agency-1301-10•Ohio Administrative Code 1301:10 — Department of Commerce | Division of Unclaimed Funds
Ohio Administrative Code 1301:10 — Department of Commerce | Division of Unclaimed Funds
agency-1301-10Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10Regulation
Chapter 1301:10-1 Definitions
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-1-01 Definitions.
(A) "Intangible property" means unclaimed funds as defined in division (B) of section 169.01 and section 169.02 of the Revised Code, or a fixed and certain interest in intangible personal property, of every kind or description, that is held, issued or owed in the course of a holder's business, and all income or increments therefrom. The term "intangible property" includes, but not by way of limitation, property that is referred to as or evidenced by:
(1) Monies, checks, drafts, deposits, interest, dividends, and income;
(2) Credit balances, customer overpayments, security deposits, refunds, credit memos, unpaid wages, and unused airline tickets;
(3) Stocks and other intangible ownership interests in business associations;
(4) Monies deposited to redeem stocks, bonds, mutual funds, coupons and other securities or to make distributions;
(5) Amounts due and payable under the terms of insurance policies;
(6) Currency, coins, coin collections, precious metals, stamps and stamp collections, both foreign and domestic; and
(7) Amounts distributable from a trust or custodial fund established under a plan to provide any health, welfare, pension, vacation, severance, retirement, death, stock purchase, profit sharing, employee savings, supplemental unemployment insurance or similar benefit.
(B) "Finder's agreement" means all agreements to pay a fee, compensation, commission, or other remuneration to locate, deliver, recover, or assist in the recovery of unclaimed funds reported under section 169.03 of the Revised Code.
(C) "Director" means director of commerce or any division established as provided in section 121.07 of the Revised Code, in the department of commerce to administer the provisions of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code, or the superintendent of any such division.
(D) "Contract auditor" means any person or entity engaged by the director (state) to provide unclaimed funds audit examination services. Contract auditor includes its agents, employees, and any subcontractor engaged by the contract auditor or engaged by its subcontractors. The contract auditor will not enter into subcontracts involving the type of work or services set forth in rule 1301:10-3-04 of the Administrative Code without prior written approval by the state.
(E) "Holder" means any person that has possession, custody, or control of moneys, rights to moneys, or other intangible property, or that is indebted to another, as is defined in division (D) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code.
(F) "State of incorporation or formation" means the state under whose laws a corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or statutory trust is organized or created, or in the case of a sole proprietor, common law partnership, or common law trust, the state of principal place of business of the holder.
(G) "State administrator" means the administrator of the Ohio department of commerce, division of unclaimed funds or his or her designee.
(H) "Participating state" means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, that at the time of notification by the state of Ohio of an involuntary examination has an agreement with the contract auditor or the director to participate in the involuntary examination of the holder.
(I) "Involuntary examination" means an unclaimed funds examination of a holder, selected and authorized by the director and conducted by an auditor from the division of unclaimed funds, hereinafter referred to as division auditor, or contract auditor, to determine compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code. An involuntary examination can be an involuntary examination initiated by the state or an involuntary examination initiated by another state in which the state of Ohio has elected to participate.
(J) "Records review period" means the five years immediately prior to the date of notification of the involuntary examination, plus the relevant dormancy period as provided for in section 169.02 of the Revised Code, except as provided in division (G)(2) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code. If the records are not available for the applicable review period due to internal records retention constraints, one of the estimation techniques described in paragraph (J)(2) of rule 1301:10-3-4 of the Administrative Code may be used for the portion of the records review period for which records do not exist.
(K) "Examination period" means the last ten reporting cycles including the reporting cycle in which the involuntary examination is commenced.
(L) "Reporting cycle" means the period from July first of each year to June thirtieth of the following year.
(M) "Services rendered, in the course of business," or "services performed, in the course of business," as used in division (B)(2) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code, means services for which the business association purchasing the service or goods (buyer) has issued a purchase order to the business association selling the service or goods (seller) to perform the requested service or provide the goods. The seller then performs the service or provides the goods, and issues an invoice to the buyer who then makes payment to the seller and enters the payment as an expense in buyer's accounting records. The seller may enter the sale as income in its accounting records upon issuance of the invoice or upon receipt of the payment from the buyer. Any transactions for goods or services between business associations which do not meet this definition, and any wages, salaries, royalty payments, or commissions payable to any person or business association, are not eligible for an exemption contained in division (B)(2) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code.
(N) "State-initiated involuntary examination" means an involuntary examination initiated by the state of Ohio pursuant to division (G) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code, but does not include any examination initiated by another state in which the state of Ohio joins.
(O) "Finder" means any natural person who, on behalf of any other person, engages in any activity for the purpose of locating, delivering, recovering, or assisting in the recovery of unclaimed funds or the contents of a safe deposit box, and receives a fee, compensation, commission, or other remuneration for such activity. "Finder" does not mean any attorney whose performance of services to locate, deliver, recover or assist in the recovery of unclaimed funds or the contents of a safe deposit box is solely incidental to the attorney's representation of the attorney's client.
