Roger Hughes of the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office, Margaret Legge, West Virginia Treasurer John Perdue and the recipient of more than $20,000, John Legge, are shown during a check-presenting ceremony Wednesday at the state Capitol in Charleston. John Legge said until Wednesday, he had no idea how much unclaimed money was coming his way.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hurricane resident John Legge had no idea he would leave the state Capitol with a check greater than $20,000 when he entered the building Wednesday morning.
State Treasurer John Perdue presented the 77-year-old and his wife, Margaret, with a check for $20,638.21 from unclaimed property returns, a result of liquidated stock shares and unredeemed dividends.
“I’m rather surprised and somewhat shocked at what it was,” John Legge said. “I sort of thought it was maybe a utility deposit that we hadn’t gotten back.”
“We were expecting $1,000,” Margaret Legge paused, “but nothing like this.”
Perdue said reuniting the Legges and other West Virginia residents with their lost assets is an honor.
“Over the years, we have returned quite a bit of money for unclaimed property,” Perdue said. “We’ve returned over $100,000 to the people of West Virginia and we continue to work on that.”
John Legge said he had anticipated a much smaller amount and was speechless when Perdue informed him of the exact amount…