Last year the Texas Comptroller's Office returned $147 million in unclaimed property to Texans, the largest amount yet.

This year Comptroller Susan Combs is trying to get the word out across Texas to let people know they may have hundreds of dollars waiting for them, and not even know it.

"The current balance in the state's unclaimed property fund is $2 billion and that is far too much unclaimed money," Combs stated in a press release. "That money belongs to Texans, and I know reclaiming it would make a difference to many people in these tough times."

Last year, nearly 49,000 owners reclaimed between $100 and $500; about 15,000 owners reclaimed $500 to $1,000; and 17,385 claimed more than $1,000.

"We're making every effort to let folks know about their unclaimed property and help them claim it," she said.

Finding out if there's any money in your name is not as hard as you might think.

The state has set up a user-friendly Web site that will display any unclaimed property to visitors. All you need is a name and a city to check, although to claim the money several forms of identification are required — making it difficult for impostors to collect funds.

Not all of the unclaimed property belongs to individuals.

City and county governments owned $1.6 million of the money reclaimed in 2009, a press release stated.

The Comptroller's Unclaimed Property and Local Government Assistance teams have begun a collaborative effort to let local officials know about possible revenue from the unclaimed property fund.

"Local governments are facing financial challenges," Combs stated in the release. "When we receive money that clearly belongs to a city or county, we contact them immediately and encourage them to claim it."

In 2009, the comptroller returned money to about 357 cities and 211 counties, a press release stated.

To check for your unclaimed property visit claimittexas.org.