California’s “Other” Unclaimed Property Category Explained

• The "Other" category (NAUPA code 76) holds 621,999 California records worth $269,234,839 in total.
• The average record is $433, but 1,380 records are worth $10,000 or more.
• Prudential Financial, Pacific Bell Telephone, and four other reporters account for a large share of the category's records.
• Recovery fees for property reported under this category are capped at 10 per cent of what is recovered, unlike probated estates.
• There is no deadline to claim property in this category, and no fee is owed unless the State approves and pays the claim.

What does the "Other" category actually cover?

Every unclaimed property record the California State Controller holds is tagged with a property type code from the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). Most codes describe something specific: wages, insurance proceeds, uncashed dividend checks, safe deposit box contents. Code 76, labeled “Other,” is the catch-all. It is where a holder reports property that does not fit any of the Controller’s named categories.

In practice this means miscellaneous refunds, overpayments, settlement distributions, demutualization proceeds, and similar obligations that a business or government agency could not deliver to the rightful owner. The category is large precisely because it is a catch-all: it holds 621,999 records in our index, worth a combined $269,234,839.

Who reports the most property under "Other"?

A handful of large reporters account for a substantial share of the category. Prudential Financial Inc. Kba reported 22,191 records worth $9,740,469, and Prudential Insurance Company reported a further 10,333 records worth $4,703,025. Pacific Bell Telephone Company reported 19,445 records worth $4,721,071. Delaware Vs New York Settlement reported 13,022 records worth $4,783,613, while State Of Washington and Illinois State Of reported 10,906 and 10,536 records respectively, worth $4,220,754 and $4,798,046.

These six reporters alone represent tens of thousands of records. The rest of the category is spread across many smaller holders, which is why the category as a whole is both wide and uneven: a small number of entities generate a large share of the volume, and most individual records are modest.

How much money is typically sitting in an "Other" record?

The average record in this category is worth $433. That figure covers a wide range. Most records are small, the kind of residual refund or overpayment that a company could not match to a current address. But 1,380 records in this category are worth $10,000 or more, which means the “Other” label tells you nothing about size on its own. A record has to be looked up individually to know what it is actually worth.

Does the 10 per cent fee cap apply to "Other" category claims?

Yes. Property reported under this category falls under Code of Civil Procedure §1530, and a recovery fee for locating, delivering, or recovering it may not exceed 10 per cent of what is recovered. That cap does not extend to everything we handle. Estates that reach the State through county probate arrive under the Probate Code instead, and the State Controller states there is no fee restriction on investigators filing for the owners or heirs of county probated estates. If you are dealing with an “Other” record rather than a probate estate, the 10 per cent ceiling applies.

California law also requires that any recovery agreement be in writing, disclose the nature and value of the property and where the owner can claim it directly, and be signed by the owner only after that disclosure is made. No fee can be charged before the Controller approves the claim and pays the owner, and an agreement cannot be signed during the window between the holder’s report and the State taking custody of the property. An owner may challenge an agreement at any time if the fee charged was excessive or unjust.

What does claiming an "Other" record actually involve?

The process starts with identification: matching a name, and ideally a former address, to a specific record. From there the claim requires documentation proving identity and entitlement, and for cash claims of $1,000 or more, notarization is required; all securities and safe deposit box claims must be notarized regardless of value. A California notary may charge at most $15 per signature for an acknowledgment and $15 for a jurat, under Government Code §8211.

There is no deadline for any of this. California holds unclaimed property indefinitely until the owner or their heirs come forward, with the narrow exception of estates that have been permanently escheated, where the State has taken title and no claim will be paid. For everything else in the “Other” category, the property simply waits.

What should I do next?

If you want to find out whether a record under this category, or any other, carries your name, search our index of 14,639,722 State Controller property records. If you find a match and want help preparing the documentation and filing, our full-service recovery handles the claim from start to finish, and our fee follows the 10 per cent cap and is owed only once the State has paid. See how to claim for the general process, or pricing for how our fee works.

Questions People Ask

Figures on this page are from our copy of the State Controller’s published file as it stood on 2 October 2026. The State republishes the file weekly, so current totals will differ. Search is always against the latest copy.