A New York emergency medical service recovered $16,035.32 in insurance payments and checks it had not received, drawing attention to money the state holds for residents and organizations that may not know they are owed it. The Town of Wallkill EMS plans to use the returned funds to upgrade advanced-life-support equipment in its ambulances and response vehicles.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Sen. James Skoufis highlighted the payment in a release about the Wallkill claim. The ambulance service, based in Orange County, had been unable to access several payments before the money was transferred to the comptroller's Office of Unclaimed Funds. Skoufis' office helped connect the organization with the state office.
Unclaimed funds can include old bank accounts, uncashed checks, stock certificates and unused gift cards. After a period of time, abandoned money is turned over to the state. Owners can search for it and submit a claim without paying a fee; the money does not expire, according to the comptroller.
Orange County example shows the scale
Nearly $106.8 million was waiting to be claimed in Orange County across 629,862 accounts when the state issued the release. During state fiscal year 2025-26, DiNapoli's office returned about $2.76 million to county residents. Those figures describe Orange County, not the Finger Lakes or the state as a whole.
Wallkill EMS Executive Director Alexandria Morrice said the organization faces high call volume and recurring needs for equipment, supplies and training. The recovered money is being directed toward advanced-life-support equipment on its ambulances and fly cars, the release says.
DiNapoli urged residents, businesses and nonprofits to check the state's free database. Skoufis said his office helped the EMS organization claim its money, while Assemblymember Paula Kay encouraged constituents to search for any funds owed to them.
Some payments are sent automatically
The comptroller's Expedited Payment Program, launched in 2025, mails checks for certain unclaimed amounts up to $5,000 to verified individuals without requiring them to file a claim. The office sends a notification letter before issuing a check, the release says.
In Orange County, that program had sent 6,496 checks totaling about $1.05 million. Statewide since the program began, more than 300,000 checks totaling more than $73 million had been mailed, with an average payment of $225. The two scopes should not be confused.
The Office of Unclaimed Funds returns more than $2 million a day, according to DiNapoli. The automated program does not replace the option to search and claim money directly, and it applies only to certain verified people and payment amounts.
Individuals and organizations can search the comptroller's unclaimed-funds database online. They can also call 800-221-9311 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or seek help at outreach events held around the state.
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