The Finance Unit serves all four of the court's locations — San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and Eureka-McKinleyville. It maintains records for criminal debt-special assessments, restitutions, and fines; registry funds-bonds and other money deposited with the court; and processes documents to reconvey property posted to the court for criminal bail.
Mailing Address
Office of the Clerk, U.S. District Court
450 Golden Gate Avenue
P.O. Box 36060
San Francisco, CA 94102
Attn: Finance Unit
Telephone, Fax & Email
Phone: 415-522-4621
Fax: 415-522-2150
Email: CAND_Finance@cand.uscourts.gov
The federal courts, as custodians of unclaimed funds, are subject to established policies and procedures for holding, safeguarding, and accounting for unclaimed funds. Under 28 U.S.C. § 2042, a party entitled to unclaimed funds may upon petition to the court and upon notice to the U.S. Attorney and full proof of the right thereto obtain an order directing payment to him/her. Proof of notice to the U.S. Attorney must be provided to the court before any request for payment is approved.
Review our court’s Unclaimed Funds Ledger to determine whether you are the rightful owner of unclaimed funds. Cases that are sensitive or confidential in nature (for example, restitution) are not included in this public listing; please contact the Finance Unit at 415-522-4621 if you believe you are entitled to unclaimed funds in a case not listed on the ledger before completing and submitting the forms. If you are entitled to unclaimed funds, please follow the procedures on this page to make a claim.
Funds held in the court’s registry become unclaimed when funds are held by the court for a period of 5 years for an owner or recipient who is entitled to the money but who has failed to claim ownership, who cannot be located, or for whom payment has been returned from a last known address. After 5 years, the funds are transferred to the U.S. Treasury’s unclaimed funds account.
Restitution funds become unclaimed when funds are held by the court for a period of 1 year before being transferred to the U.S. Treasury’s unclaimed funds account.
The funds are held in unclaimed funds in perpetuity for the claimant to make a claim for the funds. A new court order is not required to release registry and restitution funds to the payee named on the original court order.
Forms
- Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds (.docx)
- Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds (compatibility mode)
- IRS Form W-9
Application Procedure
- Complete the Application for Payment of Unclaimed Funds with included Certificate of Service and Proposed Order, which can be downloaded from this page. Note that the application must be notarized.
- If the funds were deposited for joint claimants, both must sign the application.
- The applicant must have legal standing to make the claim.
- The Certificate of Service must show that notice of the application has been mailed to the United States Attorney and any other party who may have an interest in the funds pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §2042.
- Submit specific claimant entity requirements as specified below.
- Complete IRS Form W-9.
- Make a copy of all documents for your records. Mail the original application and all attachments to the address above.
Specific Claimant Entity Requirements
- Owners of Record
When a claimant contacts a court to request unclaimed funds as owner of record, the claimant must submit a petition to the court requesting the release of the funds. The claimant must provide the following information to the court:- A notarized signature of the claimant.
- The name, address and telephone number of the claimant.
- The social security or tax identification number of the claimant.
- Any additional information that the court may require.
- Successor Businesses
When a successor business claimant petitions the court for release of unclaimed funds, the claimant must provide the following information to the court:- Proof of identity of the owner of record.
- A notarized power of attorney signed by an officer of the successor business.
- A statement of the signing officer’s authority.
- Documentation establishing chain of ownership from the original business claimant.
- Any additional information that the court may require.
- Transferred Claims
When a successor claimant holding a transferred claim petitions the court for release of unclaimed funds, the successor claimant must provide the following information to the court:- Proof of identity of the owner of record.
- Proof of identity of the successor claimant.
- Documentation evidencing the transfer of claim.
- Any additional information that the court may require.
- Decedent’s Estate (Administrator, Executor, Representative)
When the owner of record is deceased and the decedent’s estate petitions the court for release of unclaimed funds, the decedent’s estate must provide to the following information to the court:- Proof of identity of the owner of record.
- Proof of personal identity of the estate administrator.
- Certified copies of probate documents establishing the representative’s right to act on behalf of the decedent’s estate.
- Any additional information that the court may require.
- Claimant Representatives* (i.e., funds locators):
When a representative of the owner of record or successor claimant petitions the court for release of unclaimed funds, the representative must provide the following information to the court:- Proof of identity of the owner of record, as required under “Owners of Record” above.
- A notarized, original power of attorney signed by the claimant on whose behalf the representative is acting.
- Proof of identity of the representative.
- Documentation sufficient to establish the claimant’s entitlement to the funds.
- Any additional information that the court may require.
*Please note: The court has adopted a policy prohibiting the issuance of a check payable solely to a fund locator, even if a power of attorney authorizes it. The court issues one check in the name of the rightful owner of record only or jointly to the owner of record and the fund locator, if authorized by a power of attorney. The court does not make a separate payment to the fund locator to split out its fee or commission.
The court accepts payments made by check, money order, cashiers check, debit card, and credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover) at the intake counter. Pay.gov payments through CM/ECF are accepted for new case filings, appeals, attorney admissions, pro hac vice applications, digital exhibits, records requests, and audio recording fees.
Payments for criminal debt, civil and criminal cash bonds, audio recording fees, digital exhibits, records requests and several other types of fees and payments can be made through Pay.gov. See information and instructions on Paying Criminal Debt, Civil and Criminal Bonds, Audio Recording, Digital Exhibits, Records Requests, and other Payments.
⇒ Go to Civil and Criminal Bonds and Other Payments Form (Pay.gov…)
⇒ Go to Criminal Debt Form (Pay.gov…)
⇒ Go to Audio Recording Form (Pay.gov…)
⇒ Go to Digital Exhibits Form (Pay.gov…)
⇒ Go to Records requests and Payments Form (Pay.gov...)
