2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 33 - Probate Practice and Procedure › Chapter 33-21.1 - Unclaimed Intangible and Tangible Property › Section 33-21.1-6. - Bank deposits and funds in financial organizations.

§ 33-21.1-6. Bank deposits and funds in financial organizations.
(a)
Any demand or savings deposit with a banking or financial organization, and any funds paid toward the purchase of a share, a mutual investment certificate, or any other interest in a banking or financial organization is presumed abandoned unless the owner, within three (3) years, and, in the case of matured time deposits, including a deposit that is automatically renewable, within six (6) years, has:
(1)
In the case of a deposit, increased or decreased its amount or presented the passbook or other similar evidence of the deposit for the crediting of interest;
(2)
Communicated in writing with the banking or financial organization concerning the property;
(3)
Otherwise indicated an interest in the property as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file prepared by an employee of the banking or financial organization;
(4)
Owned other property to which subdivision (a)(1), (2), or (3) applies and if the banking or financial organization communicates in writing with the owner with regard to the property that would otherwise be presumed abandoned under this subsection at the address to which communications regarding the other property regularly are sent; or
(5)
Had another relationship with the banking or financial organization concerning which the owner has:
(i)
Communicated in writing with the banking or financial organization; or
(ii)
Otherwise indicated an interest as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file prepared by an employee of 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 abandoned under this subsection at the address to which communications regarding the other relationship regularly are sent.
(b)
For the purposes of subsection (a), property includes interest and dividends.
(c)
A holder may not impose with respect to property described in subsection (a) any charge due to dormancy or inactivity or cease payment of interest unless:
(1)
There is an enforceable written contract between the holder and the owner of the property pursuant to which the holder may impose a charge or cease payment of interest;
(2)
For property in excess of two dollars ($2.00), the holder, no more than three (3) months before 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 will be imposed or that interest will cease, but the notice provided in this section need not be given with respect to charges imposed or interest ceased before July 1, 1987; and
(3)
The holder regularly imposes the charges or ceases payment of interest and does not regularly reverse or otherwise cancel them or retroactively credit interest with respect to the property.
(d)
Any property described in subsection (a) that is automatically renewable is matured for purposes of subsection (a) upon the expiration of its initial time period, but 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 § 33-21.1-19, 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.
(e)
In the event that any court appointed receiver of a banking or financial organization or a business organization referenced in Executive Order 91-2 (proclamation of January 1, 1991) sells, transfers or conveys any type of property referred to in this section to a banking or financial organization or business organization pursuant to court order, then notwithstanding any inactivity with respect to the property, all time periods referred to in this section shall commence upon the date of closing of the sale, transfer or conveyance.
History of Section.
P.L. 1986, ch. 500, § 3; P.L. 1992, ch. 30, § 2; P.L. 1992, ch. 133, art. 86, § 2; P.L. 1993, ch. 48, § 1.