66-29-115 - Payment or delivery of abandoned property.
66-29-115. Payment or delivery of abandoned property.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, every person filing a report under § 66-29-113 shall, at the time of filing such report and with that report, pay or deliver to the state treasurer all unclaimed funds and intangible property specified therein. However, any unclaimed checks held by the state which were derived from one hundred percent (100%) federal funding need not be delivered to the state treasurer pursuant to this part if such delivery would render the state ineligible for future federal funding. Upon written request showing good cause, the state treasurer may postpone the payment or delivery upon such terms or conditions as the state treasurer deems necessary and appropriate.
(b) Tangible property shall not be delivered to the state treasurer at the time of filing the report. Instead, the state treasurer shall review the report of such property and be given an opportunity to decline to receive any such property reported which the state treasurer deems to have a value less than the cost of giving notice and holding sale, or may, if the state treasurer deems it desirable because of the small sum involved, postpone taking possession until a sufficient sum accumulates. Unless the holder of such property is notified to the contrary within one hundred twenty (120) days after filing the report required under § 66-29-113, the state treasurer shall be deemed to have elected to receive custody of the property and the holder thereof shall, at the end of such one hundred twenty-day period, pay or deliver such property to the state treasurer.
(c) Notwithstanding anything in subsections (a) and (b) to the contrary, contents removed from any safe deposit box or any other safekeeping repository or agency or collateral deposit box described in § 66-29-104(4)(B) shall be sold or disposed of by the holder in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 45-2-907, or pursuant to instructions received from the state treasurer, and the proceeds, less reasonable costs of sale and storage, shall be remitted within sixty (60) days of sale.
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, the state treasurer may, by rule and regulation, require that a security or security entitlement under title 47, chapter 8 not be delivered to the state treasurer at the time of filing the report. If the treasurer promulgates such a rule, the state treasurer shall publish the names and last known addresses of the apparent owners of such property pursuant to § 66-29-114 and the holder thereof shall retain the property until claimed by the owner or sold in accordance with this subsection. If the security or security entitlement has not been claimed within the calendar year next following the filing of the report with the state treasurer, then the holder may, as soon thereafter as practical, sell the property in conformity with reasonable commercial practices for the type of security involved. The monetary proceeds resulting from any sale conducted pursuant to this subsection (d), after deducting a proportionate share of the expense of conducting the sale, shall be delivered to the state treasurer within sixty (60) calendar days of the sale along with an updated report. The updated report shall be in such format as prescribed by the treasurer and shall contain all information provided in the initial report. The report shall further contain the following information for each security or security entitlement described in the initial report:
(1) A statement as to whether the security or security entitlement was returned to the owner or sold; and
(2) The net amount realized from the sale of that security or security entitlement.
An issuer, the holder, and any transfer agent or other person acting pursuant to the instructions of and on behalf of the issuer or holder in accordance with this subsection (d) shall not be liable to the apparent owner and shall be indemnified against claims of any person in accordance with § 66-29-116.
(e) Property paid or delivered to the state treasurer shall include all interest, dividends, increments, and accretions due, payable, or distributable on the day that the property is paid or delivered to the state treasurer.
(f) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this part, United States savings bonds which are unclaimed and presumptively abandoned under the provisions of this part shall escheat to the state at the time of the presumed abandonment, and all property rights to such United States savings bonds or proceeds from such bonds shall thereupon vest solely in the state.
(2) Within one hundred eighty (180) days after the bonds and obligations thereunder have been reported by a holder pursuant to § 66-29-113, if no claim has been filed in accordance with the provisions of this part for such United States bonds and obligations, the treasurer shall commence a civil action in the chancery court of Davidson County for a determination that such United States savings bonds shall escheat to the state. The treasurer may postpone the bringing of such action until sufficient United States savings bonds have accumulated in the treasurer's custody to justify the expense of such proceedings.
(3) The summons and complaint shall name the last known owner as the defendant, and shall be served and filed as provided by law. At the time of the filing of the summons and complaint, the treasurer shall mail to the last known address of the owner, a notice entitled Notice of Proceedings to Confirm Certain United States Savings Bonds as Escheated to the State of Tennessee, which shall include the following information:
(A) The name and last known address of the owner, if previously reported;
(B) A statement identifying the action and stating that its purpose is to confirm escheat of the property to the state;
(C) The place, time and date of hearing; and
(D) A direction that any person claiming to be entitled to such United States savings bonds may claim the property before or at the hearing.
(4) At the time the action is commenced, the treasurer, as to all items having a value in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00), shall also cause the notice provided in subdivision (f)(3) to be published once each week for two (2) successive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the county of the last known address of the owner according to the records on file with the treasurer. If no address is available, the notice shall be published in such time, place and manner as, in the treasurer's judgment, is most likely to come to the owner's attention.
(5) If no person shall file a claim or appear at the hearing to substantiate a claim, or if the court shall determine that a claimant is not entitled to the property claimed by such claimant, then the court, if satisfied by evidence that the treasurer has substantially complied with this section, shall enter a judgment confirming that the subject United States savings bonds have escheated to the state.
(6) The treasurer shall redeem such United States savings bonds escheated to the state and the proceeds from such redemption shall be deposited in accordance with § 66-29-121.
(7) Any person making a claim for the United States savings bonds escheated to the state under this subsection (f), or for the proceeds from such bonds, may file a claim in accordance with the provisions of § 66-29-123. Upon receiving sufficient proof of the validity of such person's claim, the treasurer may pay such claim in accordance with § 66-29-123.
(g) (1) IF tangible personal property is found within or on the premises of an establishment; AND
IF the operator of such establishment, or the operator's agent, has not contracted for the storage of such property; AND
IF the operator or agent retains such property for a period of one hundred eighty (180) calendar days, or more, following the discovery of such property; AND
IF, after the expiration of such period, the operator or agent accurately describes and reports such abandoned property to the treasurer; AND
IF the treasurer does not request to receive custody of such property within forty-five (45) calendar days following receipt of such report; THEN
Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter or any other law to the contrary, the operator or agent may donate the abandoned, tangible personal property to a nonrelated entity qualifying as a charitable entity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)), or, alternatively, may sell the property and donate the proceeds to a nonrelated entity qualifying as a charitable entity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)). The owner of the property shall have no right of recovery or right of action against the operator of the establishment, or the operator's agent, after the expiration of the aforementioned forty-five-day period.
(2) The provisions of this subsection (g) shall not be construed to prevent or restrict the ability of parties, including landlords and tenants, to contractually establish alternative procedures for disposal of abandoned, tangible personal property.
[Acts 1978, ch. 561, § 15; T.C.A., § 64-2915; Acts 1982, ch. 575, § 1; 1983, ch. 78, § 5; 1993, ch. 195, § 17; 1996, ch. 642, § 3; 2001, ch. 157, §§ 4, 5, 7; 2001, ch. 291, § 1.]