⇒ Go to USDC Northern District of California Digital Exhibits Payments Form (Pay.gov...)
Wire deposits are only accepted for large registry, restitution and fine payments. Please call the Finance Unit at 415-522-4621 or email at CAND_Finance@cand.uscourts.gov for wire instructions. A court order for payment of funds to the court is required before wire instructions are provided.
Please make checks payable to “Clerk, U.S. District Court.” Write your case number and any other reference number or information on your check so that we can properly apply your payment. Make sure that you have entered all the required information (correct payee name, amount, date, your signature, all corrections initialed, etc.) on your check before mailing to our office to avoid having your check returned to you.
You may mail your check to any of the following offices:
U.S. District Court
450 Golden Gate Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94102
U.S. District Court
1301 Clay St., Suite 400S
Oakland, CA 94612
U.S. District Court
280 South First St., Rm 2112
San Jose, CA 95113
Please call the Finance Unit at 415-522-4621 or via email at CAND_Finance@cand.uscourts.gov for the principal amount owed. You will need to call the U.S. Attorney’s Financial Litigation Program at 415-436-6970 to find out how much interest and/or penalty amounts might have been assessed on the balance that is due. The Clerk’s Office Finance Unit is not able to calculate interest or penalty amounts.
Please call the Finance Unit at (415) 522-4621 or via email at CAND_Finance@cand.uscourts.gov for the status of payments.
The Clerk’s Office disburses money to victims as it receives payments from the defendant. The Clerk’s Office cannot predict when defendants will make payments. Once money is received from a defendant, payments to victims are disbursed monthly on a pro rata basis, which means each payment is divided among the victims in proportion to their losses. Payments will only be made to those victims whose pro-rated share is at least $25. Restitution is paid first to individuals before insurers and federal victims. Funds are held for 6-8 weeks before disbursement is made to ensure the checks have cleared.
Please refrain from calling the Clerk’s Office about the status of restitution until at least 3 months after the defendant’s sentencing. This allows time for the defendant to begin making payments, if any, and for the Clerk’s Office to process the distribution to victims.
The Clerk’s Office does not enforce or handle collections of restitution. Please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Financial Litigation Program at (415) 436-6970 for the status of collection efforts.
Payments are made on U.S. Treasury checks. Please contact the Finance Unit at (415) 522-4621 or email at CAND_Finance@cand.uscourts.gov if you are not able to determine which case this check is for. Please provide the check number and date with your inquiry.
Please complete and submit to the Finance Unit the CAND Victim Address Change Form by email, mail, or in person to U.S. District Court, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 16th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102.
Please complete the AO213P form with your banking information and return to the Finance office at U.S. District Court, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 16th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102 or via email at CAND_Finance@cand.uscourts.gov. Funds will only be made through EFT for amounts over $500 where there are extenuating circumstances.
Please complete and submit to the Finance Unit the CAND Victim Name Change Form by email, mail, or in person to U.S. District Court, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 16th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102.
The money is invested in short-term nonmarketable Government Account Series securities through the United States Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service that will be held at Treasury, in an account in the name and credit of the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. Please refer to General Order 31 (.pdf) “Deposit and Investment of Registry Funds” for additional information.
A court order to return the funds or to exonerate the bond is required to release the criminal bond. Unless otherwise ordered, the money will be returned to the person(s) named on the Affidavit of Owner of Bond Security form completed at the time the money was posted. Please refer to General Order 55 (.pdf) “Bond Exoneration and the Posting and Return of Property” for more information.
A court order to reconvey the property or to exonerate the bond is required to release the lien from the property. If there is no such court order, please contact defense counsel to obtain one.
Once a court order has been obtained, please submit a completed Reconveyance form to the Finance Unit by mail or email to CAND_Finance@cand.uscourts.gov for signature along with a copy of the deed of trust.
If the Clerk, U.S. District Court is not named as the trustee on the deed of trust, you will also need to complete and submit a Substitution of Trustee form to substitute the Clerk, U.S. District Court as the trustee instead of the named trustee, along with the completed Reconveyance form.
If the property is located outside the state of California, please submit whatever documents that state requires for us to sign in order to remove the lien from your property.
It is the responsibility of the property owner to record the signed Reconveyance and/or other applicable forms at the recorder’s office where the property is located in order to remove the lien from the property.
Please refer to General Order 55 (.pdf) “Bond Exoneration and the Posting and Return of Property” for additional information.
A 1099-INT form is mailed in January of each year to each recipient who received at least $10 of interest income from the court in the prior year. The interest income is from money deposited in the court’s registry for criminal bonds, interpleader funds, and other cases pending the outcome of the litigation. Additional information about the 1099-INT form can be found on the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1099-int.
Post-judgment interest rates can be found at
http://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/fees/post-judgment-interest-rate
Notice to Persons Making Payment by Check
When you provide a check as payment, you authorize us either to use information from your check to make a one-time electronic fund transfer from your account or to process the payment as a check transaction.
When we use information from your check to make an electronic fund transfer, funds may be withdrawn from your account as soon as the same day we receive your payment, and you will not receive your check back from your financial institution. We will keep your check for three to 14 business days, after which time your check will be shredded.
Privacy Act
A Privacy Act Statement required by 5 U.S.C. § 552a(e)(3) stating our authority for soliciting and collecting the information from your check, and explaining the purposes and routine uses that will be made of your check information, is available from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's website at: https://fiscal.treasury.gov/otcnet/index.html
Or, to obtain a copy by mail you can call:
- 866-945-7920 Toll free
- 302-323-3159 Delaware
- 510-428-6824 DSN, Options 1, 3, 4
- E-mail: FiscalService.OTCChannel@citi.com
Furnishing check information is voluntary, but a decision not to do so may require you to make payment by some other method.