(P) "Owner-Generated Activity," or actions by the owner within the meaning of division (B)(1) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code, means any of the following: owner-initiated or authenticated transactions, account owner-initiated admnistrative activity, including but not limited to loan payments, ATM/debit card transactions, writing checks, buying or selling securities, transfer of securities, trading activity in the account, proxy voting, and depositing or withdrawing funds from the account, whether by ACH, wire, check, or other method; payment of safe deposit lease fees; any written or email correspondence from the owner to the holder; IRS form W-9 or equivalent tax form certifications; accessing the account through logging in on the holder's website or other electronic means, whether or not a transaction was performed or completed; incoming telephone calls or other communications to customer service or client interaction centers; communications to financial advisors or trust agents; contacting the holder by any method to discuss account-related matters; and any other interaction between the owner or his or her authorized representative and the holder that can be verified as having been initiated by the owner. Owner-generated activity on one account is considered activity on the owner's other accounts, whether linked by social security number or otherwise. If an account owner is deceased, owner-generated activity does include activity by beneficiaries and estate fiduciaries or other persons who have a legal or equitable right to ownership or custody of the account. Owner-generated activity does not include, without limitation, such activity as the holder crediting dividends, posting account fees, mailing account statements, the non-return of mail sent by the holder to the account owner, or automatic financial or administrative transactions or activity, such as automatic payments.
Last updated September 8, 2023 at 11:25 AM
History
- Effective: July 10, 2023
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-3-04
(A) The director may, at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, examine or cause to be examined by auditors of supervisory departments or examiners of the divisions of the state, the records of any holder or person which could be the holder of unclaimed funds, to determine compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code. The director may enter into contracts, pursuant to procedures prescribed by the director, with persons for the sole purpose of examining the records of holders, determining compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code, and collecting, taking possession of, and remitting to the department's division of unclaimed funds, in a timely manner, the amounts found and defined as unclaimed. Said amounts due to the state will be remitted directly to the state by the holders subject to an involuntary examination initiated by the state. Said persons, hereinafter referred to as contract auditors, certify that they are knowledgeable of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code, relevant United States and Ohio supreme court rulings, generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS), and any relevant examination/auditing procedures promulgated pursuant to section 169.09 of the Revised Code, as they relate to the identification and collection of unclaimed funds from holders. Except as provided herein, a contract auditor conducting a state-initiated involuntary examination within the borders of the state of Ohio will not be compensated by the state on a contingency fee basis, but will be compensated pursuant to a fixed fee arrangement. State may compensate a contract auditor on a contingency fee basis when the state of Ohio has joined in an involuntary audit examination initiated by another state, regardless of whether the holder is incorporated in Ohio, or has its principal place of business or records within Ohio.
(B) The confidentiality of records and a confidentiality agreement
(1) Records audited pursuant to division (G) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code are confidential, and cannot be disclosed except as stated in section 169.06 of the Revised Code or as the director considers necessary in the proper administration of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code. The identity of a holder approved for an involuntary examination is public record pursuant to Chapter 149. of the Revised Code.
(2) The contract auditor and division auditor agree that they cannot disclose information obtained during the involuntary examination to anyone other than a participating state, unless pursuant to or required by law.
(3) The contract auditor, upon the written request of the holder, will sign a confidentiality agreement to which the holder is a signator. The confidentiality agreement will be entered into in the manner specified in paragraph (H) of this rule.
(C) Working papers and related documentation
(1) All working papers and other documentation prepared by division auditors or contract auditors during the performance of the involuntary examination will meet, at a minimum, professional auditing standards. The division auditor and contract auditor will comply with Rule 202 "Compliance With Standards" of the AICPA's (American institute of certified public accountants) code of professional ethics and adhere to generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) and the statements on auditing standards issued by the auditing standards board, as both relate to the identification and collection of unclaimed funds from holders. These standards include, but are not limited to, general standards, standards for field work, and standards for reporting.
(2) The documentation of such funds owing to the state will contain such information as may be needed by the state to collect the amount discovered by the involuntary examination. Such information cannot include trade secrets or proprietary data having no relevancy to the unclaimed funds involuntary examination.
(D) Holders of funds of such a nature as may potentially become unclaimed funds, are responsible for maintaining these accounts on the records of the holder in such an identifiable manner that, if they become unclaimed, they may be identified and reported in conformity with the law.
(1) The contract auditor and division auditor are authorized to review records in the course of an involuntary examination covering the records review period as defined in paragraph (J) of rule 1301:10-1-01 of the Administrative Code. The records review period may be extended to include any year subsequent to the years initially included if the involuntary examination is completed after additional reporting years have elapsed.
