Find Unclaimed Money in Berkshire County
Berkshire County residents may have unclaimed money held by the state from dormant bank accounts, old insurance policies, utility deposits, or uncashed checks sent to a past address. Massachusetts holds more than $3 billion statewide, and residents can search for free at FindMassMoney.gov without creating an account. Berkshire County sits in the far west of Massachusetts and has one of the state's more unusual record structures: it is divided into three separate Registry of Deeds districts, which is worth knowing if your claim involves real estate records.
Berkshire County Overview
How to Search Unclaimed Money in Berkshire County
Start at FindMassMoney.gov. The search tool is run by the Massachusetts Unclaimed Property Division and costs nothing to use. Type in your name and check the results. You don't need to log in or pay anything to search.
Berkshire County is a long, narrow county that runs from Adams and North Adams in the north down through Pittsfield in the center and Great Barrington at the south end. If you have lived in more than one part of the county, try searching under each address. Property is matched to owners by name and last known address, so a utility deposit left behind in Lee might come up under a different search than one from your time in Pittsfield.
Try also checking MissingMoney.com, which includes funds from other states you may have lived in. If you moved to Berkshire County from out of state, property in that other state would show up there but not on the Massachusetts site. The Mass.gov guide to unclaimed property gives a plain-language overview if you want more background.
Note: The state holds unclaimed funds without any expiration date. You and your heirs can search and file a claim at any time, no matter how long the property has been sitting in the system.
Berkshire County Registry of Deeds
Berkshire County is one of the few Massachusetts counties with three separate Registry of Deeds offices, each covering a different part of the county. If you need deed records to support an unclaimed money claim, you have to know which district covers the relevant town.
The Northern Berkshire Registry is at 65 Park Street, Adams, MA 01220. Phone: 413-743-0035. Fax: 413-743-1003. Email: nbrd@sec.state.ma.us. Register Maria T. Ziemba oversees this district. Records here go back to 1761, with a land records index covering 1761 to 1985. The full registry website is at berkshirenorthdeeds.com.
The Middle Berkshire Registry covers the central part of the county, including Pittsfield. It is located at 44 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Phone: 413-443-7438. Fax: 413-448-6025. Email: Patricia.Harris@sec.state.ma.us. Register Patricia M. Harris runs this district. The website is at berkshiremiddledeeds.com.
The Southern Berkshire Registry covers the southern part of the county, including Great Barrington and Lenox. The address is 334 Main Street, Suite 2, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Phone: 413-528-0146. Email: sbrd@sec.state.ma.us. This registry holds deeds going back to 1790. More details are at berkshiresouthdeeds.com.
The image below shows the state's primary unclaimed money portal at FindMassMoney.gov, which all Berkshire County residents use to search for and claim funds:
All three Berkshire registry districts cover real property records only. Unclaimed cash, financial accounts, and other non-real estate property are all held by the state Unclaimed Property Division, not at the local registry level.
How to File a Claim in Berkshire County
After finding your name in the state database, the next step is to file a claim through the same site. The how-to-complete page walks through the full process step by step. You'll upload documents and submit everything online.
For a simple claim in your own name, you need a government-issued photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. Claims tied to a deceased person's estate need a death certificate and proof of your legal authority, such as letters of administration or a will showing you as executor. The FAQ at FindMassMoney.gov answers most questions about what to submit and how long to expect the review to take.
There is no local office in Berkshire County to handle claims. All filings go to the state office at One Ashburton Place, 12th Floor, Boston, MA 02108. Call (617) 367-0400 or toll-free at 888-344-MASS (6277). Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:45 AM to 3:30 PM. Around a third of all claims are auto-approved and move through faster than the standard 180-day window.
If a third party offers to file for you, note that M.G.L. Chapter 200A, Section 13 caps the fees they can charge. Filing on your own is always free.
Types of Unclaimed Property in Berkshire County
Dormant bank accounts make up the largest share of unclaimed property statewide, and Berkshire County is no different. Accounts that go three or more years without any owner activity are reported to the state and added to the database. This includes savings, checking, CDs, and money market accounts.
Insurance proceeds are a common and often overlooked category. Life insurance payouts go unclaimed when beneficiaries lose track of a policy or don't know one exists. Utility deposits and refund checks from local businesses are also sent to the state when they can't be returned to the owner. Safe deposit box contents held by Berkshire County banks may also end up in the state system.
- Dormant bank accounts and certificates of deposit
- Life insurance proceeds and annuity payouts
- Utility deposits and business refund checks
- Brokerage accounts and investment dividends
- Safe deposit box contents
- Overpaid taxes and government refunds
See the general FAQ at FindMassMoney.gov for a full breakdown of which property types are included in the state program. For physical items, the tangible property page explains the separate process for claiming those.
Massachusetts Unclaimed Property Law
The legal foundation for all unclaimed property in Massachusetts, including funds from Berkshire County, is M.G.L. Chapter 200A. It sets out how property is defined as abandoned, how holders must report it, and how owners can claim it back.
Under Section 3, most financial accounts and uncashed checks are presumed abandoned after three years of inactivity. The dormancy period runs from the date of the last owner transaction or last owner contact with the holder. Section 7 requires banks, insurers, and businesses to report and remit those funds to the state. Before reporting, they are required to send notice to the last known address of the owner.
Berkshire County towns that hold unapplied tax refunds or other municipal balances remit those under Section 9A. The state holds all property with no expiration. Your right to claim never lapses.
Contact and Local Resources
The Massachusetts Unclaimed Property Division handles all Berkshire County claims. Office: One Ashburton Place, 12th Floor, Boston, MA 02108. Phone: (617) 367-0400. Toll-free: 888-344-MASS (6277). Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:45 AM to 3:30 PM.
For real property deed research in Berkshire County, use the registry that covers the relevant town: Northern at 413-743-0035, Middle at 413-443-7438, or Southern at 413-528-0146. All unclaimed money searches start at FindMassMoney.gov.
Berkshire County Towns
Berkshire County has 32 cities and towns, none of which currently have a dedicated unclaimed money page. All residents should search directly at FindMassMoney.gov to look up any funds held in their name by the Massachusetts Unclaimed Property Division.
Nearby Counties
Berkshire County borders other western Massachusetts counties. If you've lived in those areas, it's worth running a search there too.