(1) Any demand, savings, or matured time deposit with a banking or financial organization, including deposits that are automatically renewable, and any funds paid toward the purchase of shares, a mutual investment certificate, or any other interest in a banking or financial organization is presumed unclaimed unless the owner has, within 5 years:
(a) Increased or decreased the amount of the deposit or presented the passbook or other similar evidence of the deposit for the crediting of interest;
(b) Communicated in writing or by documented telephone contact with the banking or financial organization concerning the property;
(c) Otherwise indicated an interest in the property as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file with the banking or financial organization;
(d) Owned other property to which paragraph (a), paragraph (b), or paragraph (c) is applicable and if the banking or financial organization communicates in writing with the owner with regard to the property that would otherwise be presumed unclaimed under this subsection at the address to which communications regarding the other property regularly are sent; or
(e) Had another relationship with the banking or financial organization concerning which the owner has:
1. Communicated in writing with the banking or financial organization; or
2. Otherwise indicated an interest as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file with the banking or financial organization and if the banking or financial organization communicates in writing with the owner with regard to the property that would otherwise be unclaimed under this subsection at the address to which communications regarding the other relationship regularly are sent.
(2) For purpose of paragraph (1)(a), property includes any interest or dividends thereon.
(3) No holder may impose with respect to property described in subsection (1) any charges due to dormancy or inactivity or cease payment of interest unless:
(a) There is an enforceable written contract between the holder and the owner of the property pursuant to which the holder may impose those charges or cease payment of interest.
(b) For property in excess of $2, the holder, no more than 3 months prior to the initial imposition of those charges or cessation of interest, has given written notice to the owner of the amount of those charges at the last known address of the owner stating that those charges shall be imposed or that interest shall cease, but the notice provided in this section need not be given with respect to charges imposed or interest ceased before July 1, 1987.
(c) The holder regularly imposes those charges or ceases payment of interest and does not regularly reverse or otherwise cancel those charges or retroactively credit interest with respect to such property.
(4) Any property described in subsection (1) that is automatically renewable is matured for purposes of subsection (1) upon the expiration of its initial time period except that, in the case of any renewal to which the owner consents at or about the time of renewal by communicating in writing with the banking or financial organization or otherwise indicating consent as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file prepared by an employee of the organization, the property is matured upon the expiration of the last time period for which consent was given. If, at the time provided for delivery in s. 717.119, a penalty or forfeiture in the payment of interest would result from the delivery of the property, the time for delivery is extended until the time when no penalty or forfeiture would result.
(5) If the documents establishing a deposit described in subsection (1) state the address of a beneficiary of the deposit, and the account has a value of at least $50, notice shall be given to the beneficiary as provided for notice to the apparent owner under s. 717.117(4). This subsection shall apply to accounts opened on or after October 1, 1990.
History.—s. 7, ch. 87-105; s. 2, ch. 90-113; s. 63, ch. 91-110; s. 3, ch. 96-301; s. 7, ch. 2001-36; s. 111, ch. 2004-390; s. 2, ch. 2005-163.
Structure Florida Statutes
Title XL - Real and Personal Property
Chapter 717 - Disposition of Unclaimed Property
717.102 - Property Presumed Unclaimed; General Rule.
717.103 - General Rules for Taking Custody of Intangible Unclaimed Property.
717.104 - Traveler’s Checks and Money Orders.
717.1045 - Gift Certificates and Similar Credit Items.
717.106 - Bank Deposits and Funds in Financial Organizations.
717.108 - Deposits Held by Utilities.
717.109 - Refunds Held by Business Associations.
717.1101 - Unclaimed Equity and Debt of Business Associations.
717.111 - Property of Business Associations Held in Course of Dissolution.
717.112 - Property Held by Agents and Fiduciaries.
717.1125 - Property Held by Fiduciaries Under Trust Instruments.
717.113 - Property Held by Courts and Public Agencies.
717.116 - Contents of Safe-Deposit Box or Other Safekeeping Repository.
717.117 - Report of Unclaimed Property.
717.118 - Notification of Apparent Owners of Unclaimed Property.
717.119 - Payment or Delivery of Unclaimed Property.
717.121 - Crediting of Dividends, Interest, or Increments to Owner’s Account.
717.122 - Public Sale of Unclaimed Property.
717.1235 - Dormant Campaign Accounts; Report of Unclaimed Property.
717.124 - Unclaimed Property Claims.
717.12404 - Claims on Behalf of a Business Entity or Trust.
717.12405 - Claims by Estates.
717.12406 - Joint Ownership of Unclaimed Securities or Dividends.
717.1241 - Conflicting Claims.
717.1242 - Restatement of Jurisdiction of the Circuit Court Sitting in Probate and the Department.
717.1243 - Small Estate Accounts.
717.1244 - Determinations of Unclaimed Property Claims.
717.1245 - Garnishment of Unclaimed Property.
717.125 - Claim of Another State to Recover Property; Procedure.
717.126 - Administrative Hearing; Burden of Proof; Proof of Entitlement; Venue.
717.1261 - Death Certificates.
717.127 - Election to Take Payment or Delivery.
717.129 - Periods of Limitation.
717.1301 - Investigations; Examinations; Subpoenas.
717.1311 - Retention of Records.
717.1315 - Retention of Records by Claimant’s Representatives and Buyers of Unclaimed Property.
717.132 - Enforcement; Cease and Desist Orders; Fines.
717.1322 - Administrative and Civil Enforcement.
717.1323 - Prohibited Practice.
717.133 - Interstate Agreements and Cooperation; Joint and Reciprocal Actions With Other States.
717.1331 - Actions Against Holders.
717.134 - Penalties and Interest.
717.1341 - Invalid Claims, Recovery of Property, Interest and Penalties.
717.1355 - Theme Park and Entertainment Complex Tickets.
717.136 - Foreign Transactions.
717.138 - Rulemaking Authority.
717.1382 - United States Savings Bond; Unclaimed Property; Escheatment; Procedure.
717.1383 - United States Savings Bond; Claim for Bond.