(2) If the holder consolidates check issuances for sums payable to suppliers, or for services rendered, with other dormant accounts in the same demand deposit or ledger account, the holder will have to maintain controls to identify each type of dormant account.
(E) The factors considered by the director in determining whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a holder has failed to comply with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code and, therefore, may be subject to an involuntary examination, include, but are not limited to the following:
(1) The asset size and/or the annual sales volume of the holder;
(2) The types and amounts of accounts reported by the holder to the director in the last five years;
(3) The past reporting history of the holder, relative to other entities of the same size or industry;
(4) Mergers, take-overs, and stock splits which the holder has incurred;
(5) Evidence or complaints of failure by holder to conduct due diligence pursuant to division (E) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(6) Evidence of failure by the holder to report complete owner information pursuant to division (A) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(7) Filing by holder of "none" reports in consecutive reporting years;
(8) The holder has never been subject to an involuntary examination by the state of Ohio or its contract auditors.
Holders will be selected for a state-initiated involuntary examination, conducted by a contract auditor or a division auditor, on a random basis and subsequent application of the above listed factors. Said random selection process shall be based on generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS). Holders may be subject to a state-initiated involuntary examination on a non-random basis solely if they are part of an examination initiated by another state in which the state of Ohio joins; the director initiates an investigation of a holder after receiving a complaint of its non-compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code; or a holder has records that are subject to the records review period, as defined in this chapter, and located outside the physical borders of the state of Ohio.
An auditor will be assigned a state-initiated involuntary examination of a holder selected by the above process. Should the auditor be a contract auditor that believes that it cannot conduct an assigned state-initiated involuntary examination due to a conflict of interest or other such reason, the contract auditor will notify the state of such. The state will then determine whether recusal of the contract auditor from the assignment is appropriate or necessary. If the contract auditor is recused from conducting the state-initiated involuntary examination of holder, another contract auditor will be assigned. If the subsequently assigned contract auditor is also recused, a division auditor may conduct the state-initiated involuntary examination.
(F) After selection of a holder for an involuntary examination, an examination entrance letter signed by the state administrator or the administrator's representative will be sent to the holder. The letter will contain the following:
(1) Notification that an involuntary examination has been authorized;
(2) Identification of the division auditor or contract auditor authorized to conduct the involuntary examination;
(3) Identification of the scope of the involuntary examination including the examination period;
(4) The identity of all participating states pursuant to division (G)(6) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(5) Disclosure that involuntary examination findings may be appealed in accordance with paragraph (K) of this rule;
(6) The name and telephone number of the compliance supervisor who is available to answer questions and address concerns of holders under an involuntary examination; and
(7) Notification that a copy of the contract between the state and the contract auditor is available upon request.
(G) The initial records request
(1) Following the notification referenced in paragraph (F) of this rule, the division auditor or contract auditor will supply the holder with an examination records request prior to or at the examination entrance conference for a state-initiated involuntary examination.
(2) The initial records request should identify records that the division auditor or contract auditor needs to review to determine compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code.
(3) The requested records to be made available for review by the division auditor or contract auditor within sixty calendar days of the date of the request. If the holder is unable to compile and make available for review the requested records within the sixty-calendar day period, it is necessary the holder contact the division auditor or contract auditor prior to the expiration of the sixty calendar day period to schedule a mutually agreeable time in which to make available the requested records. Said extension of time is not to exceed an additional thirty calendar days except at the discretion of the director. Holders that fail to provide the requested records within sixty calendar days of the date requested, or within the agreed upon extension of time, may be subject to penalties and interest as provided for in Chapter 169. of the Revised Code on any unclaimed funds identified as reportable during the examination. The penalties and interest will be applied from the date of expiration of the sixty-calendar day period or extension of time until the records are received by the division auditor or contract auditor.
(4) Attorney and law firm holders are permitted to redact, and should redact, from all records provided to auditors for review, the client name, address, tax identification numbers and other information that would identify the attorney's client in order to protect attorney-client confidentiality.
(H) The division auditor or contract auditor will conduct an examination entrance conference with the holder prior to the commencement of a state-initiated involuntary examination at which the division auditor or contract auditor will identify the examination period and describe the general examination methods, including estimation techniques that may be utilized during the state-initiated involuntary examination. The selection of the estimation technique to be utilized will be made prior to the closing review.
