Iowa Licensed Private Investigation Agency
We locate the rightful owners of unclaimed property and surplus funds.
ZMelt LLC researches ownership records, locates people who have moved or changed their names, identifies heirs of deceased owners, and assembles the documentation a claim requires. We are based in Burlington, Iowa.
We do not ask for your Social Security number, bank login, credit card number, gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or remote access to your computer or phone — not through this website, not by email, and not by phone. If anyone contacts you claiming to be from ZMelt LLC and asks for any of these, it is not us. Stop, and call us directly at (319) 850-4215.
ZMelt LLC is a privately owned business. We are not a state treasury, a court, a county office, or any government unclaimed-property program, and we are not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them. In many cases you can search for and claim property yourself, directly and at no cost. You are free to do that, and we will tell you how.
Our license
Licensed by the State of Iowa
A private investigation agency in Iowa must be licensed by the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Here is our license. You can confirm it independently with the state — we encourage you to.
- Agency
- ZMelt LLC
- Agency license number
- PI00613
- Agency number
- 2221
- Principal location
- Burlington, Iowa
To verify, contact the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Private Investigative and Security Program, and ask about agency license PI00613. We do not link out to the state from this page — look it up yourself, through the state's own website, so that you are relying on the state and not on us.
What we do
Ownership research, people-locating, and claim documentation
Most of our work is on cases that are not simple: the address on file is thirty years old, the owner has died, the business dissolved, the name changed, or the paperwork the state wants no longer exists.
Unclaimed property
Dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance proceeds, and refunds turned over to a state after years of no contact. We identify the rightful owner and put the claim together.
Surplus funds
When a property sells at foreclosure or tax sale for more than the debt owed, the surplus may belong to the former owner or their heirs. It is usually held by a county or a court, not the state.
Heirs and estates
When the person named on the record has died, the money may pass to family. Establishing who is entitled, and proving it, is research work — and it is what a licensed investigator is for.
An honest question
Can you do this yourself, for free?
Often, yes — and we will say so plainly. If the property is listed in your own name, at an address you can prove was yours, and you have your identification and the state's claim form, then file it yourself. It costs nothing. You do not need us, and we will tell you that on the phone.
People retain us when the case does not look like that:
- The record shows an address you left decades ago, and you cannot prove the connection.
- The owner named on the record has died, and the state wants proof of who inherits.
- Several people in the state share the name, and it is unclear which one is you.
- The property belongs to a business that dissolved, merged, or changed its name.
- Your name changed, and the chain of documents no longer lines up.
- You filed a claim already and it was denied, and you do not know why.
- The matter crosses more than one state, with different rules in each.
- You simply do not want to spend your own time chasing records.
In those cases the work is real: tracing people, reconstructing ownership, pulling certified records, and assembling a claim the reviewing office will accept.
How it works
Five steps, and no surprises
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You get in touch
By phone or email. Nothing sensitive is required to start — no Social Security number, no bank details, no identification documents.
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We review the record
We look at what is on file and tell you honestly what we see, including whether you appear able to handle it yourself.
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We assess ownership
We research the connection between you and the property: former addresses, name changes, heirship, business history.
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You sign a written agreement
Scope, fee, and responsibilities are in writing before any work begins. Agreements are signed electronically through DocuSign, and documents needing notarization can be notarized remotely. No work starts before you sign.
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We prepare and follow the claim
We assemble the records and documentation, file where permitted, and follow up. The office holding the money decides the outcome — not us.
We cannot promise that money exists, that a claim will be approved, or how long a review will take. Those decisions belong to the state agency, county, or court holding the property. We also do not accept every matter — some are outside our authority, uneconomical, or cannot be verified.
Talk to us
A first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. If we think you should handle it yourself, we will tell you.