When a company writes a check to you, and you lose the check, and forget about it, they’re supposed to send the money to the State. This is called Unclaimed Property, and is managed by the State Controller. The State has a database that you can search to find that money, and get a check.
New information is being added to the database all the time, including old properties. I found money from over 20 years ago.
The process is pretty simple.
Go to this page: https://ucpi.sco.ca.gov/ucp/Default.aspx
The type in your name and city. Leave out your middle initial.
The checks are associated with your address at the time it was written, so repeat the search with every single city in which you lived.
For each claim, click on the link, fill out the form, and money is on the way.
Some claims will require filling a printed form, so, you need a printer.