The contract auditor also will inform the holder that, pursuant to paragraph (B)(3) of this rule and at the option of, and upon the written request of, the holder, the contract auditor will enter into an additional confidentiality agreement for a state-initiated involuntary examination. The contract auditor and holder will be given thirty calendar days from the date of the examination entrance conference to reach and enter into a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement, a copy of which will be provided to the state. However, if the contract auditor and holder fail to reach and enter into a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement within the allotted time, and holder still wishes the contract auditor to enter into an additional confidentiality agreement, the contract auditor and holder will enter into the confidentiality agreement prepared by the state and to which the state will also be a signatory. Said confidentiality agreement will be entered into within ten calendar days of expiration of the original thirty calendar days given for the contract auditor and holder to reach a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement. Upon written request, the contract auditor shall provide the holder with the state-prepared confidentiality agreement which will first be signed by the contract auditor. If the holder intends to enter into the confidentiality agreement, it is the responsibility of the holder to sign the confidentiality agreement and forward the original to the state administrator within ten calendar days of expiration of the original thirty calendar day period. The state administrator will then need to sign the confidentiality agreement and distribute copies of the confidentiality agreement to the signatories. The aforementioned thirty-calendar day period for submission of a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement and ten-calendar day period for submission of the state-prepared confidentiality agreement shall run concurrently with the sixty-calendar day requirement, or extension thereof, for production of records as specified in paragraph (G)(3) of this rule.
(I) After the compilation of the preliminary findings from the state-initiated involuntary examination, the division auditor or contract auditor will conduct a presentation of, and provide a copy of, said findings with the holder at which the division auditor or contract auditor will do the following:
(1) Obtain the holder's signature on the receipt for the delivery of working papers to holder identifying the preliminary findings of dormant accounts. The holder's signature will not constitute agreement with the findings and if the holder refuses to sign, said refusal will be noted;
(2) Explain the due diligence requirement as set forth in division (E) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(3) Advise how the current annual holder report of unclaimed funds and accompanying forms, instructions, and information can be obtained;
(4) Notify the holder that preliminary findings of dormant accounts may be eliminated from actual annual reportable unclaimed funds by providing documentation at the closing review that includes one or more of the following:
(a) Documentation of accounting error;
(b) Documentation that the last known owner address is in a non-participating state or that the owner address is unknown and the holder is not incorporated or formed in Ohio;
(c) Signed returned notice of unclaimed funds form;
(d) Other signed correspondence from the owner indicating knowledge of the dormant account and/or that the funds are not owed to the owner;
(e) Documentation of owner transaction on the account;
Said documentation is to be provided to the state auditor or contract auditor conducting the state-initiated involuntary examination within one hundred twenty calendar days of the presentation of the preliminary findings of dormant accounts;
(5) Inform the holder that within thirty, but no more than forty-five calendar days of the expiration of the one hundred twenty calendar day period referred to above in this paragraph, a closing review will be held between the division auditor or contract auditor and the holder at which time the total unclaimed funds reporting liability resulting from the state-initiated involuntary examination will be calculated;
(6) Inform the holder of the right to appeal the findings of the examination pursuant to division (G)(7) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code after the closing review.
(7) Notify attorney and law firm holders that they will not be compelled to identify their clients or to provide documentation that would identify their clients to eliminate or rebut the preliminary findings of dormant accounts. To enable attorneys and law firms to maintain the confidentiality of their clients prior to the determination of total unclaimed funds liability and the filing of the unclaimed funds report pursuant to section 169.03 of the Revised Code, attorneys and law firms may eliminate or rebut the auditor's preliminary findings by providing documentation at the closing review that will include one or more of the following:
(a) Documentation of accounting error;
(b) An original affidavit stating all relevant facts supporting the attorney's or law firm's request for elimination for each account included in the preliminary findings of unclaimed funds, signed by the sole practitioner attorney or managing partner of the law firm, and certifying that the attorney or law firm is in possession of one or more of the following:
(i) Documentation that the last known address of the client-owner is outside Ohio or that the address is unknown and the holder of the funds is not incorporated or formed in Ohio;
(ii) A notice of unclaimed funds form signed by the client-owner and dated after the applicable dormancy period specified in section 169.02 of the Revised Code;
(iii) Other correspondence signed by the client-owner indicating knowledge of the dormant account and/or that the funds are not owed to the client-owner, and dated after the applicable dormancy period specified in section 169.02 of the Revised Code;
(iv) Documentation of the client-owner's transaction on the account, dated after the applicable dormancy period specified in section 169.02 of the Revised Code.
The affidavit may be submitted by the attorney or law firm holder in lieu of providing records, with client identifiers redacted, and is to be provided within the time limitations otherwise specified in this rule for the submission of documentation at the closing review.
(J) The closing review and calculation of unclaimed funds
(1) A closing review conducted by the division auditor or contract auditor with the holder, at which time documentation provided by the holder, as outlined in paragraph (I)(4) of this rule, will be reviewed to eliminate accounts from the preliminary findings of dormant accounts and to calculate the total unclaimed funds reporting liability of the holder resulting from the state-initiated involuntary examination. The closing review may be conducted face-to-face, by telephone, mail or delivery service, or by electronic means. At the completion of the closing review, the auditor will inform the holder of its right to appeal the findings of the examination pursuant to division (G)(7) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code, and supply the holder with the notice of appeal in a form prescribed by the state. The holder may file an appeal of the audit findings only after completion of the closing review.
