A legal challenge to Ohio's plan to use unclaimed funds to pay for a new Cleveland Browns ' stadium hit a roadblock when a federal judge decided the money could start transferring on Jan. 1.

U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. ruled on Dec. 9 that Ohioans with unclaimed funds don't face irreparable harm because they can still claim their money through 2036. However, the legal challenge will continue because Sargus rejected the state's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit entirely.

This lawsuit began when four people with unclaimed funds sued the state to prevent it from moving between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion to a new fund. From there, Ohio would then dole out $600 million for the Cleveland Browns ' new domed stadium project.

The state holds more than $4 billion in dormant ban

See Full Page