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2015 SESSION

15103378D
HOUSE BILL NO. 2341
Offered January 23, 2015
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 55-210.12 and 55-210.13 of the Code of Virginia, relating to disposition of unclaimed property; contents of reports; notice published by State Treasurer.
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Patron-- Davis
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Referred to Committee on General Laws
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 55-210.12 and 55-210.13 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 55-210.12. Report and remittance to be made by holder of funds or property presumed abandoned; holder to exercise due diligence to locate owner.

A. Every person holding funds or other property, tangible or intangible, presumed abandoned under this chapter shall report and remit to the administrator with respect to the property as hereinafter provided. Reports containing 25 or more items shall be remitted in an electronic format as prescribed by the administrator. The administrator may waive this requirement when he determines, in his discretion, that it creates an undue hardship.

B. The report shall be verified and shall include:

1. The name and social security or federal identification number, if known, and last known address, including ZIP code, if any, of each person appearing from the records of the holder to be the owner of any property of the value of $100 or more presumed abandoned under this chapter;

2. In case of unclaimed funds of insurance corporations, the full name of the insured or annuitant and any beneficiary, if known, and the last known address according to the insurance corporation's records;

3. In the case of the contents of a safe deposit box or other safekeeping repository or in the case 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;

4. The nature and identifying number, if any, or description of the property, the estimated value of the property, and the amount appearing from the records to be due, except that items of value under $100 each may be reported in aggregate;

5. The date when the property became payable, demandable, or returnable, and the date of the last transaction with the owner with respect to the property; and

6. Other information which the administrator prescribes by rule as reasonably necessary for the administration of this chapter.

C. If the person holding property presumed abandoned is a successor to other persons who previously held the property for the owner, or if the holder has changed his name while holding the property, he shall file with his report all prior known names and addresses of each holder of the property.

D. The report and remittance, including the remittance of unclaimed demutualization proceeds made pursuant to § 55-210.4:2, shall be filed before November 1 of each year as of June 30 next preceding, but the report and remittance of insurance corporations shall be filed before May 1 of each year as of December 31 next preceding. When property is evidenced by certificate of ownership as set forth in § 55-210.6:1, the holder shall deliver to the State Treasurer a duplicate of any such certificate registered in the name "Treasurer of Virginia" or the Treasurer's designated nominee at the time of report and remittance. The administrator may postpone the reporting and remittance date upon written request by any person required to file a report.

E. If the holder of property presumed abandoned under this chapter knows the whereabouts of the owner, the holder shall, before filing the annual report, communicate with the owner and take necessary steps to prevent abandonment from being presumed. All holders shall exercise due diligence, as defined in § 55-210.2, at least 60 days prior to the submission of the report to ascertain the whereabouts of the owner if (i) the holder has in its records an address for the apparent owner which the holder's records do not disclose to be inaccurate and (ii) the property has a value of $100 or more.

F. Verification, if made by a partnership, shall be executed by a partner; if made by an unincorporated association or private corporation, by an officer; and if made by a public corporation, by its chief fiscal officer.

§ 55-210.13. Notices to be published by State Treasurer.

A. The State Treasurer shall cause to be published notice of the report filed under subsection D of § 55-210.12 once each year in an English language newspaper of general circulation in the area in which is located the last known address of any person to be named in the notice. If no address is listed or if the address is outside of the Commonwealth, the notice shall be published in the area in which the holder of the abandoned property has his principal place of business.

B. The published notice shall be entitled "Commonwealth of Virginia Unclaimed Property List" and shall contain:

1. The names in alphabetical order and account numbers of persons listed in the report and entitled to notice within the area as hereinbefore specified.

2. A statement that information concerning the amount or description of the property and the name and address of the holder may be obtained by any persons possessing an interest in the property by addressing an inquiry to the State Treasurer.

3. The date of delivery of the property to the State Treasurer.

C. The administrator is not required to publish in such notice any item of less than $100 unless he deems such publication to be in the public interest.