(2) The calculation of the holder's total unclaimed funds reporting liability may include the utilization of estimation techniques. Estimation techniques may be necessary if the examination of the records review period fails to identify dormant accounts reported or due in each year of the examination period and a review of the reporting history of the holder maintained by the state and the holder shows that the holder failed to report, or underreported, the type(s) of account(s) in question during the examination period. The selection of the estimation technique to be utilized will be made prior to the closing review. The division auditor or contract auditor will use one of the following methods to calculate the holder's estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability for those years requiring estimation:
(a) The asset method which utilizes the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the total end of year assets of the company. The average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of total end of year assets will be calculated by adding the actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the total end of year assets for each year and dividing by the number of years for which actual reportable unclaimed funds were identified. The total assets at the end of the year(s) corresponding to the reporting cycle(s) subject to estimation techniques, are then multiplied by the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the total end of year assets. The sum of the calculated amounts is the estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability for the examination period;
(b) The sales method which utilizes the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the gross end of year sales of the company. The average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of gross end of year sales will be calculated by adding the actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of gross end of year sales for each year and dividing by the number of years for which actual reportable unclaimed funds were identified. The gross sales at the end of the year(s) corresponding to the reporting cycle(s) subject to estimation techniques, are then multiplied by the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of gross end of year sales. The sum of the calculated amounts is the estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability for the examination period;
(c) Other estimation technique that is mutually agreeable to the holder, the state, and the contract auditor.
(3) The total unclaimed funds reporting liability of the holder for the examination period will be the sum of the actual annual reportable unclaimed funds involuntary examination findings plus the estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability using one of the methods described in this paragraph, if applicable.
(4) An annual holder report, reflecting the total unclaimed funds reporting liability or, if any amount thereof is disputed, the undisputed portion of the total unclaimed funds reporting liability, will be filed and the amount remitted by the holder or contract auditor within thirty calendar days.
(K) Pursuant to division (G)(7) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code, a holder may appeal the disputed findings of an involuntary examination. The appeals process may only be utilized by the holder after completion of the closing review. The purpose of the appeals process is to give the state administrator and the holder the opportunity to reach mutually agreeable findings. The following process will be used for appeals.
(1) The holder completes a notice of appeal in the form prescribed by the division and provided by the state administrator and submits the form along with all appropriate documentation to the state administrator; the notice of appeal must be postmarked or received within thirty calendar days of the closing review. Failure to file the notice of appeal within the specified time constitutes an acceptance of the total unclaimed funds reporting liability;
(2) The state administrator will contact the holder and the division auditor or contract auditor to schedule an appeal meeting at which the examination findings and holder's appeal will be reviewed. The appeal meeting will be scheduled at a mutually agreeable time within thirty calendar days of the receipt of the notice of appeal. The holder will be prepared at the appeal meeting to discuss the position of the holder and provide documentation supporting the grounds for the appeal. The division auditor or contract auditor will also be given the opportunity to support the examination findings. The state administrator may question both parties;
(3) The state administrator, within thirty calendar days of the appeal meeting or receipt of any additional documentation requested at the meeting, will render a decision in writing to the holder and the division auditor or contract auditor;
(4) The holder may appeal the decision of the state administrator, within thirty calendar days of the decision, in the manner provided in Chapter 119. of the Revised Code;
(5) Within thirty calendar days of the decision of the state administrator, unless the holder files an appeal of said decision pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, it is necessary for the holder to file an annual holder report reflecting the unclaimed funds reporting liability as determined by the state administrator subsequent to the appeal meeting and remit said unclaimed funds;
(6) During the appeals process, the holder will not be subject to interest on unclaimed funds found to be due and reportable, until expiration of the thirty calendar days referenced in this paragraph or thirty calendar days after a final decision has been rendered pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, whichever is later.
(L) Holder's release from liability
(1) Upon completion of an examination and payment of the total unclaimed funds reporting liability to the director, the holder will be relieved of further responsibility for the safekeeping thereof and will be held harmless by the state from any and all liabilities for any claim arising out of the transfer of such funds to the state.
(2) The state releases the holder from further liability for reporting and payment of unclaimed funds of those types of property reviewed during the examination, through and including the most current reporting cycle. Further, the holder will not be subject to an involuntary examination of the same types of property by the state for the reporting cycles covered in a prior involuntary examination.
(3) Upon receipt of the annual holder report and remittance of the unclaimed funds resulting from the involuntary examination, the state shall issue an examination closure letter informing the holder that the involuntary examination is closed.
(M) At any time before a holder is selected for an examination, a holder, at the administrator's discretion, may comply voluntarily with the reporting requirements of section 169.03 of the Revised Code. Holders participating in the voluntary compliance program will enter into an agreement with the state to report and remit all past and currently due unclaimed funds and comply with the reporting requirements of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code and agree to comply with the annual reporting requirements imposed by Chapter 169. of the Revised Code going forward. The administrator will not unreasonably withhold permission for a holder not selected for examination to participate in the voluntary compliance program.
