Hundreds of Sarasota County residents and businesses, including those in Lakewood Ranch neighborhoods like Windward and Waterside, could be owed anywhere from $15 to more than $1,500 in unclaimed court-related funds, according to Suncoast Searchlight. The deadline to claim that money is Tuesday, Sept. 1.

After that date, every unclaimed dollar transfers into the county's fine and forfeiture fund under Florida law.

Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller Karen E. Rushing announced Thursday, July 23 that the annual list of people owed money is now available. Florida Statute 116.21 requires the Clerk to publish the list every July and give residents until Sept. 1 to file a claim.

What kind of money is this?

The funds come from court-related activities: uncashed checks issued by the Clerk's office, excess funds from court proceedings, court deposits, refunds, overpaid fines and court fees, returned child support payments, cash bonds, and uncashed jury service checks. These are not lottery winnings or forgotten bank accounts. They're payments the Clerk's office tried to send that never got picked up.

"A check can go unclaimed for all kinds of reasons, a change of address, a missed notice, life just getting busy," Manatee County Clerk Angel Colonneso said July 28, describing the same statutory process in neighboring Manatee County. Manatee's office is holding 645 unclaimed checks totaling $37,000.57 with the same Tuesday, Sept. 1 deadline.

How to check and claim

Residents should visit sarasotaclerk.com and look for the unclaimed funds list in the Finance section. If your name appears, you must submit a notarized affidavit (a stop-payment form) to the Clerk's Finance Department. If approved, a check goes out to the address you list on the form.

The Clerk's main office is at the Sarasota County Historic Courthouse, 2000 Main St., Sarasota. The Venice branch is at the South County Courthouse, 4004 S. Tamiami Trail. Residents can also call (941) 861-7400 for help locating the list or starting a claim.

Manatee County residents qualify

Lakewood Ranch residents on the Manatee County side face the same Tuesday, Sept. 1 deadline. According to MySuncoast, Manatee Clerk Angel Colonneso's office is holding $37,000.57 across 645 checks issued in 2024 for jury duty payments, court fee refunds, and vendor invoices. That list is available at ManateeClerk.com.

The Tuesday, Sept. 1 deadline applies to both counties. After that date, unclaimed funds are forfeited permanently.