SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is responsible for a bank full of treasure in Springfield.

The old Marine Bank building near the old state Capitol is home to Frerichs’ Springfield offices, but it is also home to the state’s unclaimed property stores.

When banks can not locate the owner of bank accounts or safety deposit accounts, they turn it over to the State’s ICASH program. From there, the treasurer’s office takes over, and also tries to find the owner.

“We oversee a portfolio about $60 billion, but we also oversee and safeguard about $5 billion in missing money or unclaimed assets or physical assets like left in a bank safe deposit box,” Frerichs said.

If the treasurer can’t find the owner of the items in their care, eventually it goes up for auction, but the state doesn’t spend the money they make from it.

“We’ll hold on to it forever,” Frerichs said. “You know, if you aren’t able to claim your money and your children or your grandchildren will be able to claim it in the future.”

“Unclaimed property” typically refers to items such as uncashed rebate checks, forgotten checking accounts, contents in safe deposit boxes and more.

WCIA is teaming up with the treasurer’s office to host a telethon on February 25th, so people get the opportunity to call in and check if they have any property they can reclaim.