Ohio Raiding Unclaimed Funds for Browns Stadium, Lawsuit Alleges

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit alleges Ohio is illegally dipping into residents' unclaimed property to bankroll a new Cleveland Browns stadium, violating constitutional rights.

Consumers Affected: Individuals and businesses with money in Ohio's unclaimed funds account as of June 30, 2025.

Court: The Court of Common Pleas Franklin County, Ohio

Ohio is illegally dipping into residents’ unclaimed property to bankroll a new Cleveland Browns stadium, a breaking new lawsuit alleges.

The plaintiffs, all Ohio residents with unclaimed funds, say the plan amounts to an unconstitutional land grab, only this time it’s not land at stake, but money that belongs to private citizens.

Lawsuit Claims Locals’ Money Is Going to a Private Company

Mary Bleick, Todd Butler, and Allen Skierski filed the lawsuit on behalf of themselves and other Ohioans with money in the state’s unclaimed funds account. By law, these funds, ranging from dormant bank accounts to utility deposits and uncollected insurance payouts, are supposed to be held in trust until claimed by their rightful owners. 

Each plaintiff has verified that they have property listed in the state database, giving them a direct stake in the fight. They argue that shifting those funds to stadium construction violates their property rights and exposes all account holders to the same risk of loss.

The Ohio Budget Law at Stake in the Dispute

At the center of the dispute is Ohio’s recent budget law, House Bill 96, which rewrote the state’s unclaimed funds statute. Starting in January 2026, unclaimed property will automatically “escheat to the state,” stripping owners and heirs of their right to claim it, the lawsuit explains.

Lawmakers approved the change as part of a plan to free up money for a privately owned Browns stadium expected to cost more than $2 billion. Critics say this is a fundamental betrayal: for decades, Ohio law has recognized that unclaimed funds are not state assets, but private property held in trust. 

Even the state’s attorney general warned the governor that seizing these funds for private development was poor policy and likely unconstitutional. 

The push for a new stadium comes from the Haslam Sports Group, owned by billionaire Jimmy Haslam and his wife. While the current lakefront stadium was built with a mix of public funds and NFL financing, the Haslams’ new project would be a privately owned venture outside the city. 

Despite their personal wealth, the Haslams have sought significant public contributions, raising questions about political influence and whether taxpayers, or in this case unsuspecting account holders, should foot the bill.

Unclaimed Property Under Legal Challenge

Ohio is not alone in facing legal blowback. A lawsuit in New Jersey has accused the state of seizing unclaimed property without warning and profiting from sales, sometimes auctioning off stocks or safe deposit contents. That case also challenges what critics call an aggressive, profit-driven system that prioritizes state revenue over due process.

The Ohio plaintiffs seek to represent all individuals and businesses with money in the state’s unclaimed funds account as of June 30, 2025. They are asking the court to block the state from seizing their assets, to declare the new law unconstitutional, and to force officials to keep holding the money in trust.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Bleick, et al. v. Maxfield, et al.
• Case Number: 25CV005715
• Court: In the Court of Common Pleas Franklin County, Ohio 

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Jeffrey A. Crossman, Marc E. Dann, and Brian D. Flick (DannLaw)

Do you know if you have any unclaimed funds in your state’s database? Let us know how you’d feel if they were spent on a sports stadium in the comments below