More than $1.5 billion in unclaimed property going to auction

The Chief Financial Officer of the state of Florida holds an unclaimed property auction every year, giving residents a chance to get their hands on more than $1.5 billion in items.

The unclaimed property includes silverware, diamonds, baseball cards, watches, jewelry, coins, currency, stamps, historical items, and cash.

The first auction dates are July 28 and 29 in Fort Lauderdale at the Sheraton Suites at Cypress Creek, 555 NW 62nd Street, Fort Lauderdale. 

The second auction will be August 25 and 26 in Orlando at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center. 

The unclaimed property from more than 13 million accounts is from dormant accounts at financial institutions, insurance and utility companies, securities and trust holdings.

The state's CFO says unclaimed money is deposited into the state school fund, where it is used for public education. But there is no statute of limitations, and citizens have the right to claim their property any time at no cost. 

It is estimated that one in five Floridians has some type of unclaimed property. To check if you are one of them, visit the website www.FLTreasureHunt.org, where it is free to search for property as often as you want.http://www.FLTreasureHunt.org