A gift letter is a piece of legal, written correspondence explicitly stating that money received isn't expected to be repaid. Yes, this is normal.We bought our first house just before we got married. To provide in writing that the money you're receiving is a gift and not a loan; To inform the IRS of the gift amount for tax purposes. Simply call the sheriff and arrange to pick up the papers. There are a few reasons to do this:1. A gift letter is an important, formal, legal piece of documentation that can help explain that a (usually rather large) sum of money was gifted to you. Here's a sample gift letter you can use to prove that the money is truly meant as an outright gift, with no expectation of repayment. Annually, the County Treasurer receives a listing of monies which have remained unclaimed for over three years from each County Department and Agency. You paid money as a down payment and want it returned .