Fla. Stat. § 717.117 — Florida Code / Title XL / Chapter 717 / Section 717.117
717.117 Report of unclaimed property.
Status: in_force

(1) Every person holding funds or other property, tangible or intangible, presumed unclaimed and subject to custody as unclaimed property under this chapter shall report to the department via electronic medium as the department may prescribe by rule. The report must include: (a) Except for traveler’s checks and money orders, the name, social security number or taxpayer identification number, date of birth, if known, and last known address, if any, of each person appearing from the records of the holder to be the owner of any property which is presumed unclaimed and which has a value of $10 or more. (b) For unclaimed funds that have a value of $10 or more held or owing under any life or endowment insurance policy or annuity contract, the identifying information provided in paragraph (a) for both the insured or annuitant and the beneficiary according to records of the insurance company holding or owing the funds. (c) For all tangible property held in a safe-deposit box or other safekeeping repository, a description of the property and the place where the property is held and may be inspected by the department, and any amounts owing to the holder. Contents of a safe-deposit box or other safekeeping repository which consist of documents or writings of a private nature and which have little or no apparent value shall not be presumed unclaimed. (d) The nature or type of property, any accounting or identifying number associated with the property, a description of the property, and the amount appearing from the records to be due. Items of value of less than $10 each may be reported in the aggregate. (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. (f) Any other information the department may prescribe by rule as necessary for the administration of this chapter.

(2) If the total value of all presumed unclaimed property, whether tangible or intangible, held by a person is less than $10, a zero balance report may be filed for that reporting period.

(3) Credit balances, customer overpayments, security deposits, and refunds having a value of less than $10 shall not be presumed unclaimed.

(4) If the holder of property presumed unclaimed and subject to custody as unclaimed property is a successor holder or if the holder has changed the holder’s name while in possession of the property, the holder shall file with the holder’s report all known names and addresses of each prior holder of the property. Compliance with this subsection means the holder exercises reasonable and prudent efforts to determine the names of all prior holders.

(5) The report must be filed before May 1 of each year. The report applies to the preceding calendar year. Upon written request by any person required to file a report, and upon a showing of good cause, the department may extend the reporting date. The department may impose and collect a penalty of $10 per day up to a maximum of $500 for the failure to timely report, if an extension was not provided or if the holder of the property failed to include in a report information required by this chapter which was in the holder’s possession at the time of reporting. The penalty shall be remitted to the department within 30 days after the date of the notification to the holder that the penalty is due and owing. As necessary for proper administration of this chapter, the department may waive any penalty due with appropriate justification. The department must provide information contained in a report filed with the department to any person requesting a copy of the report or information contained in a report, to the extent the information requested is not confidential, within 45 days after the department determines that the report is accurate and acceptable and that the reported property is the same as the remitted property.

(6) Holders of inactive accounts having a value of $50 or more shall use due diligence to locate and notify apparent owners that the entity is holding unclaimed property available for them to recover. Not more than 120 days and not less than 60 days prior to filing the report required by this section, the holder in possession of property presumed unclaimed and subject to custody as unclaimed property under this chapter shall send written notice by first-class United States mail to the apparent owner at the apparent owner’s last known address from the holder’s records or from other available sources, or via electronic mail if the apparent owner has elected this method of delivery, informing the apparent owner that the holder is in possession of property subject to this chapter, if the holder has in its records a mailing or electronic address for the apparent owner which the holder’s records do not disclose to be inaccurate. These two means of contact are not mutually exclusive; if the mailing address is determined to be inaccurate, electronic mail may be used if so elected by the apparent owner.

(7) The written notice to the apparent owner required under this section must: (a) Contain a heading that reads substantially as follows: “Notice. The State of Florida requires us to notify you that your property may be transferred to the custody of the Florida Department of Financial Services if you do not contact us before (insert date that is at least 30 days after the date of notice) .” (b) Identify the type, nature, and, except for property that does not have a fixed value, value of the property that is the subject of the notice. (c) State that the property will be turned over to the custody of the department as unclaimed property if no response to this letter is received. (d) State that any property that is not legal tender of the United States may be sold or liquidated by the department. (e) State that after the property is turned over to the department, an apparent owner seeking return of the property may file a claim with the department. (f) State that the property is currently with a holder and provide instructions that the apparent owner must follow to prevent the holder from reporting and paying for the property or from delivering the property to the department.

(8) Any holder of intangible property may file with the department a petition for determination that the property is unclaimed requesting the department to accept custody of the property. The petition shall state any special circumstances that exist, contain the information required by subsection (4), and show that a diligent search has been made to locate the owner. If the department finds that the proof of diligent search is satisfactory, it shall give notice as provided in s. 717.118 and accept custody of the property.

(9) Upon written request by any entity or person required to file a report, stating such entity’s or person’s justification for such action, the department may place that entity or person in an inactive status as an unclaimed property “holder.”

(10)(a) This section does not apply to the unclaimed patronage refunds as provided for by contract or through bylaw provisions of entities organized under chapter 425 or that are exempt from ad valorem taxation pursuant to s. 196.2002. (b) This section does not apply to intangible property held, issued, or owing by a business association subject to the jurisdiction of the United States Surface Transportation Board or its successor federal agency if the apparent owner of such intangible property is a business association. The holder of such property does not have any obligation to report, to pay, or to deliver such property to the department. (c) This section does not apply to credit balances, overpayments, refunds, or outstanding checks owed by a health care provider to a managed care payor with whom the health care provider has a managed care contract, provided that the credit balances, overpayments, refunds, or outstanding checks become due and owing pursuant to the managed care contract.

(11)(a) As used in this subsection, the term “property identifier” means the descriptor used by the holder to identify the unclaimed property. (b) Social security numbers and property identifiers contained in reports required under this section, held by the department, are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. (c) This exemption applies to social security numbers and property identifiers held by the department before, on, or after the effective date of this exemption.

History: s. 18, ch. 87-105; s. 1, ch. 92-169; s. 30, ch. 92-319; s. 1, ch. 93-280; s. 9, ch. 96-301; s. 1771, ch. 97-102; s. 17, ch. 2001-36; s. 1, ch. 2002-64; s. 1888, ch. 2003-261; s. 115, ch. 2004-390; s. 4, ch. 2005-163; s. 1, ch. 2007-69; s. 1, ch. 2012-227; s. 2, ch. 2016-90; s. 1, ch. 2017-33; s. 46, ch. 2024-140.