Title 63 — Title 63 PERSONAL PROPERTY

If proceeds payable under a life or endowment insurance policy or annuity contract are deposited into an account with check or draft writing privileges for the beneficiary of the policy or contract and, under a supplementary contract not involving annuity benefits other than deat…

In this section and RCW 63.30.160 through 63.30.210, the following rules apply:(1) The last known address of an apparent owner is any description, code, or other indication of the location of the apparent owner which identifies the state, even if the description, code, or indicat…

The administrator may take custody of property that is presumed abandoned, whether located in this state, another state, or a foreign country if:(1) The last known address of the apparent owner in the records of the holder is in this state; or(2) The records of the holder do not …

(1) Except as in subsection (2) of this section, if records of a holder reflect multiple addresses for an apparent owner and this state is the state of the most recently recorded address, this state may take custody of property presumed abandoned, whether located in this state or…

(1) Except as in subsection (2) of this section or RCW 63.30.160 or 63.30.170, the administrator may take custody of property presumed abandoned, whether located in this state, another state, or a foreign country, if the holder is domiciled in this state or is this state or a gov…

Except as in RCW 63.30.160, 63.30.170, or 63.30.180, the administrator may take custody of property presumed abandoned whether located in this state or another state if:(1) The transaction out of which the property arose took place in this state;(2) The holder is domiciled in a s…

The administrator may take custody of sums payable on a traveler's check, money order, or similar instrument presumed abandoned to the extent permissible under 12 U.S.C. Secs. 2501 through 2503, as it existed on January 1, 2023.[ 2022 c 225 s 306.]

If the administrator asserts a right to custody of unclaimed property, the administrator has the burden to prove:(1) The existence and amount of the property;(2) The property is presumed abandoned; and(3) The property is subject to the custody of the administrator.[ 2022 c 225 s …

(1) A holder of property presumed abandoned and subject to the custody of the administrator shall report in a record to the administrator concerning the property.(2) A holder may contract with a third party to make the report required under subsection (1) of this section.(3) Whet…

(1) The report required under RCW 63.30.220 must:(a) Be signed by or on behalf of the holder and verified as to its completeness and accuracy;(b) If filed electronically, be in a secure format approved by the administrator which protects confidential information of the apparent o…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) of this section and subject to subsection (3) of this section, the report under RCW 63.30.220 must be filed and paid on or before October 31st of each year and cover the 12 months preceding July 1st of that year.(2) Subject to su…

A holder required to file a report under RCW 63.30.220 must retain records for six years after the later of the date the report was filed or the last date a timely report was due to be filed, unless a shorter period is provided by rule of the administrator. The holder may satisfy…

Property is reportable and payable or deliverable under this chapter even if the owner fails to make demand or present an instrument or document otherwise required to obtain payment.[ 2022 c 225 s 405.]

(1) A local government holding abandoned intangible property that is not forwarded to the department of revenue in subsection (2) of this section is not required to maintain current records of this property for longer than five years after the property is presumed abandoned, and …

(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, the holder of property presumed abandoned shall send to the apparent owner notice by first-class United States mail that complies with RCW 63.30.290 in a format acceptable to the administrator not more than 180 days nor less than 60 …

(1) Notice under RCW 63.30.280 must contain a heading that reads substantially as follows:"NoticeThe state of Washington requires us to notify you that your property may be transferred to the custody of the department of revenue if you do not contact us before (insert date that i…

(1) The administrator shall give notice to an apparent owner that property presumed abandoned and appears to be owned by the apparent owner is held by the administrator under this chapter.(2) In providing notice under subsection (1) of this section, the administrator shall:(a) Ex…

Unless prohibited by law of this state other than this chapter, on request of the administrator, each officer, agency, board, commission, division, and department of this state, any body politic and corporate created by this state for a public purpose, and each political subdivis…

In this section and RCW 63.30.330 through 63.30.410, payment or delivery of property is made in good faith if a holder:(1) Had a reasonable basis for believing, based on the facts then known, that the property was required or permitted to be paid or delivered to the administrator…

(1) A holder may deduct a dormancy charge from property required to be paid or delivered to the administrator if:(a) A valid contract between the holder and the apparent owner authorizes imposition of the charge for the apparent owner's failure to claim the property within a spec…

(1)(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, on filing a report under RCW 63.30.220, the holder must pay or deliver to the administrator the property described in the report. Holders who are required to file a report electronically under this chapter must remit payments u…

(1) On payment or delivery of property to the administrator under this chapter, the administrator as agent for the state assumes custody and responsibility for safekeeping the property. A holder that pays or delivers property to the administrator in good faith and substantially c…

(1) A holder that under this chapter pays money to the administrator may file a claim for a refund from the administrator of the amount paid if the holder:(a) Paid the money in error to the administrator; or(b) After paying the money to the administrator, paid money to a person t…

Property removed from a safe deposit box and delivered to the administrator under this chapter is subject to the holder's right to reimbursement for the cost of opening the box and a lien or contract providing reimbursement to the holder for unpaid rent charges for the box. The a…

If property other than money is delivered to the administrator, the owner is entitled to receive from the administrator income or gain realized or accrued on the property before the property is sold. If the property was an interest-bearing demand, savings, or time deposit, the ad…

