Area Clerks of Court want to return unclaimed funds

LAKELAND (FOX 130 - Who couldn't use a few extra bucks? You may be able to get a nice, juicy check by contacting the Clerk of Courts near you.

This time of year, they are trying to give away free money.

In Polk County, the Clerk's Office is trying to find 51 people and hand over checks ranging from $100 to $6,600.

"These checks were mailed out in 2015," said Polk Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, Stacy Butterfield. "Either the check has been returned to us, or they never cleared the bank as a cleared check, so they become unclaimed funds."

This year in Polk, unclaimed funds total more than $31,000.

You have until September first to claim your money. After that, it goes to the courts for operational costs.

To find out more, contact your local Clerk of Courts. To view a list of unclaimed funds in Polk County, visit http://marketplace.theledger.com/Classifieds/Search.aspx?search=LH324839