Question: In June I went to the state Unclaimed Property Program office on the third floor of the former YMCA building on Richards Street with my documents for a claim. But they said they were still working with December claims and it would take six-plus months to get to mine. Yet, I could hear people in the back laughing and talking. Who processes these unclaimed property claims, and why is it taking so long?
Answer: Because of a staffing shortage and a nearly doubling of claims submitted from 2011 to 2012, some claims are taking months to process, acknowledged Scott Kami, administrator of the state Department of Budget and Finance’s Financial Administration Division.
He apologized for the delays but said that, depending on the claims, approval can be given within four to six weeks. And it shouldn’t take months for claims to at least be preliminarily reviewed.
While there is a backlog in approving or denying claims because of “the extremely high volume of claims being submitted and limited staff,” the process is for all claim forms to be logged into the system and preliminarily reviewed at the time they are submitted, he said.
After hearing your concern, the program manager met with the staff to confirm that this was being done, he said.
Claims that are complete and submitted according to instructions, with supporting documents, can be approved within four to six weeks, Kami said.
However, claims that are incomplete, lack the necessary documents regarding legal ownership of the property or are “complex” — involving multiple owners, inheritances through trusts or wills, dissolved business entities and such — sometimes will require an extended review period, he said.
Meanwhile, “The laughing and talking overheard should not be taken as an indication that staff are not working diligently to work on claims,” Kami said.
He pointed out that the Unclaimed Property Program has seen “unprecedented growth in the amount of claims processed over the past few years.” In 2012, 10,012 claims were paid compared with 5,808 claims in 2011, with the same number of staff.
Based on the payment rate, the program is on track to pay more than 8,000 claims in the fiscal year that ended June 30, he said.
That all said, “the program and staff have shifted their priorities for an interim period to address and reduce the backlog,” Kami said.
Question: There was a Salvation Army bell ringer standing next to a Salvation Army kettle at Walmart Keeaumoku on June 25, singing “Silent Night.” She had a good voice, but yikes! The celebration of Christmas starts earlier every year, but this is insane. Can you please help stop this?
Answer: You can relax. The Christmas season is not being foisted upon you this early.
Salvation Army bell ringers were at Longs and Walmart stores as part of a one-day event in collaboration with KSSK’s Perry and Price’s annual radio show promoting “Leon Day.”
“Leon” is “Noel” spelled backward and is celebrated by the duo every June 25 with Christmas music.
“The Salvation Army’s one-day message was that community needs aren’t seasonal and that we are meeting those needs throughout the year,” said Ron Sauder, development director for the organization’s Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division.
Mahalo
To two kind strangers. On a Saturday afternoon in May, I started to cross Piikoi Street when a gentleman pointed out that my arm was bleeding. I pulled out my handkerchief to stem the flow. After crossing I heard someone calling. My new friend ran back and took an object from another good Samaritan, who had stopped his car to retrieve money that had flipped out of my pocket when I took out my handkerchief. I am sorry I have no names, but I do have a warm spot in my heart for both men.
— Edward Jurkens, Honolulu
———
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
