14-517 REPORT OF ABANDONED PROPERTY.

TITLE 14

ESTATES OF DECEDENTS

CHAPTER 5

UNCLAIMED PROPERTY LAW

14-517. Report of abandoned property. (1) A person holding property tangible or intangible, presumed abandoned and subject to custody as unclaimed property under this chapter, shall report to the administrator concerning the property as provided in this section.

(2) The report must be verified and must include:

(a) Except with respect to traveler's checks and money orders, the name, if known, and last known address, if any, of each person appearing from the records of the holder to be the owner of property presumed abandoned under this chapter;

(b) In the case of unclaimed funds of more than fifty dollars ($50.00) held or owing under any life or endowment insurance policy or annuity contract, the full name and last known address of the insured or annuitant and of the beneficiary according to the records of the insurance company holding or owing the funds;

(c) In the case of the contents of a safe deposit box or other safekeeping repository or of other tangible property, a description of the property and the place where it is held and may be inspected by the administrator and any amounts owing to the holder;

(d) The nature and identifying number, if any, or description of the property and the amount appearing from the records to be due;

(e) The date the property became payable, demandable, or returnable, and the date of the last transaction with the apparent owner with respect to the property; and

(f) Other information the administrator prescribes by rule as necessary for the administration of the provisions of this chapter.

(3) If the person holding property presumed abandoned and subject to custody as unclaimed property is a successor to other persons who previously held the property for the apparent owner or the holder has changed his name while holding the property, he shall file with his report all known names and addresses of each previous holder of the property.

(4) The report must be filed no later than November 1 of each year as of June 30 next preceding. On written request by any person required to file a report, the administrator may postpone the reporting date.

(5) All holders of property presumed abandoned under this section that know the whereabouts of the owner of such property shall, before filing the annual report, communicate with the owner and take necessary steps to prevent abandonment from being presumed. Not more than one hundred twenty (120) days before filing the report required by this section, the holder in possession of property presumed abandoned and subject to custody as unclaimed property under this chapter shall send written notice to the apparent owner at his last known address informing him that the holder is in possession of property subject to this chapter if the holder has in its records an address for the apparent owner which the holder's records do not disclose to be inaccurate.

(6) The written notice required under this section shall include the name and address of the apparent owner, the nature and amount of the property presumed abandoned in the holder's possession, the name and address of the holder of the property presumed abandoned, a request that the apparent owner identify whether the property presumed abandoned is or is not unclaimed property under this chapter, and the reasons therefor, and any other criteria the administrator deems appropriate.

(7) If the apparent owner completes and returns the written notice described in subsection (6) of this section to the holder, and the apparent owner indicates a claim to the property presumed abandoned or indicates that the property identified in the written notice is not abandoned property, the holder need not pay or deliver the property to the administrator, and the property shall not be considered abandoned.

(8) In the event a holder receives a written notice as described in subsection (7) of this section demonstrating that certain property is not abandoned, a new presumption of abandonment may arise for such property due to the passage of time. The date the holder receives the written notice shall be deemed the date such property became payable or distributable for the purposes of calculating whether a presumption of abandonment has arisen.

(9) A report filed pursuant to this section shall be presumed accurate if the holder has maintained adequate records sufficient to establish by a preponderance of evidence that each item on the report is accurate and correct.

(10) Any person or holder in possession of ten (10) or more items of unclaimed property must submit an accurate electronic report in the format prescribed by the administrator.