Unclaimed Funds Arising from a Bankruptcy Case
Unclaimed funds are held by the court for an individual or entity who is entitled to the money, but who has failed to claim ownership of the funds. These funds may arise out of a variety of circumstances in bankruptcy cases, such as:
- Incorrect/incomplete address for the recipient
- Uncashed distribution check
- Death of intended recipient
To search for unclaimed funds in the District of New Jersey, please click here for the Unclaimed Funds locator.
On December 1, 2019, the Court modified the process for applying for the return of unclaimed funds. Failure to use mandatory Local Form Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds (Form 1340) will result in rejection of the application. The applicant should refer to the Instructions for Filing Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds for additional required documentation and forms included below.
- District of New Jersey Instructions for Filing Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds (revised as of August 2024 ) ( click here for the same document in pdf format )
- Local Form Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds (Form 1340, revised as of August 2024 )
- Local Form Certification in Support of Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds (this new form as of November 2021 is required in certain circumstances. Refer to the Instructions for Filing Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds to determine if this form must be filed)
- Local Form Certification of Service
- Local Form Order Granting Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds (revised as of November 2021)
If an Order Granting Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds is entered, the funds will be released to a Domestic Claimant after submission to the Court of either of the following forms which contain Claimant’s tax identification number:
- Form AO-213P Request for Payee Information and TIN Certification; or
- Form W-9 found on https://www.irs.gov/
NOTE: If a claimant desires payment via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), then Court Form AO-213P must be used.
Upon receipt of entry of an Order Granting Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds, provide the Court with the completed and signed form, and include the bankruptcy case number to either of the following addresses:
unclaimedfunds@njb.uscourts.gov
or:
United States Bankruptcy Court
Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Bldg.
Attention: Financial Department
50 Walnut Street
P.O. Box 1352
Newark, NJ 07102
NOTE: AO/IRS form(s) should not be submitted to the Court prior to entry of an Order Granting Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds.
See the Instructions for Filing Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds for forms required to release funds to Foreign Claimants.