Serving in the Maine Legislature means I sometimes have to be the bearer of bad news to Mainers. As a Republican, I’m fighting every day to lower your taxes and make sure you can keep more of your hard earned money. Today, I’m upping the ante as I deliver a potentially prosperous message to you straight from the Maine State Treasurer’s Office.

Typically, this is the time of year when folks are anxiously checking their mailboxes and bank accounts waiting for their tax returns. People have had their eye on that one specific purchase, whether it be a car, a new television or even a vacation. Tax returns represent money we see coming. But what about the money we are entitled to but don’t even know is out there?

At this moment, there is more than $20 million in unclaimed property at the Maine State Treasurer’s Office waiting to be returned to its rightful owners. Each year, thousands of Mainers leave millions of dollars in unclaimed property on the table. This is the result of incorrect addresses, misspelled names and forgotten accounts causing Mainers to lose their personal assets. Some of these assets date back more than four decades.

There’s a variety of reasons why they have gone unclaimed. In some cases, people don’t know they’re a beneficiary on a life insurance policy. Some have been left a plot of land in a will or a trust that they don’t know about. Regardless of the reason, it’s time to get these assets back in the hands of the people they belong to. If you’ve been willed money, then you should have it and we will do whatever it takes to get it back to you.

This year, our state treasurer, Terry Hayes, has set a goal of returning 60 percent of all unclaimed property to the Maine people. I know that sounds ambitious, but with the help of my colleagues in the Maine Legislature and the good people of Maine, I know we can reach that mark. So far, we’re off to a great start. We’ve seen one case where an individual learned of the existence of more than $150,000 in assets they didn’t even know they had coming to them. According to data released by the treasurer’s office, the single highest amount they’re holding on to is just over $350,000. That is money that belongs to some lucky Mainer who doesn’t even know it’s out there.

There is no fee to process the claim and it’s easy to see if you’re on the list of people with unclaimed property. Simply check the Maine State Treasurers website or call my office at 287-1440. Don’t forget to check the list of people in your town who have unclaimed property coming to them. Maybe you can be the bearer of good news.

— Rep. Robert Foley is entering his first term in the Maine House of Representatives serving the good people of House District 7 which includes most of the town of Wells. He has been appointed to serve on the Insurance and Financial Affairs Committee in the 127th Legislature.