It is not uncommon that an heir regardless if such is a son or daughter, may have never known their parent had a Safe Deposit Box at a local institution. In addition, confidentiality between the institution and the owner of the Safe Deposit Box is very strict. Just because the branch has moved, closed, failed or changed its name due to a merger or acquistion, it is likely the contents were transferred to a successor institution.

However upon a death and the rental payments stop, the contents will eventually be turned over to the protective custody of a government protective agency. The dormancy period for these unclaimed assets will vary with respect to both the state and the type of institution - federal, state chartered or credit union., but typically is from one to five years.

For information on recovering the contents of an unclaimed Safe Deposit Box and a search in our databases, order our Search and Report. (There is a $15.00 fee for this Service.)