When a Claim Must Be Notarized
Three situations require a notarized claim affirmation. They cover most claims worth pursuing.
Last reviewed Written from State Controller, Secretary of State Everything here is checkable without asking us.
Notarization Is Required For
- Cash claims of $1,000 or more
- All securities claims, at any value
- All safe deposit box claims, at any value
What a Notary Can and Cannot Do for You
A notary verifies your identity and witnesses your signature on the affirmation. That is the notarial act, and it is what makes the affirmation acceptable to the Controller.
A notary is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice. We can tell you what the Controller requires and prepare the documents; we cannot tell you whether you are legally entitled to an inheritance. Where that is the real question, you need an attorney, and we will say so.
Why This Matters for Estate Claims
Estate claims often involve a safe deposit box, securities, or a cash balance over $1,000 — sometimes all three. A notarized affirmation is effectively unavoidable on any estate claim of consequence.
Mobile and In-person Notarization
We travel across California for notarial appointments, which matters when the claimant is elderly, unwell, or holding documents they would rather not post. Notarial fees are set by state law; travel is quoted separately and agreed before we come out.
How You Are Protected
Our fee is capped at ten per cent of what is recovered by Code of Civil Procedure §1582, and nothing is owed until the State Controller has paid you. If we recover nothing, you owe nothing. Our recovery fee is never asked for up front — it comes out of money the Controller has already paid you. A booking deposit on an in-person appointment is a separate thing, and is credited back against anything you are charged.
California Unclaimed Property Services is a private asset recovery firm. We are not the California State Controller’s Office.
Sources
This page is written from the public record. Read the originals rather than taking our summary of them.
We are a private firm. We are not the State Controller’s office, not affiliated with it, and not endorsed by it.
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