(1) The administrator may decline to take custody of property reported under RCW 63.30.220 if the administrator determines that:(a) The property has a value less than the estimated expenses of notice and sale of the property; or(b) Taking custody of the property would be unlawful…

(1) If the administrator takes custody of property delivered under this chapter and later determines that the property has no substantial commercial value or that the cost of disposing of the property will exceed the value of the property, the administrator may return the propert…

(1) Expiration, before, on, or after January 1, 2023, of a period of limitation on an owner's right to receive or recover property, whether specified by contract, statute, or court order, does not prevent the property from being presumed abandoned or affect the duty of a holder u…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in RCW 63.30.430, the administrator may sell the property not earlier than two years after receipt of property stored in a safe deposit box and presumed abandoned.(2) Before selling property under subsection (1) of this section, the administrator …

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the administrator must sell all securities delivered to the administrator as required by this chapter as soon as practicable after taking custody, in the judgment of the administrator, after receipt by the administrator. Howeve…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person making a claim under this chapter with respect to securities is only entitled to receive the proceeds received from sale, even if the sale of the securities has not been completed at the time the administrator receives th…

A purchaser of property at a sale conducted by the administrator under this chapter takes the property free of all claims of the owner, a previous holder, or a person claiming through the owner or holder. The administrator shall execute documents necessary to complete the transfe…

(1) The administrator may not sell a medal or decoration awarded for military service in the armed forces of the United States.(2) The administrator, with the consent of the respective organization under (a) of this subsection, agency under (b) of this subsection, or entity under…

(1) Except as otherwise provided by this section, the administrator shall promptly deposit in the general fund of this state all funds received under this chapter, including the proceeds from the sale of property under RCW 63.30.420 through 63.30.460. The administrator shall reta…

The administrator shall:(1) Record and retain the name and last known address of each person shown on a report filed under RCW 63.30.220 to be the apparent owner of property delivered to the administrator;(2) Record and retain the name and last known address of each insured or an…

The administrator may expend from the unclaimed personal property account for the following purposes:(1) Expenses of disposition of property delivered to the administrator under this chapter;(2) Costs of mailing and publication in connection with property delivered to the adminis…

Property received by the administrator under this chapter is held in custody for the benefit of the owner and is not owned by the state.[ 2022 c 225 s 804.]

(1) If the administrator knows that property held by the administrator under this chapter is subject to a superior claim of another state, the administrator shall:(a) Report and pay or deliver the property to the other state; or(b) Return the property to the holder so that the ho…

(1) Property held under this chapter by the administrator is subject to the right of another state to take custody of the property if:(a) The property was paid or delivered to the administrator because the records of the holder did not reflect a last known address in the other st…

(1) A person claiming to be the owner of property held under this chapter by the administrator may file a claim for the property on a form prescribed by the administrator. The claimant must verify the claim as to its completeness and accuracy.(2) The administrator may waive the r…

(1) The administrator shall pay or deliver property to a claimant under RCW 63.30.530(1) if the administrator receives evidence sufficient to establish to the satisfaction of the administrator that the claimant is the owner of the property.(2) Not later than 90 days after a claim…

(1) Not later than 30 days after a claim is allowed under RCW 63.30.540(2), the administrator must pay or deliver to the owner the property or pay to the owner the net proceeds of a sale of the property, together with income or gain to which the owner is entitled under RCW 63.30.…

Not later than one year after filing a claim under RCW 63.30.540(1), the claimant may commence an action against the administrator in Thurston county superior court to establish a claim that has been denied or deemed denied under RCW 63.30.540.[ 2022 c 225 s 906.]

If a person does not file a report required by RCW 63.30.220 or the administrator believes that a person may have filed an inaccurate, incomplete, or false report, the administrator may require the person to file a verified report in a form prescribed by the administrator. The ve…

The administrator, at reasonable times and on reasonable notice, may:(1) Examine the records of a person, including examination of appropriate records in the possession of an agent of the person under examination, if the records are reasonably necessary to determine whether the p…

(1) The administrator shall adopt rules governing procedures and standards for an examination under RCW 63.30.580, including rules for use of an estimation, extrapolation, and statistical sampling in conducting an examination.(2) An examination under RCW 63.30.580 must be perform…

Records obtained and records, including work papers, compiled by the administrator in the course of conducting an examination under RCW 63.30.580:(1) Are subject to the confidentiality and security provisions of RCW 63.30.810 through 63.30.880 and are not public records;(2) May b…

(1) A record of a putative holder showing an unpaid debt or undischarged obligation is prima facie evidence of the debt or obligation.(2) A putative holder may establish by a preponderance of the evidence that there is no unpaid debt or undischarged obligation for a debt or oblig…

If a person subject to examination under RCW 63.30.580 does not retain the records required by RCW 63.30.250, the administrator may determine the value of property due using a reasonable method of estimation based on all information available to the administrator, including extra…

At the conclusion of an examination under RCW 63.30.580, the administrator shall provide to the person whose records were examined a complete and unredacted examination report that specifies:(1) The work performed;(2) The property types reviewed;(3) The methodology of any estimat…