and accumulated distributions. Uncashed dividend checks from publicly traded companies. DRIP account shares escheated due to returned mail. Corporate bond interest payments. Stock certificates from mergers, acquisitions, or name changes.
Recovery Service
Foreclosure Surplus & County Court Registry Funds
When a Florida property is sold at foreclosure auction or tax deed sale for more than the amount owed, the surplus belongs to the former property owner or their heirs, not the county. Under Florida Statute §197.582, these funds are held by the county clerk and must be claimed within a specific statutory window.
Northstar researches surplus fund balances across Florida’s county clerk portals, identifies the rightful claimant, whether that’s the former owner, their estate, or a junior lienholder, and prepares the complete claim documentation for submission. We operate in Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, Pinellas, Marion, Martin, Bay, Duval, Broward, and additional counties on a case-by-case basis.
Court registry balances from civil judgments, interpleader actions, and bankruptcy proceedings represent a parallel opportunity. When checks are issued by a court-appointed trustee and go uncashed, due to outdated addresses, the payee’s death, or dissolved business entities, those funds re-enter the court registry and sit until claimed. We research these balances through county clerk portals and federal PACER records and coordinate with the appropriate court for proper claim procedures.
Florida counties we actively research:
All 67 Florida counties. From Escambia to Miami-Dade, Monroe to Nassau, if surplus funds, court registry balances, or unclaimed property exist in a Florida county, Northstar researches and files there.
Complex Assets Require Specialized Recovery
Contact Northstar Asset Group to discuss how we can assist with your organization's asset recovery needs.