Lewes Delaware Unclaimed Money

Lewes is one of Delaware's oldest coastal cities, situated in Sussex County near Delaware Bay. As a popular resort and retirement destination, Lewes has a significant seasonal and part-year resident population whose financial accounts are more likely to go dormant. Searching for unclaimed money in Lewes involves the same statewide Delaware portal used by all Delaware residents, but the city also has a Finance Department and a Board of Public Works that handles utility accounts and customer deposits. This page covers each resource and how Lewes residents can use them to find and claim unclaimed money.

Delaware Unclaimed Money Search for Lewes Residents

All Lewes residents search for unclaimed money at unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov. Under Delaware Code Title 12, Chapter 11, all holders of dormant financial accounts tied to Lewes residents must report to the state once applicable dormancy periods pass. This covers banks, employers, insurance carriers, utilities, and other businesses that have held funds belonging to Lewes-area residents. Searching is free. Claims can be filed at any time with no deadline and no fees from the state.

Lewes has a high proportion of seasonal and part-year residents. Accounts opened during a period of residency and then left inactive when the owner moves or spends less time in Delaware are among the most common sources of unclaimed money in resort communities. Bank deposits go dormant after 5 years of inactivity under § 1133. Utility deposits also become dormant over time if the service is disconnected and the deposit is not refunded. Both types of accounts are worth searching in the state database.

Delaware's MONEY MATCH program automatically returns unclaimed funds each September to taxpayers who file state income tax returns and have matching property on record. Since 2021, the program has returned over $5.6 million to nearly 40,000 Delaware taxpayers. If you receive a Delaware MONEY MATCH check, simply cash it. If you believe funds exist but have not received a check, file a claim through the standard portal process. The Delaware unclaimed property claimant FAQ walks through the full process.

Former Lewes residents or part-year residents who have also lived in other states should use MissingMoney.com to run a single search across Delaware and up to 49 other states simultaneously. Delaware has been a participating member since October 2022.

City of Lewes Finance Department

The City of Lewes Finance Department maintains all accounting records and oversees all financial operations for the city. The department is located at Lewes City Hall, 114 E. Third Street, P.O. Box 227, Lewes, DE 19958. The main phone number is 302-645-7777. Finance Manager Susan Willcocks can be reached at extension 149. For tax and accounts receivable questions, contact Lenora Dillinger at extension 114.

City-issued refunds, credits, and overpayment returns that go uncollected follow Delaware's dormancy rules. Once the required period passes without the owner collecting the funds, the city must report and remit them to the Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property. If you are a former Lewes resident who received city services and believe a deposit or credit was never returned, start by contacting the Finance Department. If the funds have already been escheated to the state, they will appear in the state portal under your name.

The Lewes Finance Department page provides contact information and details about the city's financial operations, including accounting, tax records, and accounts receivable for city-managed services and properties.

For questions about past credits, refunds, or overpayments on any city account, contacting the Finance Department directly at 302-645-7777 is the most efficient first step before searching the state database.

Lewes Board of Public Works Utility Deposits

The Lewes Board of Public Works, established March 15, 1901, manages utility services for the city. The BPW office is at 107 Franklin Avenue, Lewes, DE 19958, and the phone number is 302-645-6228. Customer deposits maintained by the BPW are held in a restricted account. When a utility account is closed and a deposit is not refunded or cannot be returned to the owner, those funds eventually become subject to Delaware's unclaimed property dormancy rules.

Utility deposits are one of the most common types of unclaimed money in the Delaware system. Former Lewes residents who disconnected utility service and moved without providing a forwarding address may have left deposit refunds behind. The state database at unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov is the right place to check for any BPW deposit refunds that were turned over to the state. The BPW itself can also confirm whether a deposit is still held locally or has been escheated.

The Lewes Board of Public Works website provides information about utility services, contact options for billing and deposit questions, and general information about how the BPW manages accounts for Lewes utility customers.

If you are a former Lewes utility customer who never received a deposit refund after closing your account, contact the BPW at 302-645-6228 first to check the status. If the BPW has already remitted the funds to the state, search the state database for the amount under your name.

Sussex County Resources for Lewes Residents

Lewes is located in Sussex County. County-level resources for unclaimed money searches include the Sussex County Recorder of Deeds at 2 The Circle in Georgetown, the Register of Wills for probate-related funds, the Sheriff's Office for excess proceeds from property sales, and the Assessment Office for property data. The Sussex County unclaimed money page covers all county-specific resources, including the Project Rightful Owner list for Sussex County sheriff's sale excess proceeds.

Former Lewes property owners who had a property sold at a Sussex County sheriff's sale should check the Project Rightful Owner list at courts.delaware.gov/superior/rightfulowner/sussex_sale_a_b1.aspx. Significant amounts appear on that list from sales going back many years. Lewes property owners near Delaware Bay have seen strong property values, meaning excess proceeds from foreclosure sales in this area can be substantial.

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