With an unexpected windfall even more welcome during a recession, the state is pushing for residents to be reunited with forgotten property.

The state Comptroller's Office recently published its annual list of new unclaimed property accounts in its continued attempts to locate the owners of everything from security deposits to the treasures lurking in safe-deposit boxes.

There are currently more than 787,000 unclaimed property accounts worth more than $795 million, according to the state, with 54,000 new listings this year.

Comptroller Peter Franchot described it last week as a "ray of sunshine in an otherwise...