PORTLAND, Ore. -- Have you forgotten about an old safe deposit box? Maybe you overpaid an insurance company or received an inheritance you never knew about?

Oregon has a fortune tucked away in unclaimed property and it could belong to you!

Finding your money is easy. KGW visited a secure vault in Salem where the state keeps unclaimed property. The place was packed with treasures ranging from gold bars to Rolex watches.

Unclaimed property coordinator Cheryl Gladden showed us $40,000 in savings bonds that someone left behind.

The state currently has $300 million available for claim by owners or their heirs. Most of it is in the form of lost stocks, bonds and insurance policies.

Ron and Caroline Miller of Portland were notified they had two accounts worth more than $109,000. However, they were contacted by finder firms, not the state.

One of the firms told the Millers the money could be found -- for a finder’s fee.

“They said, ‘If you want your money we will get the funds for you as long as you sign this and we take 40 percent.’ Yes -- 40 percent, it’s ridiculous!” Caroline Miller said.

The money belonged to Ron Miller’s first wife, who died of cancer.

Brokerage houses sign contracts with certain finder firms hired to track down the owners of unclaimed property.

The Millers don’t want to pay 40 percent to get their money back.

Fortunately, by law the finder firms have to turn over the money to the state if they fail make a deal with the owners. But they can wait up to three years to turn it over.

“I think that's the irritating part, and to think they can hold it for two or three years,” Caroline Miller said.

Those with unclaimed funds can usually find the money without finder firms by calling one of seven transfer agents that handle transactions for nearly every bank and brokerage in the U.S.

The Oregon Department of Lands provided those transfer agents to the Millers and when they picked up the phone they quickly discovered one of their lost accounts.

Soon they'll get a $49,000 check and the finder firm won’t get a dime.

In 2008, the Department of Lands returned $12.8 million to owners.

You can check for your name anytime and new information is added to the state’s missing money website constantly.

State officials said there’s a 1-in-4 chance that an online inquiry will find property due to you or a relative.

Residents can search for unclaimed property at the state website.