Last updated September 8, 2023 at 11:28 AM
History
- Effective: July 10, 2023
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Chapter 1301:10-2 Notice of Rules; Appeal
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-2-02 Adjudication hearing; decision of director.
(A) Any person adversely affected by a decision of the director may appeal such decision in the manner provided in sections 119.01 to 119.13 of the Revised Code, except any person appealing the disputed findings of an involuntary unclaimed funds examination follows the procedure set forth in paragraph (K) of rule 1301:10-3-04 of the Administrative Code.
(B) Upon receipt of a written request for an adjudication hearing, the director immediately sets the date, time, and place of such hearing and forthwith notifies the party thereof in accordance with section 119.07 of the Revised Code. The date set for such hearing is scheduled to occur within fifteen days, but not earlier than seven days, after a party has requested a hearing, unless otherwise agreed to by both the division and the party.
(C) Any person seeking an adjudication hearing under paragraph (A) of this rule may do so by submitting a written request for such hearing within thirty days of the date of mailing of the notice of the adverse decision.
Last updated January 2, 2024 at 9:08 AM
History
- Effective: January 2, 2024
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-3-04
(A) The director may, at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, examine or cause to be examined by auditors of supervisory departments or examiners of the divisions of the state, the records of any holder or person which could be the holder of unclaimed funds, to determine compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code. The director may enter into contracts, pursuant to procedures prescribed by the director, with persons for the sole purpose of examining the records of holders, determining compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code, and collecting, taking possession of, and remitting to the department's division of unclaimed funds, in a timely manner, the amounts found and defined as unclaimed. Said amounts due to the state will be remitted directly to the state by the holders subject to an involuntary examination initiated by the state. Said persons, hereinafter referred to as contract auditors, certify that they are knowledgeable of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code, relevant United States and Ohio supreme court rulings, generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS), and any relevant examination/auditing procedures promulgated pursuant to section 169.09 of the Revised Code, as they relate to the identification and collection of unclaimed funds from holders. Except as provided herein, a contract auditor conducting a state-initiated involuntary examination within the borders of the state of Ohio will not be compensated by the state on a contingency fee basis, but will be compensated pursuant to a fixed fee arrangement. State may compensate a contract auditor on a contingency fee basis when the state of Ohio has joined in an involuntary audit examination initiated by another state, regardless of whether the holder is incorporated in Ohio, or has its principal place of business or records within Ohio.
(B) The confidentiality of records and a confidentiality agreement
(1) Records audited pursuant to division (G) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code are confidential, and cannot be disclosed except as stated in section 169.06 of the Revised Code or as the director considers necessary in the proper administration of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code. The identity of a holder approved for an involuntary examination is public record pursuant to Chapter 149. of the Revised Code.
(2) The contract auditor and division auditor agree that they cannot disclose information obtained during the involuntary examination to anyone other than a participating state, unless pursuant to or required by law.
(3) The contract auditor, upon the written request of the holder, will sign a confidentiality agreement to which the holder is a signator. The confidentiality agreement will be entered into in the manner specified in paragraph (H) of this rule.
(C) Working papers and related documentation
(1) All working papers and other documentation prepared by division auditors or contract auditors during the performance of the involuntary examination will meet, at a minimum, professional auditing standards. The division auditor and contract auditor will comply with Rule 202 "Compliance With Standards" of the AICPA's (American institute of certified public accountants) code of professional ethics and adhere to generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) and the statements on auditing standards issued by the auditing standards board, as both relate to the identification and collection of unclaimed funds from holders. These standards include, but are not limited to, general standards, standards for field work, and standards for reporting.
(2) The documentation of such funds owing to the state will contain such information as may be needed by the state to collect the amount discovered by the involuntary examination. Such information cannot include trade secrets or proprietary data having no relevancy to the unclaimed funds involuntary examination.
(D) Holders of funds of such a nature as may potentially become unclaimed funds, are responsible for maintaining these accounts on the records of the holder in such an identifiable manner that, if they become unclaimed, they may be identified and reported in conformity with the law.
(1) The contract auditor and division auditor are authorized to review records in the course of an involuntary examination covering the records review period as defined in paragraph (J) of rule 1301:10-1-01 of the Administrative Code. The records review period may be extended to include any year subsequent to the years initially included if the involuntary examination is completed after additional reporting years have elapsed.
(2) If the holder consolidates check issuances for sums payable to suppliers, or for services rendered, with other dormant accounts in the same demand deposit or ledger account, the holder will have to maintain controls to identify each type of dormant account.
