(Part 1 of 2)

The tiniest state capital in the United States, Montpelier, is located in Vermont. It is also the country's largest maker of maple syrup and the state is also home to Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream company. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield first got started in Burlington, Vermont on May 5, 1978 and the company's headquarters presently call Waterbury home. According to a recent press release from the Treasury Department, it seems that the northern New England state has even more sweet stuff to offer besides maple syrup and ice cream and it's in Treasurer Jeb Spaulding's office – Vermont unclaimed money.

The state currently has approximately 42 million dollars in Vermont unclaimed money that is owed to around 200,000 residents. Forgotten financial assets being held by banks and other financial establishments are turned over to the State Treasury Department after a specified period of 'dormancy'.

The state then holds on to the forgotten funds and financial assets for safekeeping until the rightful owners come to claim them. The government is required by law to exert efforts in finding residents who are owed money and Treasurer Spaulding has actually been somewhat successful at reuniting some of the unclaimed money in Vermont with their surprised owners.

In Vermont, the average unclaimed money value is approximately $750. Many individual claims amount to less than $50, but there have been windfalls for some people. A retired teacher was shocked with $150,000 from forgotten stocks her husband bought back in the 1960's. Even state agencies are on the Vermont unclaimed money list. The state Transportation Agency has $60.87 from 3 different accounts and Vermont Senate President Peter Shumlin is owed money by the state. Even members of the rock band Phish have unclaimed money waiting to be discovered. The largest unclaimed account yet is for the massive amount of $980,000 waiting for the lucky Vermonter to step forward and claim. "In this case, it must be a fairly extraordinary person," Spaulding comments "There appears to be unclaimed property in the same name in other states. We seem to have determined she's very likely deceased with no will and no identified heirs."

(to be continued)

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