§154. Presumptions of abandonment

            A. Property is presumed abandoned if it is unclaimed by the apparent owner during the time set forth below for the particular property for the following:

            (1) Travelers check, fifteen years after issuance.

            (2) Money order, seven years after issuance.

            (3)(a) Stock or other interest in a business association, including a debt obligation other than a bearer bond or original issue discount bond, if either of the following applies:

            (i) Three years after the earlier of the date of an unpresented instrument issued to pay interest or a dividend or other cash distribution, or the date of issue of an undelivered stock certificate issued as a stock dividend, split, or other distribution.

            (ii) If a dividend or other distribution has not been paid on the stock or other interest for three consecutive years, or the stock or other interest is held pursuant to a plan that provides for the automatic reinvestment of dividends or other distributions, three years after the date of the second mailing of a statement of account or other notification or communication that was returned as undeliverable, or after the holder discontinued mailings to the apparent owner, whichever is earlier.

            (b) Any dividend, profit, distribution, interest, redemption, payment on principal, or other sum held or owing by a business association for or to a shareholder, certificate holder, member, bond holder, or other security holder, who has not claimed it, or corresponded in writing with the business association concerning it, within three years after the date prescribed for payment or delivery.

            (4) A demand, savings, or matured time deposit, including a deposit that is automatically renewable, five years after the earlier of its maturity or the date of the last indication by the owner of interest in the property; however, property that is automatically renewable is deemed matured for purposes of this Section upon its initial date of maturity, unless the owner has consented to a renewal at or about the time of the renewal and the consent is in writing or is evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file with the holder. However, no property under this Paragraph shall be presumed abandoned if a banking or financial organization has forwarded a statement or other written communication to the owner within the preceding ninety days with regard to the property at the owner's last known address and the statement or communication has not been returned to the banking or financial organization as undeliverable or unclaimed by the forwarding agent.

            (5) Money or credits owed to a customer as a result of a retail business transaction, three years after the obligation accrued.

            (6) Gift certificate, three years after December thirty-first of the year in which the certificate was sold.

            (7) Amount owed by an insurer on a life or endowment insurance policy or annuity contract that has matured or terminated, three years after the obligation to pay arose or, in the case of a policy or contract payable upon proof of death, three years after the insured has attained, or would have attained if living, the limiting age under the mortality table on which the reserve is based.

            (8) Property distributable by a business association in a course of dissolution, one year after the property becomes distributable.

            (9) Property received by a court as proceeds of a class action, and not distributed to members of the class, one year after the distribution date.

            (10) Property held by a court, state or other government, governmental subdivision or agency, public corporation, or other public authority, one year after the property becomes distributable, except as provided in R.S. 15:86.1.

            (11) Wages or other compensation for personal services, one year after the compensation becomes payable.

            (12) Deposit or refund owed to a subscriber by a utility, one year after the deposit or refund becomes payable.

            (13) Property in an individual retirement account or other account or plan that is qualified for tax deferral under the income tax laws of the United States, three years after the earliest of the date of the distribution or attempted distribution of the property, the date of the required distribution as stated in the plan or trust agreement governing the plan, or the date, if determinable by the holder, specified in the income tax laws of the United States by which distribution of the property must begin in order to avoid a tax penalty.

            (14) Mineral proceeds, two years after the property is payable or distributable.

            (15)(a) Funds in an education savings account established in accordance with the Louisiana Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust Program as provided in Chapter 22-A of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 during any five-year period subsequent to the beneficiary's thirty-fifth birthday.

            (b) Funds in an education savings account established in accordance with the Louisiana Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve Program as provided in Chapter 22-B of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 during any five-year period subsequent to the beneficiary's twentieth birthday.

            (16) Funds in a sports wagering account if there has been no activity within three years after the last date the account owner did any of the following: placed a wager, deposited funds, withdrew funds, or provided credentials to log into the account.

            (17) Property distributable in the course of a demutualization, rehabilitation, or related reorganization of an insurance company, two years after the date of the demutualization or other event covered in this Paragraph if, at the time of the demutualization or other event covered in this Paragraph, the last known address of the owner on the book and records of the holder is known to be incorrect, or distributions or statements are returned by the post office as undeliverable, and the owner has not communicated in writing with the holder or its agent regarding the interest, or otherwise communicated with the holder regarding the interest as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file with the holder or its agent.

            (18) All other property, five years after the obligation to pay or distribute the property arises.

            B. At the time that an interest is presumed abandoned under Paragraph (A)(3) of this Section, any other property right accrued or accruing to the owner as a result of the interest, and not previously presumed abandoned, shall also be presumed abandoned.

            C.(1) Property is unclaimed if, for the applicable period of time set forth in Subsection A of this Section, the apparent owner has not communicated, in writing or by other means reflected in a contemporaneous record prepared by or on behalf of the holder, with the holder concerning the property or the account in which the property is held, and has not otherwise indicated an interest in the property. A communication with an owner by a person other than the holder or its representative who has not in writing identified the property to the owner shall not be an indication of interest in the property by the owner.

            (2) Property is unclaimed for purposes of Paragraph (A)(15) of this Section if, for the applicable period of time set forth in Paragraph (A)(15) of this Section, the education savings account owner has not communicated, in writing or by other means reflected in a contemporaneous record prepared by or on behalf of the holder, with the holder concerning the account in which the funds are held, and has not otherwise indicated an interest in the funds and the beneficiary of the account has not requested a disbursement of any of the funds for qualified higher education expenses. A communication with an owner by a person other than the holder or its representative who has not identified the account in writing to the owner shall not be an indication of interest in the property by the owner.

            D. An indication of an owner's interest in property includes the following:

            (1) The presentment of a check or other instrument of payment of a dividend or other distribution made with respect to an account or underlying stock or other interest in a business association or, in the case of a distribution made by electronic or similar means, evidence that the distribution has been received.

            (2) Owner-directed activity in the account in which the property is held, including a direction by the owner to increase, decrease, or change the amount or type of property held in the account.

            (3) The making of a deposit to or withdrawal from a bank account, including any one-time or recurring automatic clearing house transaction, or any other electronic transaction that is owner-directed or otherwise authorized by the account owner.

            (4) The payment of a premium with respect to a property interest in an insurance policy; however, the application of an automatic premium loan provision or other nonforfeiture provision contained in an insurance policy does not prevent a policy from maturing or terminating if the insured has died or the insured or the beneficiary of the policy has otherwise become entitled to the proceeds before the depletion of the cash surrender value of a policy by the application of those provisions.

            (5) The accessing of a deposit account by the owner through the website or other restricted electronic access point of the banking or financial organization.

            E. Property shall be payable or distributable for purposes of this Chapter notwithstanding the owner's failure to make demand or present an instrument or document otherwise required to obtain payment.

            Acts 1986, No. 829, §1, eff. July 10, 1986; Acts 1991, No. 209, §1, eff. July 2, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 73, §1, eff. June 5, 1992; Acts 1997, No. 809, §1, eff. July 10, 1997; Acts 2003, No. 221, §1, eff. June 5, 2003; Acts 2004, No. 839, §1; Acts 2006, No. 573, §1; Acts 2015, No. 350, §1, eff. June 29, 2015; Acts 2018, No. 687, §1, eff. May 30, 2018; Acts 2022, No. 510, §1.