(E) The factors considered by the director in determining whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a holder has failed to comply with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code and, therefore, may be subject to an involuntary examination, include, but are not limited to the following:
(1) The asset size and/or the annual sales volume of the holder;
(2) The types and amounts of accounts reported by the holder to the director in the last five years;
(3) The past reporting history of the holder, relative to other entities of the same size or industry;
(4) Mergers, take-overs, and stock splits which the holder has incurred;
(5) Evidence or complaints of failure by holder to conduct due diligence pursuant to division (E) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(6) Evidence of failure by the holder to report complete owner information pursuant to division (A) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(7) Filing by holder of "none" reports in consecutive reporting years;
(8) The holder has never been subject to an involuntary examination by the state of Ohio or its contract auditors.
Holders will be selected for a state-initiated involuntary examination, conducted by a contract auditor or a division auditor, on a random basis and subsequent application of the above listed factors. Said random selection process shall be based on generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS). Holders may be subject to a state-initiated involuntary examination on a non-random basis solely if they are part of an examination initiated by another state in which the state of Ohio joins; the director initiates an investigation of a holder after receiving a complaint of its non-compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code; or a holder has records that are subject to the records review period, as defined in this chapter, and located outside the physical borders of the state of Ohio.
An auditor will be assigned a state-initiated involuntary examination of a holder selected by the above process. Should the auditor be a contract auditor that believes that it cannot conduct an assigned state-initiated involuntary examination due to a conflict of interest or other such reason, the contract auditor will notify the state of such. The state will then determine whether recusal of the contract auditor from the assignment is appropriate or necessary. If the contract auditor is recused from conducting the state-initiated involuntary examination of holder, another contract auditor will be assigned. If the subsequently assigned contract auditor is also recused, a division auditor may conduct the state-initiated involuntary examination.
(F) After selection of a holder for an involuntary examination, an examination entrance letter signed by the state administrator or the administrator's representative will be sent to the holder. The letter will contain the following:
(1) Notification that an involuntary examination has been authorized;
(2) Identification of the division auditor or contract auditor authorized to conduct the involuntary examination;
(3) Identification of the scope of the involuntary examination including the examination period;
(4) The identity of all participating states pursuant to division (G)(6) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(5) Disclosure that involuntary examination findings may be appealed in accordance with paragraph (K) of this rule;
(6) The name and telephone number of the compliance supervisor who is available to answer questions and address concerns of holders under an involuntary examination; and
(7) Notification that a copy of the contract between the state and the contract auditor is available upon request.
(G) The initial records request
(1) Following the notification referenced in paragraph (F) of this rule, the division auditor or contract auditor will supply the holder with an examination records request prior to or at the examination entrance conference for a state-initiated involuntary examination.
(2) The initial records request should identify records that the division auditor or contract auditor needs to review to determine compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code.
(3) The requested records to be made available for review by the division auditor or contract auditor within sixty calendar days of the date of the request. If the holder is unable to compile and make available for review the requested records within the sixty-calendar day period, it is necessary the holder contact the division auditor or contract auditor prior to the expiration of the sixty calendar day period to schedule a mutually agreeable time in which to make available the requested records. Said extension of time is not to exceed an additional thirty calendar days except at the discretion of the director. Holders that fail to provide the requested records within sixty calendar days of the date requested, or within the agreed upon extension of time, may be subject to penalties and interest as provided for in Chapter 169. of the Revised Code on any unclaimed funds identified as reportable during the examination. The penalties and interest will be applied from the date of expiration of the sixty-calendar day period or extension of time until the records are received by the division auditor or contract auditor.
(4) Attorney and law firm holders are permitted to redact, and should redact, from all records provided to auditors for review, the client name, address, tax identification numbers and other information that would identify the attorney's client in order to protect attorney-client confidentiality.
(H) The division auditor or contract auditor will conduct an examination entrance conference with the holder prior to the commencement of a state-initiated involuntary examination at which the division auditor or contract auditor will identify the examination period and describe the general examination methods, including estimation techniques that may be utilized during the state-initiated involuntary examination. The selection of the estimation technique to be utilized will be made prior to the closing review.
The contract auditor also will inform the holder that, pursuant to paragraph (B)(3) of this rule and at the option of, and upon the written request of, the holder, the contract auditor will enter into an additional confidentiality agreement for a state-initiated involuntary examination. The contract auditor and holder will be given thirty calendar days from the date of the examination entrance conference to reach and enter into a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement, a copy of which will be provided to the state. However, if the contract auditor and holder fail to reach and enter into a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement within the allotted time, and holder still wishes the contract auditor to enter into an additional confidentiality agreement, the contract auditor and holder will enter into the confidentiality agreement prepared by the state and to which the state will also be a signatory. Said confidentiality agreement will be entered into within ten calendar days of expiration of the original thirty calendar days given for the contract auditor and holder to reach a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement. Upon written request, the contract auditor shall provide the holder with the state-prepared confidentiality agreement which will first be signed by the contract auditor. If the holder intends to enter into the confidentiality agreement, it is the responsibility of the holder to sign the confidentiality agreement and forward the original to the state administrator within ten calendar days of expiration of the original thirty calendar day period. The state administrator will then need to sign the confidentiality agreement and distribute copies of the confidentiality agreement to the signatories. The aforementioned thirty-calendar day period for submission of a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement and ten-calendar day period for submission of the state-prepared confidentiality agreement shall run concurrently with the sixty-calendar day requirement, or extension thereof, for production of records as specified in paragraph (G)(3) of this rule.
