$23,000 unclaimed property check returned by Treasurer Moore to Beckley Area Foundation

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — State Treasurer Riley Moore, through his Unclaimed Property Division Office returned a close to $23,000 check that would go to benefit the Beckley Area Foundation in Raleigh County.

“The Beckley Area Foundation is one of West Virginia’s largest nonprofits, and I am proud my Office was able to return this large sum of money back to the foundation. While we have been partnering with community groups across the state, I want to encourage individuals and other organizations to keep checking our unclaimed property database because you never know if there may be unclaimed funds in your name,” Treasurer Moore said.

According to the press release from the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office, the check was valued at $22,993.48 and was an endowment fund from an estate that was brought in to Treasurer Moore’s Office for unclaimed property, including money.

The money was from sisters Freda and Sula Soter in memory of their parents who were born Greek and raised in the seaside village of Katirli, Turkey. In the early 1920s, After Greece lost the Greco-Turkish war, the couple had to leave Turkey and move to Greece. Mr. Soter later immigrated to the United States, but came back to Greece, only to bring his bride back to the states. Since becoming American citizens, the Soters always loved giving back to their community.

“We were very surprised to learn that we would receive over $22,000 in unclaimed property from the State Treasurer’s Office. We will place this money in the Athas and Helen Soter (Athanasios and Eleni Karakasis Soteracopoulos) Memorial Fund as Freda Soter directed in her will. This money will grow and provide a permanent income stream for the YMCA of Southern WV, Raleigh County Public Library, and the Beckley Concert Association. We are grateful for the State’s assistance in getting this money to us to fulfill our donor’s wishes,” Beckley Area Foundation Chief Financial Officer Rebecca Williams said.

The press release continues saying that Treasurer Moore announced that during the month of July, $3.1 million worth of unclaimed property to individuals, businesses and organizations was returned, which was the first month of the state’s 2025 Fiscal Year.

Currently in the database, Treasurer’s Office has more than $400 million worth of unclaimed property. Raleigh County currently has more than 125,000 unclaimed property, which is worth more than $15.5 million to the public and other businesses.

“Through our efforts to modernize the state’s unclaimed property program, we have reunited citizens and West Virginia businesses with their money at the fastest pace in state history. Last fiscal year, my Office shattered a state record by returning $28 million worth of unclaimed property to its rightful owners,” Treasurer Moore said.

To find out if you have any money that you may not know about, you are encouraged to visit www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov .

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