Volume 4 Number 30
July 27, 2007
Fellow Floridian:

Reuniting Floridians with their lost assets and precious memories is the number one goal of our Bureau of Unclaimed Property. This week, we were delighted to return some very special heirlooms to their families.

·         Purple Heart & Silver Star-- On Tuesday, representatives from the Bureau returned a Purple Heart and Silver Star to Daniel DeVillez , the son of the late Kenneth DeVillez, a Marine who earned the medals for injury and bravery sustained at the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.

·         Rare & Valuable Gold Coin-- On Thursday, the Bureau returned a 1907 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle “High-Relief” $20 gold coin with an estimated value between $25,000 and $90,000 to Phyllis Childers, the daughter of the late Tere Claiborne. The coin was believed to have been given by President Theodore Roosevelt to Phyllis’ great-great-grandfather, Manuel Amador Guerrero, the first president of Panama.

The Bureau of Unclaimed Property actively searches for the rightful owners or heirs to contents from abandoned safe deposit boxes. But when the owners or heirs cannot be found, the safe deposit box contents are auctioned by the state. Proceeds generated at the auction are held in perpetuity for the owner or heirs.  

Unclaimed Property Auction—Saturday, August 4th, the State of Florida will be holding an Unclaimed Property Auction at 10 a.m. in Orlando in the Florida Hotel and Conference Center at the Florida Mall. A preview of auction items will be held on Friday, August 3, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Included in over 40,000 items up for auction August 4th are:

  • An un-circulated 1882 silver dollar
  • Baseballs autographed by Hank Aaron and Don Larsen
  • Diamond jewelry
  • Spanish colonial silver coins
  • A $500 bill
  • A platinum ring with a 17 ct. natural sapphire

With nearly eight million accounts, the chances are good we are holding your cash or the cash of someone you know. For more information about the upcoming auction or to search for unclaimed property, please visit www.fltreasurehunt.org.


 

 CFO SINK WORKS TO STREAMLINE HEALTHY KIDS PROGRAM WITHOUT LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Sink creates Ad Hoc Committee to study ways to simplify the program for families

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced the formation of an Ad Hoc Committee for the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation that will examine ways to make it easier for families to enroll in the low-cost health insurance program and increase the number of children the program retains. CFO Sink, who serves as the Chair of the Healthy Kids Board, created the committee in an effort to identify how the Board can streamline the Healthy Kids program without the need for legislative action.

“Right now, families are forced to navigate through a bureaucratic maze—a spaghetti factory, if you will—just to purchase health insurance for their children,” said CFO Sink, who leads the Department of Financial Services. “This committee is the first step to streamlining the program and helping more families ensure their children have access to affordable, quality health care.” CONTINUED
 

 

www.FLtreasurehunt.org

 


Heir Phyllis Childers

 

 CFO SINK RETURNS RARE CENTURY-OLD $20 GOLD COIN
 Most valuable coin ever held by the state’s Unclaimed Property Bureau

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced the return of a 1907 gold coin with an estimated value between $25,000 and $90,000 to the daughter of the late Tere Claiborne. Representatives of the state’s Unclaimed Property program presented the coin Thursday to Phyllis Childers of the City of Lake Worth in Palm Beach County.

“I am pleased to be able to reunite this family with this beautiful historical heirloom," said CFO Sink who oversees the Department of Financial Services and the Bureau of Unclaimed Property (Bureau).

The early twentieth century collectible is a 1907 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle “High-Relief” $20 gold coin. The term “High-Relief” refers to the extreme height that images are raised above the background of the coin, and only 12,367 coins were made due to the extreme difficulty of production. One of the five most sought-after coins in America, President Theodore Roosevelt commissioned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens for the design in 1906. CONTINUED

 

www.FLtreasurehunt.org

 

Bay News 9 Unclaimed Property Report

 

 CFO SINK RETURNS A PURPLE HEART AND SILVER STAR TO THE FAMILY OF A FLORIDA MARINE  

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced the return of a Purple Heart and a Silver Star to the son of the late Kenneth DeVillez, a Marine who earned the medals for injury and bravery sustained at the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.  Representatives of the state’s Unclaimed Property program presented the medals Tuesday to Daniel DeVillez and his wife Beverly at their residence in Homosassa. 

