Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle Legal Notices

Unclaimed Property & Escheat Notices — Riverside County agencies

Money that sits unclaimed in a city, district, or agency treasury for three years becomes the agency's property — but only after the notice procedure in Government Code §50050-50053 runs correctly: publish the list, wait out the claim window, then transfer. We publish these for Riverside County's cities, special districts, police and sheriff property units, and public hospitals.

📰 Publish your unclaimed property notice — $245 →Both weekly runs + affidavit · up to 50 column lines (longer lists quoted) · PO accepted

The §50050 procedure

  1. Identify items unclaimed 3+ years (individual items under $15, and any item whose owner refused payment, may be transferred without publication after one year — §50055).
  2. Publish the notice once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the agency's county (§50051). The notice states the amount, the fund, and that the money becomes the agency's property on a date not less than 45 days nor more than 60 days after first publication.
  3. Claims window: owners may file a claim before the stated date (§50052); unclaimed balances then vest in the agency (§50053).

Also handled

Police/sheriff unclaimed property (Civ. Code §2080.4-2080.6), escheat of unclaimed personal property lists (CCP §1532), and recurring annual publications. Government agencies can pay by purchase order and receive the affidavit of publication electronically for the file. Long lists are quoted per column line beyond the first 50 — send the list for a same-day quote at [email protected].

Frequently asked questions

How does a California city publish an unclaimed money notice?
Government Code §50051: once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, stating the amount, the fund, and a vesting date 45-60 days after first publication. Riverside County agencies publish in the court-adjudicated Hemet Chronicle for $245 (lists up to 50 lines).
When does unclaimed money become the agency's property?
After sitting unclaimed for 3 years and after proper publication, on the date stated in the notice — no less than 45 and no more than 60 days after the first publication — unless a verified claim is filed first (Gov C §50050-50053).
Do small unclaimed items need publication?
Individual items of less than $15, and items whose known owner refused payment, may be transferred to the general fund after one year without publication (Gov C §50055). Everything else follows the §50051 publication procedure.
Can a government agency pay by purchase order?
Yes — cities, districts, and county departments can submit with a PO and receive consolidated invoicing plus the affidavit of publication electronically.

Riverside County legal-notice guides

The Hemet Chronicle and San Jacinto Chronicle are court-adjudicated newspapers of general circulation for Riverside County (Superior Court Cases MCC2001316 / MCC2001738). We are a newspaper, not a law firm; this page is general information, not legal advice.