An Act To Facilitate the Return of Unclaimed Property
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0668
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: MIRAMANT, BRYANT, DAVIS, DESCHAMBAULT, DIAMOND, DUNPHY, FAY, FOLEY, GILLWAY, KINNEY
Amends: 33 MRSA §1960

Legislative Document
No. 668
S.P. 230
In Senate, February 28, 2017
An Act To Facilitate the Return of Unclaimed Property
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MIRAMANT of Knox.
Cosponsored by Representative BRYANT of Windham and
Senators: DAVIS of Piscataquis, DESCHAMBAULT of York, DIAMOND of Cumberland, 
Representatives: DUNPHY of Old Town, FAY of Raymond, FOLEY of Wells, GILLWAY of 
Searsport, KINNEY of Knox.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  33 MRSA §1960, as amended by PL 2011, c. 477, Pt. H, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
§1960.  Notice and publication of unclaimed property; list upon request 
1.  Publication.  The administrator shall publish a notice no later than November 
30th of the year next following the year in which unclaimed property has been paid or 
delivered to the administrator.   The advertisement must be in a form that, in the judgment 
of the administrator, is likely to attract the attention of the apparent owner of the 
unclaimed property.  The form must contain: 
A.  The name of each person appearing to be the owner of the property, as set forth in 
the report filed by the holder; 
B.  The last known address or location of each person appearing to be the owner of 
the property, if an address or location is set forth in the report filed by the holder; 
C.  A statement explaining that property of the owner is presumed to be abandoned 
and has been taken into the protective custody of the administrator; and 
D.  A statement that information about the property and its return to the owner is 
available to a person having a legal or beneficial interest in the property, upon request 
to the administrator. 
2.  Publication not required.  The administrator is not required to advertise the 
name and address or location of an owner of property having a total value less than $250 
or information concerning a traveler's check, money order or similar instrument. 
3.  List of apparent owners; upon request.  No later than November 30th of each 
year, the administrator shall compile a cumulative list of all apparent owners of property 
having a total value of at least $10,000 that has been paid or delivered to the 
administrator at least 36 months prior to the compiling of the list.  The list of the apparent 
owners, not including the property presumed abandoned and the value of that property, is 
a public record, and the administrator shall release it upon written request. 
SUMMARY 
Under the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, entities that hold property that is 
presumed abandoned must report that property to the administrator, who is the Treasurer 
of State, on an annual basis.  The report includes the name of each apparent owner of the 
presumed abandoned property and the value of the property.  This bill requires the 
administrator to compile a cumulative list of all apparent owners of presumed abandoned 
property having a total value of at least $10,000 that has been paid or delivered to the 
administrator at least 36 months prior to the compiling of the list.  The administrator is 
required to release the list of apparent owners, without the property presumed abandoned 
and the value of that property, upon written request.