Claims are pouring in and money is flowing out of the state’s unclaimed funds agency. This, as the court battle continues over using those dollars for sports facilities, starting with $600 million for the Cleveland Browns domed stadium in Brook Park.
The Ohio Department of Commerce reported $579,718,291 in claims have been filed in the first half of this fiscal year, which began in July. By comparison, approximately $648.8 million in claims were filed in all of the previous fiscal year, and $528 million was reported in fiscal year 2024.
So far, the state has paid out $74.1 million on 130,783 claims. That’s almost double the number of claims paid in the fiscal year 2025, when the state paid 68,879 claims, and an increase of nearly 400% over the 26,420 claims paid out in FY 24. The average claim is $567. But the volume of claims submitted is slowing down the process, which claimants are usually advised will take 120 days.
"We are seeing a historically higher volume of claims due to increased public interest and media coverage surrounding unclaimed funds," said a Department of Commerce spokesperson in a written statement. "Because of this higher volume, this may lead to longer-than-expected processing times for some individuals than in the past. It’s important to note that each claim is different and processing times can vary based on the complexity or simplicity of the claim and if the required documentation is submitted in a timely manner."
The agency has named February as Unclaimed Funds Month.
A provision in the state budget passed last year allowed the transfer of up to $1.9 billion from unclaimed funds dated before 2016 to a sports facilities fund starting Jan.1. But a Franklin County judge ordered a temporary halt to that transfer. Lawsuits continue in that court and in federal court on whether the provision is constitutional.
