Washington County Unclaimed Money and Abandoned Property
Washington County sits in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania and has a population of roughly 208,000 residents. Many of those residents have unclaimed money held by the Pennsylvania Treasury waiting to be recovered. The state holds over $5 billion in abandoned property statewide, gathered from banks, insurance companies, utilities, and hundreds of other financial institutions. Washington County also has an active Tax Claim Bureau that collects delinquent real estate taxes and has specific policies that property owners and interested buyers should understand. Everything in this guide is intended to help you find and claim any funds that are rightfully yours.
Washington County Quick Facts
Pennsylvania Treasury Unclaimed Property Search
The Pennsylvania Treasury administers the state's unclaimed property program under 72 P.S. sections 1301.1 through 1301.29. When account holders cannot be located after a dormancy period, businesses are legally required to transfer those funds to the state. The Treasury safeguards the money with no time limit and no fees for claiming.
Washington County residents can search for unclaimed funds at unclaimedproperty.patreasury.gov. The search takes only a few minutes. Common types of abandoned property in the database include dormant bank accounts, uncashed dividends, insurance policy payouts, utility deposit refunds, and safe deposit box contents. The Treasury estimates that 1 in 10 Pennsylvania residents has money waiting. That fraction translates to thousands of potential claimants in Washington County alone.
For assistance, call the Treasury at 1-800-222-2046.
Two recent laws improved access to unclaimed funds. Act 81 of 2024 set up an automatic Money Match program returning up to $500 to taxpayers without requiring a formal claim. Act 50 of 2025 raised that limit to $20,000, with the expanded program launching in May 2026. Washington County residents who file Pennsylvania income taxes may benefit automatically under these programs.
Washington County Tax Claim Bureau
The official Tax Claim Bureau page for Washington County is pictured below, sourced from the county's website at washingtoncopa.gov.
The Washington County Tax Claim Bureau is responsible for collecting delinquent real estate taxes for the county, all school districts, townships, and boroughs. After collecting taxes, the Bureau distributes those funds to the appropriate taxing bodies. The Bureau also provides tax delinquency information to banking institutions, real estate agencies, attorneys, title searchers, and individuals who need to verify the status of a parcel.
The full Tax Claim Bureau page is at washingtoncopa.gov/tax-revenue/claims. Delinquent tax payments in person are accepted at the Washington County Treasurer's Office, 95 W. Beau St., Suite 130, Washington, PA 15301. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
One notable policy distinguishes Washington County from many other counties in the state. Washington County does not maintain an excess fund list. All excess sale proceeds are distributed to the owner or the relevant municipalities within three years. This means any surplus from a tax sale is returned promptly rather than sitting as a long-term unclaimed balance at the county level.
Important Payment Policy Changes in Washington County
Washington County implemented a significant change to its delinquent tax payment policy effective October 6, 2025. Personal checks are no longer accepted for delinquent tax payments. Property owners with delinquent balances must now pay using certified checks, money orders, cash, or debit and credit cards. This policy applies specifically to delinquent tax payments handled by the Tax Claim Bureau. Current-year tax payments may follow different rules depending on the local tax collector.
A second policy change took effect on June 1, 2025. A new Demolition and Rehabilitation Fund fee of $250 per parcel sold was added to both Upset and Judicial Sale purchases. This fee is added to the bid amount and must be paid on the same day as the bid deposit. Buyers at Washington County tax sales should budget for this additional fee when calculating total acquisition costs.
Staying informed about these policy changes is important for both property owners and prospective buyers at Washington County tax sales.
Washington County Treasurer
Tom Flickinger has served as Washington County Treasurer since 2020. His current term runs through 2027. The Treasurer's Office is the financial center of county government, responsible for collecting county real estate taxes, receiving state and federal grant funds, and ensuring sufficient funds are available to meet all county obligations. Deputy Treasurer Lisa Rice assists with day-to-day operations.
The office is located at 95 W. Beau St., Suite 130, Washington, PA 15301. The phone number is 724-228-6780 and the fax is 724-250-4816. Office hours are 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The Treasurer can also be reached by email at tom.flickinger@co.washington.pa.us for written inquiries.
Beyond tax collection, the Treasurer's Office issues a range of state licenses. These include dog licenses, fishing licenses, hunting licenses, fur trapping licenses, and bingo licenses. Online payment options are available for dog licenses and select other transactions. For general county information, visit washingtoncopa.gov.
PA Bulletin Listings for Washington County
The Pennsylvania Bulletin publishes annual notices identifying unclaimed property holders and property owners who have funds waiting to be claimed. Washington County entities appear in these listings as required under state law. Reviewing these notices can help you identify unclaimed property that has been reported but may not yet appear in the Treasury's online database.
The PA Bulletin is searchable at pacodeandbulletin.gov. Pennsylvania Legal Advertisements can be found at palegalads.org. For searching unclaimed property across multiple states, the NAUPA portal at unclaimed.org is a helpful resource for former Washington County residents who have since relocated.
City of Washington Tax Information
The City of Washington, as the county seat, has its own local tax structure. City residents pay a Business Privilege Gross Receipts Tax at 4 mills for city purposes and 1.5 mills for the school district. Mercantile Gross Receipts Sales Tax is set at 1.5 mills for retail and 1 mill for wholesale transactions. Wage or Earned Income Tax is 1.0% for city residents. Real estate in the city carries a land tax rate of 38.71 mills and a building rate of 5.53 mills. School Property Tax is 135 mills and is collected through Keystone Collections at 1-866-539-1100.
For city tax questions, the Business Tax line is 724-223-4218 and the Real Estate Tax line is 724-223-4217. Wage tax inquiries go to Keystone Collections at the same toll-free number. Understanding which taxes are current-year versus delinquent matters, since the county Tax Claim Bureau only handles prior-year delinquencies.
Cities and Communities in Washington County
Washington County includes the City of Washington and dozens of surrounding boroughs and townships. Canonsburg, Charleroi, Monongahela, and Peters Township are among the larger communities. Residents throughout Washington County should search the Pennsylvania Treasury database using every address where they have lived, as unclaimed property is indexed by the last known address on file with the original holder.
Nearby Counties
Washington County borders several other southwestern Pennsylvania counties. Residents who have moved between counties should check each one for unclaimed property, as the database searches by name rather than current location.