An NJ man found $40,000 that had been lost and gave it to his church. That could be the beginning

Since 2020, Philip Britton hasn’t been able to go to Mass because his health is getting worse. He has been an active member of his church for years.

But from home in front of his computer, he was able to give his diocese in Camden a gift that made Catholic church leaders very happy.

The enterprising 85-year-old from Pennsville was looking on New Jersey’s website for leftover funds when he found Catholic schools and churches that no longer exist with unclaimed property.

The former Ph.D., who used to work in systems analysis, said that he often checks the state’s database of unclaimed property for fun and sometimes to help friends who are trying to get money back.

He found the list while looking for a friend. It had thousands of dollars for his old church, Queen of the Apostles in Pennsville, as well as the Diocese of Camden.

$40,000 in lost money

“I found cemeteries, parishes, and churches that no longer exist because they closed or merged. A lot of them had money that hadn’t been claimed.” I sent it all to the vicar general of the Diocese. It came to about $40,000, we found out.

Britton said, “The Diocese was very happy and very grateful.” He also said that church leaders couldn’t believe the money was theirs at first. “I felt happy to help.”

The Camden Diocese, like many other Catholic dioceses across the country, is having a hard time with money because of lawsuits about clergy abuse and a general drop in membership from all religions. In the case of Camden, the diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and later decided to pay $87.5 million to victims of abuse under a plan that was approved by a bankruptcy judge.

“Any money they get will help,” Britton said.

Britton remembers when newspapers would list lost and found items. “I would always look at it to find names of people I knew.” No one does that anymore, which is a shame.

“I can’t believe how much money people don’t know about but still have.” It’s money that’s not being used.

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It looks like religious groups would be a good place to look for these things. For years, U.S. churches have been closing or merging schools and parishes because there aren’t enough priests and women, and fewer people want to join.

If you type “Catholic” into the New Jersey unclaimed property website, you will find a lot of results, including a few for a Catholic graveyard in Newark, a high school in Oradell, and a center in New Brunswick.

How to search for unclaimed items in New Jersey

The Unclaimed Property Administration (UPA) in New Jersey says it is protecting $6.3 billion in lost property.

Items that haven’t been claimed include uncashed checks, safe deposit boxes that haven’t been claimed, and empty stock and brokerage accounts. The land is given to the state if it is not claimed for more than three years and the company can not find the owner.

According to the state Treasury Department, about 74,000 claims were sent to the Unclaimed Property Administration in New Jersey in 2023. A record $202.95 million in assets were then given back to their rightful owners.

On the state’s safe website, there is no charge to check the database or make a property claim. Anyone can look up their name to see if their money or property is being held. Once New Jersey says it’s okay, the asset is given back to its original owner.

“Phillip Britton’s initiative to look up unclaimed property for his parish and then the diocese at large was another great example of Christian service, especially since the diocesan Catholic Charities office was one of the largest benefactors of this process,” said Michael Walsh, a spokesperson for the Camden Diocese. “The monies found for Catholic Charities will be used specifically to help those in need throughout South Jersey,”

“His act is also a great reminder to any individual and business to investigate the NJ.gov unclaimed property website.”