Wayne County Unclaimed Property and Abandoned Funds
Wayne County is located in northeastern Pennsylvania, a region known for the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Lake Wallenpaupack. The county seat is Honesdale, home to the Wayne County Courthouse and all major county offices. With a population of approximately 51,276 residents, Wayne County is part of the broader community of Pennsylvanians who may have unclaimed money waiting in the state system. Pennsylvania's Treasury Department holds over $5 billion in abandoned property on behalf of residents across all 67 counties. Searching is free, there is no deadline, and any property you claim is yours to keep.
Wayne County Quick Facts
Pennsylvania Unclaimed Property Program
The Pennsylvania Treasury administers the state's unclaimed property program under the Disposition of Abandoned and Unclaimed Property Act, 72 P.S. sections 1301.1 through 1301.29. When banks, insurance carriers, brokerage firms, utilities, and other companies cannot locate an account owner after a required dormancy period, they must turn that money over to the state. The Treasury holds those funds indefinitely, waiting for the rightful owner or their heirs to come forward.
Wayne County residents can search at no cost using the official portal at unclaimedproperty.patreasury.gov. Common types of unclaimed money in the system include forgotten savings and checking accounts, uncashed insurance settlement checks, utility security deposits, stock dividends, and items left in safe deposit boxes. About 1 in 10 Pennsylvania residents has unclaimed funds waiting. For Wayne County, that translates to thousands of potential claimants in the Honesdale area and beyond.
Call 1-800-222-2046 to reach the Treasury by phone during weekday business hours.
Two recent state laws have improved access to these funds. Act 81 of 2024 established a Money Match program that automatically returns amounts up to $500 to eligible taxpayers whose information matches Treasury records. Act 50 of 2025 raised that cap to $20,000, with the expanded program set to go live in May 2026. Wayne County residents who file Pennsylvania income tax returns may receive automatic payments without filing a claim.
Wayne County Treasurer Brian T. Field
The image below is sourced from the Wayne County official website and shows the county's government portal, including the Treasurer's Office information.
Brian T. Field has served as Wayne County Treasurer and Tax Claim Director since 2008. His current term runs through 2027, making him one of the longest-serving county treasurers in northeastern Pennsylvania. The office is located at the County Court House, 925 Court St., Honesdale, PA 18431. The office phone is 570-253-5970, fax is 570-647-0338, and email is treasurer@co.wayne.pa.us. Office hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
Deputy Treasurer Grace M. Schneider assists with daily operations. The solicitor for the Treasurer's office is Nicholas A. Barna, Esq. The Treasurer collects real estate taxes for certain municipalities within the county and accepts debit and credit card payments both over the counter and online. For all county-level information, the official website is waynecountypa.gov.
Wayne County Tax Claim Bureau
The Wayne County Tax Claim Bureau is directed by Cheryl A. Davies. The Bureau office is at 925 Court St., Honesdale, PA 18431. You can reach the Tax Claim Bureau at 570-253-5970, extension 4000. Email inquiries can be sent to cdavies@co.wayne.pa.us.
The Bureau publishes delinquent tax sale information in the Legal Journal of Wayne County, which is the official legal publication for Wayne County notices. The journal is produced by the Wayne County Bar Association and Bailey Design and Advertising, located at 3305 Lake Ariel Highway, Honesdale, PA 18431. Tax sale notices appear in the journal well before the sale date, giving property owners and prospective buyers adequate time to review the listings.
Properties offered at Wayne County tax sales span a broad range of municipalities including Honesdale Borough, Mount Pleasant Township, Palmyra Township, Lehigh Township, Lake Township, Canaan Township, Damascus Township, Dreher Township, Dyberry Township, and Preston Township, among others. Consideration amounts in published sale records have ranged from $1.00 to over $349,000, reflecting the variety of properties that cycle through the delinquent tax process each year.
Wayne County Tax Sale Bidder Requirements
Prospective buyers at Wayne County tax sales must meet specific eligibility requirements before they can bid. These rules are set by Act 133 P.L.1368, No.542, and apply to all public tax sales in the county.
Every prospective bidder must certify two things before registering for a sale. First, they must confirm they are not delinquent in paying any real estate taxes owed to taxing bodies within Wayne County. Second, they must certify they are not delinquent in paying any municipal utility bills owed to municipalities within Wayne County. Both certifications must be submitted on a notarized form at the time of registration. Certification forms are available at the Tax Claim Bureau office in Honesdale.
Wayne County Tax sales also come with a standard disclaimer that protects the Bureau. Properties are offered without any guarantee or warranty. Buyers are strongly encouraged to have title examinations completed before bidding. No adjustments are made after a property is struck down to a winning bidder, and the Bureau reserves the right to void any sale prior to court confirmation if a defect is discovered. Accrued taxes, deed recording fees, and transfer taxes are included in the final upset price.
For more information on legal notices and tax sale listings in Wayne County, the PA Legal Advertising portal at palegalads.org maintains archived copies of the Legal Journal of Wayne County.
PA Bulletin and Multi-State Search Resources
The Pennsylvania Bulletin at pacodeandbulletin.gov publishes annual unclaimed property listings from county and private holders throughout the state. Wayne County entities may appear in these listings when they hold unclaimed funds subject to state reporting requirements. Reviewing the Bulletin is useful when an initial Treasury database search does not return results, particularly for older or less common types of property.
Wayne County residents who have also lived in other states should check NAUPA's multi-state portal at unclaimed.org. This tool allows you to search multiple state databases simultaneously. Many northeastern Pennsylvania residents have connections to New Jersey and New York, both of which have their own unclaimed property programs that operate independently from Pennsylvania's system.
Tips for Searching Wayne County Unclaimed Property
A few simple strategies improve your chances of finding unclaimed money connected to Wayne County. Search your full legal name, any former married or maiden names, and all addresses where you have lived. Unclaimed property records are indexed under the last known address on file when the property was reported, which may be an older address you have since left.
Search under business names too. Sole proprietors, former business owners, and partners in dissolved companies often have unclaimed corporate accounts, vendor deposits, or insurance refunds in the system under a business name rather than a personal name.
Heirs and estate administrators can search under a deceased person's name. Unclaimed property does not expire, so funds reported decades ago are still recoverable with proper documentation of your legal right to the property. The PA Treasury's claim process for estates requires supporting documentation such as a death certificate, letters testamentary, or a copy of the will.
Cities and Communities in Wayne County
Wayne County includes Honesdale, Hawley, Waymart, Starrucca, Lakeville, and many other communities spread across the county's townships and boroughs. The county borders New York State to the north. Residents from any part of Wayne County should search the Treasury database using each address they have maintained over the years.
Nearby Counties
Wayne County borders several other Pennsylvania counties in the northeastern part of the state. If you have family or a history in any neighboring county, search those records as well.