Florida Unclaimed Property Auction Begins Tomorrow in Fort Lauderdale
Auction Preview Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Auction Saturday 10:00 a.m. until finished
FORT LAUDERDALE – August 23, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property will be hosting Florida’s Unclaimed Property Auction this weekend at the Fort Lauderdale Airport Hilton. The auction, featuring more than 80,000 items, begins with a preview Friday, August 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The actual auction begins Saturday, August 24, from 10:00 a.m. until complete. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m.
CFO Jeff Atwater will be available to talk to the media Friday, at 10:30 a.m. at the auction preview. He will also serve as a guest auctioneer to open the bidding on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
The Unclaimed Property Auction, which is open to the public, will feature bidding on jewelry, watches, rare coins and more.
Featured items include a 1776 continental note, a 5.82 karat diamond ring, an 8.6 karat diamond and gold watch, four American eagle gold bullion coins, a baseball signed by Roberto Clemente and a 59-piece sterling silver flatware set. These items were turned over to the bureau after being recovered from abandoned safe deposit boxes.
The first of the two 2013 unclaimed property auctions was held in June. The auction, which was hosted in Tampa, was the second-highest-grossing auction in the 52-year history of Florida’s unclaimed property program, drawing more than 300 attendees, including 220 bidders, and raising $1.16 million for Florida’s public schools.
During Jeff Atwater’s tenure as CFO, the Department of Financial Services has returned record amounts to Floridians, totaling more than $535 million since January 2011. During the 2012-13 Fiscal Year, CFO Atwater’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property returned more than $212 million in unclaimed cash and property to families – an annual increase of more than $23 million from when he first took office. Since the program’s inception 51 years ago, the Bureau of Unclaimed Property has successfully returned $2 billion to Floridians.
A free catalog, along with details about the auction, is available at www.FLTreasureHunt.org.
EVENT DETAILS
Auction Preview
WHEN: Friday, August 23, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (CFO Atwater media availability at 10:30 a.m., 2nd Floor Mezzanine)
WHERE: Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport, 1870 Griffin Rd, Dania Beach
Auction Day
WHEN: Saturday, August 24, 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport, 1870 Griffin Rd, Dania Beach
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Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, a statewide elected official and officer of the Florida Cabinet, oversees the Department of Financial Services including the Division of Insurance Fraud. CFO Atwater’s priorities include fighting financial fraud, abuse and waste in government; reducing government spending and regulatory burdens that chase away businesses; and providing transparency and accountability in spending.
Contact: Chris Cate
(850) 413-2842