“For this family, these medals are a lasting legacy of their father and his honorable service to our country," said CFO Sink who oversees the Department of Financial Services and the Bureau of Unclaimed Property (Bureau).  “I’m so pleased our department was able to reunite Beverly and Daniel with these priceless family heirlooms.”  CONTINUED

 


For more information on the  Minouche Noel case:

 

 

CFO SINK TAKES LEGAL ACTION TO SUPPORT MINOUCHE NOEL AND FAMILY

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink filed a complaint asking for a declaratory judgment from the Leon County Circuit Court regarding “The Noel Relief Act,” or Chapter 2007-261, Laws of Florida (House Bill 593). At issue are competing claims for the $8.5 million appropriated by the Florida Legislature to Minouche Noel and her family, which are in direct conflict with the Legislature’s intended payment of the claims bill.

As the state’s constitutional officer with the duty to settle accounts of the State of Florida and draw warrants to pay the state’s financial obligations, CFO Sink is asking the Leon County Circuit Court to affirm the intent of the Legislature. Specifically, the court will determine the rights of all parties to the $8.5 million claim so that CFO Sink may issue swift payment to the Noels. Additionally, CFO Sink is asking the Leon County Circuit Court to create a special needs trust with a court-appointed trustee, without which, she is legally unable to pay Noel for her damages as the Legislature intended. CONTINUED
 

 

 MY SAFE FLORIDA HOME ADDS NEW HELPLINE SPECIALISTS
Program improving customer service and reducing hold time for Florida homeowners

In a continuing effort to improve customer service, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced the My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) program has added 12 helpline specialists - doubling the resources - to assist homeowners inquiring about the program through its toll free helpline. Since the MSFH program expanded statewide in April, the helpline has received an increased number of inquiries from new and current applicants. With the additional staff, the program expects homeowners seeking a free wind inspection will be able to reach a specialist more quickly.

“Since taking office in January, we have been working to improve the customer service in the My Safe Florida Home program,” said CFO Sink, who oversees the Department of Financial Services. “The addition of more helpline representatives is yet another way the program is working to better assist Florida’s homeowners.”
CONTINUED


 

FLORIDA COMPLETES PURCHASE TO PROTECT SILVER SPRINGS
New acquisition of more than 1,700 acres will protect Florida First Magnitude Spring

The State of Florida took ownership of more than 1,700 acres, the second and final phase of a more than 4,400-acre purchase near Silver Springs, a part of the Florida First Magnitude Springs Florida Forever project on July 25. A partnership with The Nature Conservancy and Marion County, the purchase from Avatar Properties, Inc. places the land in conservation and helps protect the water quality of Silver Springs.

“The Silver Springs area is an important cultural and natural resource to be preserved and protected for future generations,” said Florida DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “This purchase protects one of nation’s largest springs, preserving its water quality and wildlife habitat.”  CONTINUED


 

 

CFO SINK ANNOUNCES FUTURE INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE THE RECORDKEEPING OF CIVIL REMEDY NOTICES

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced her plan to improve the Department of Financial Services’ recordkeeping of civil remedy notices and the resolutions of these disputes between policyholders and insurance companies. Currently, the system consists of cumbersome paper-files of hundreds of thousands of medical, legal and insurance documents. CFO Sink has ordered her department to begin working on a more accessible electronic database, allowing consumers or their attorneys the opportunity to fulfill their statutory obligations entirely online.

CFO Sink’s revamp of the civil remedy notice compliance requirements comes on the heels of concerns over the recordkeeping practices established under the previous administration. After being made aware of growing concerns, CFO Sink immediately ordered the protection of all public records and a full review of her department’s role in the receipt of civil remedy notices and the resolutions of the disputes. CONTINUED