Action: Proof needed to collect on injury

On Dec. 22, I fell on a bus due to the action of the driver. I sprained a ligament in my knee as a result of this. I have contacted the bus company and left three messages, with no response. I would like to know if I should pursue this further or whether this is a ride-at-your-own-risk situation. Mrs. Louise Dages

Response: We do not have enough information to be able to advise you. If the injury is serious, you may want to consult with a lawyer. In general, however, the injury would have to be caused by negligence on the part of the driver, and a report should be filed at the time it happened. You would also be required to provide verification of the injury and any medical expenses that resulted for the bus company's insurance company to consider payment.

No mistake on stamps

In a story on the increase in postal rates, you said that the rate for postcards was not going up. You did not mention that there is a difference between the rates for postcards and postal cards. The price of stamps for postcards is still 20 cents, but the price of postal cards is now 22 cents. I and many others are being misled. I've argued with the postal service in Tampa and let it know that it did not give the media the right information. There is a difference between the words post and postal. The Rev. B. Rezza

Response: The postal cards to which you refer are the stamped cards sold by the U.S. Postal Service. You pay 22 cents for the whole package, card plus postage. If you buy a postcard from another source, you need to affix a 20-cent postage stamp to it.

Our story referred to the price of stamps and correctly quoted no increase in price for stamps for postcards. Since we know of no source for postcards costing only 2 cents, we think you're getting a good deal with the Postal Service's 22-cent stamped cards.

Reclaiming lost property

I don't know if you can help. About three or four months ago, there was an ad on television about some company that had names of people who are owed money. I was told that my name was probably on the list. This company had a Web site, but neither my son nor I have been able to find it. Friends of mine said they found it by accident, but they don't remember how.

If you can help, I thank you. If not, I'll understand, because this is asking a lot. Arthur Jones

Response: Although we do not know specifically which ad you are referring to, we can guess that it was for one of the companies that unites lost property with its rightful owners, for a fee. You can do this yourself, however, for free.

Unclaimed property can be any financial asset that appears to have been abandoned by the owner, including uncashed dividends, royalties, payroll or cashier's checks, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, credit balances, utility deposits and refunds, inactive bank accounts with no customer contact for five years, safe deposit box contents with delinquent rental fees for three years and court deposits, all things that can be easily overlooked or forgotten when someone moves or dies.

Businesses are required to try to find the owners, but when this proves impossible, as it sometimes does, the unclaimed or abandoned property and the owner's name are turned over to the state and deposited into the state school fund. The original amount is always available to be claimed, at no cost, by the owner or his or her heirs. According to the Department of Banking and Finance's Web site, more than $500-million in unclaimed property is being held. In addition to money and securities, the state also holds tangible property such as watches, jewelry, coins, currency, stamps, historical items and other miscellaneous articles. Unlike intangible property, these items, generally the contents of safe deposit boxes, are eventually auctioned off.

The comptroller's office tries to find the rightful owners through Internet searches, driver's license matches, credit bureau searches and newspaper advertisements. A yes answer to any of the following questions could indicate that you are due unclaimed property:

Have you moved and not given your forwarding address to everyone who might owe you money? Has it been five or more years since you made a withdrawal from or deposit to a bank account? Have you retired or changed jobs and not picked up your last paycheck? Have you stopped paying on an insurance policy? Have you forgotten to pay the rental fee on a safe deposit box? Have you not received a deposit back from a utility, cable or telephone company?

You can also search the state's unclaimed property database on the Department of Banking and Finance's Web site at http://www.dbf.state.fl.us. The Web site also provides links to the unclaimed property pages of other states and agencies. Inquiries may also be made by calling the department's unclaimed property hotline at (888) 258-2253, or (850) 488-7777 outside Florida (a toll call). Once it receives a claim form, the state has 90 days to make a determination on the claim. In many cases, money may be received in 45 to 60 days; stock reissues typically take longer.

By the way, we did a quick search on your name, and if you ever lived in St. Augustine, you may in fact have some unclaimed property.

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If you have a question for Action or your attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write: Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, (727) 893-8171, or, outside Pinellas, (800) 333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request. Names will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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