Scranton Unclaimed Money and Funds
Scranton is the sixth-largest city in Pennsylvania and the county seat of Lackawanna County, home to approximately 76,000 residents. Millions of dollars in unclaimed property from Scranton area banks, businesses, and institutions have been transferred to the Pennsylvania Treasury over the years. The search is free, there is no time limit to make a claim, and the process can be completed online. Scranton residents who have never searched may be surprised by what they find waiting for them.
Scranton Quick Facts
Scranton City Controller's Office
The Scranton City Controller is an independently elected official who provides financial oversight of city government operations. The office submits monthly financial reports to both the Mayor and City Council. These reports show the financial condition of every fund within the city government. Controller John Murray leads the office after a 27-year career in Pennsylvania state government.
Controller Murray previously served as Regional Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Auditor General, overseeing operations in both Scranton and Reading. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Marywood University and has been a lifelong resident of Scranton. His background in state audit work gives him a thorough understanding of how public financial oversight works at every level.
The Controller's Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. You can reach the office by phone at 570.348.4125 or by email at jmurray@scrantonpa.gov. The full office page is at scrantonpa.gov/city-controller. Annual reports, overtime reports, and monthly financial condition summaries are all posted there for public review.
While the Controller does not administer unclaimed property directly, the office's financial reports can help residents identify overpayments, uncashed checks, or refunds tied to city services. If you believe the city owes you money from a prior transaction, the Controller's Office is the right place to start that inquiry.
Scranton Controller Office at a Glance
The Scranton City Controller's Office maintains complete records of city financial activity and publishes regular reports for public access.
Controller Murray's office publishes financial condition reports every month. Those reports cover the general fund, capital fund, debt service fund, and other city accounts. Residents who review these reports can better understand how city money flows and when refunds or unclaimed balances might arise from municipal transactions.
Pennsylvania Treasury Search for Scranton Residents
The Pennsylvania Treasury holds over $5 billion in unclaimed property for residents across the state. Scranton and Lackawanna County contribute a significant share of that total. The Treasury collects funds from dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten insurance policies, and other financial assets left inactive for a set period under Pennsylvania's DAUPA statute at 72 P.S. sections 1301.1 through 1301.29.
Search the official database at unclaimedproperty.patreasury.gov. Enter your last name and first name. You can refine results by zip code or city name. The search covers Scranton area zip codes including 18501 through 18512 and surrounding Lackawanna County addresses. Use the approximate match option if your name has a common variant spelling.
About 1 in 10 Pennsylvania residents is owed unclaimed property. For a city the size of Scranton, that means thousands of people could have funds waiting. Former residents who moved away but held accounts here should also search under their old Scranton addresses.
Scranton Single Tax Office
The Scranton Single Tax Office at scrantontaxoffice.org handles tax collection for Lackawanna County, the City of Scranton, and the Scranton School District under one roof. Tax Collector Cathy Nealon Wechsler leads a staff of roughly 20 employees. The office's purpose is to assess and collect all taxes fairly and consistently across the three taxing bodies it serves.
The Single Tax Office collects real estate tax, Business Privilege and Mercantile Tax, and the Local Services Tax (LST). Overpayments on any of these taxes can generate refunds. If you overpaid property taxes in a prior year, or if a business tax was collected in error, a refund may be sitting uncollected. Contact the Single Tax Office to verify whether any outstanding credits are on file for your account.
Real estate tax details for all three taxing bodies are published on the Single Tax Office website. Tax collection schedules, due dates, payment options, and forms are all available there. The contact page at scrantontaxoffice.org provides direct phone and address information for in-person inquiries.
Lackawanna County Tax Sales and Surplus Funds
The Lackawanna County Tax Claim Bureau at the county government offices collects delinquent property taxes for the county. After a property sells at a tax sale, any proceeds beyond the amount owed become surplus funds. Scranton property owners who lost a property to a tax sale may be entitled to surplus funds if the sale generated more than the delinquent tax balance.
The bureau conducts an Upset Tax Sale each September, followed by judicial and private sales for properties that remain unsold. If a property in Scranton sold at one of these sales for more than the amount owed, a surplus check may have been issued that was never cashed or delivered. Contact Lackawanna County at 570-963-6734 to check on surplus funds from past tax sales.
Delinquent taxes returned to the bureau accrue interest at 9% per year starting February 1. If taxes were paid after interest began accruing but the original delinquency was resolved, any overpayment of interest may also be refundable. Keep records of all tax payments you make in Scranton to help with any future refund claim.
New Pennsylvania Laws Helping Scranton Claimants
Pennsylvania has passed two significant laws that make it easier for Scranton residents to recover unclaimed property. Act 81 of 2024 created the Money Match program. Under this program, the Treasury automatically sends checks to verified claimants for amounts up to $500 without requiring them to file any claim at all. If you are in the Treasury's records and the amount is small, you may already have a check on the way.
Act 50 of 2025 expands the heir claim process. Starting May 25, 2026, heirs can use a notarized affidavit to claim up to $20,000 in unclaimed property from a deceased relative's accounts. This is a major change for Scranton families dealing with estates where the full probate process would be costly or burdensome. The Treasury can be reached at 1-800-222-2046 for questions about heir claims.
Both laws reflect a broader effort to return money to Pennsylvania residents more quickly. Scranton residents should search now so they know whether they have funds waiting. Even a small match in the database can lead to a larger discovery once you start reviewing all the names and addresses associated with your household.
Lackawanna County Unclaimed Property
Scranton is the county seat of Lackawanna County. The county maintains additional records and resources related to unclaimed funds, including surplus funds from tax sales, overpayments, and other county-level financial transactions. Visit the Lackawanna County page for a full list of resources available to Scranton residents and others throughout the county.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of nearby cities can search for unclaimed money through the same Pennsylvania Treasury portal. Each city page below covers local search tips and resources.