Arkansas to receive more than $761,000 in unclaimed money settlement with Delaware

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas state officials announced Wednesday that the state has reached a settlement in a case related to unclaimed property against the state of Delaware.

In 2016, Arkansas filed a lawsuit seeking more than $250 million in unclaimed money from uncashed money orders sent through MoneyGram and wrongly handed over to Delaware. Arkansas led a coalition of 30 states in this case.

In 2023, the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the funds should be returned to the states where unclaimed money orders or similar products were purchased.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said the state’s share of the settlement totals $761,907.91 plus interest earned and expenses, adding that he was looking forward to “reuniting the people of Arkansas with their money.”

“This settlement concludes nearly eight years of litigation over unclaimed Official Checks and returns more than $190 million to the people of Arkansas, our coalition partners, and other states,” Griffin said. “I’m proud of our work on this important case, and I’m grateful to our coalition partners—particularly the attorneys general of California, Texas, and Wisconsin, and attorneys for Pennsylvania—for their hard work on this matter.”

State officials said Delaware will transfer more than $102 million to the coalition states under the settlement. Another $89 million from MoneyGram will be distributed among all 50 states and the coalition states will receive nearly $55 million plus interest.

Arkansas state officials said that MoneyGram has been required to report sums on unclaimed unofficial checks and funds have been deposited with the state auditor unclaimed property fund.

Officials with the attorney general’s office said that the money deposited with the unclaimed property fund can be reclaimed by Arkansas residents.

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