(I) After the compilation of the preliminary findings from the state-initiated involuntary examination, the division auditor or contract auditor will conduct a presentation of, and provide a copy of, said findings with the holder at which the division auditor or contract auditor will do the following:
(1) Obtain the holder's signature on the receipt for the delivery of working papers to holder identifying the preliminary findings of dormant accounts. The holder's signature will not constitute agreement with the findings and if the holder refuses to sign, said refusal will be noted;
(2) Explain the due diligence requirement as set forth in division (E) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(3) Advise how the current annual holder report of unclaimed funds and accompanying forms, instructions, and information can be obtained;
(4) Notify the holder that preliminary findings of dormant accounts may be eliminated from actual annual reportable unclaimed funds by providing documentation at the closing review that includes one or more of the following:
(a) Documentation of accounting error;
(b) Documentation that the last known owner address is in a non-participating state or that the owner address is unknown and the holder is not incorporated or formed in Ohio;
(c) Signed returned notice of unclaimed funds form;
(d) Other signed correspondence from the owner indicating knowledge of the dormant account and/or that the funds are not owed to the owner;
(e) Documentation of owner transaction on the account;
Said documentation is to be provided to the state auditor or contract auditor conducting the state-initiated involuntary examination within one hundred twenty calendar days of the presentation of the preliminary findings of dormant accounts;
(5) Inform the holder that within thirty, but no more than forty-five calendar days of the expiration of the one hundred twenty calendar day period referred to above in this paragraph, a closing review will be held between the division auditor or contract auditor and the holder at which time the total unclaimed funds reporting liability resulting from the state-initiated involuntary examination will be calculated;
(6) Inform the holder of the right to appeal the findings of the examination pursuant to division (G)(7) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code after the closing review.
(7) Notify attorney and law firm holders that they will not be compelled to identify their clients or to provide documentation that would identify their clients to eliminate or rebut the preliminary findings of dormant accounts. To enable attorneys and law firms to maintain the confidentiality of their clients prior to the determination of total unclaimed funds liability and the filing of the unclaimed funds report pursuant to section 169.03 of the Revised Code, attorneys and law firms may eliminate or rebut the auditor's preliminary findings by providing documentation at the closing review that will include one or more of the following:
(a) Documentation of accounting error;
(b) An original affidavit stating all relevant facts supporting the attorney's or law firm's request for elimination for each account included in the preliminary findings of unclaimed funds, signed by the sole practitioner attorney or managing partner of the law firm, and certifying that the attorney or law firm is in possession of one or more of the following:
(i) Documentation that the last known address of the client-owner is outside Ohio or that the address is unknown and the holder of the funds is not incorporated or formed in Ohio;
(ii) A notice of unclaimed funds form signed by the client-owner and dated after the applicable dormancy period specified in section 169.02 of the Revised Code;
(iii) Other correspondence signed by the client-owner indicating knowledge of the dormant account and/or that the funds are not owed to the client-owner, and dated after the applicable dormancy period specified in section 169.02 of the Revised Code;
(iv) Documentation of the client-owner's transaction on the account, dated after the applicable dormancy period specified in section 169.02 of the Revised Code.
The affidavit may be submitted by the attorney or law firm holder in lieu of providing records, with client identifiers redacted, and is to be provided within the time limitations otherwise specified in this rule for the submission of documentation at the closing review.
(J) The closing review and calculation of unclaimed funds
(1) A closing review conducted by the division auditor or contract auditor with the holder, at which time documentation provided by the holder, as outlined in paragraph (I)(4) of this rule, will be reviewed to eliminate accounts from the preliminary findings of dormant accounts and to calculate the total unclaimed funds reporting liability of the holder resulting from the state-initiated involuntary examination. The closing review may be conducted face-to-face, by telephone, mail or delivery service, or by electronic means. At the completion of the closing review, the auditor will inform the holder of its right to appeal the findings of the examination pursuant to division (G)(7) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code, and supply the holder with the notice of appeal in a form prescribed by the state. The holder may file an appeal of the audit findings only after completion of the closing review.
(2) The calculation of the holder's total unclaimed funds reporting liability may include the utilization of estimation techniques. Estimation techniques may be necessary if the examination of the records review period fails to identify dormant accounts reported or due in each year of the examination period and a review of the reporting history of the holder maintained by the state and the holder shows that the holder failed to report, or underreported, the type(s) of account(s) in question during the examination period. The selection of the estimation technique to be utilized will be made prior to the closing review. The division auditor or contract auditor will use one of the following methods to calculate the holder's estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability for those years requiring estimation:
(a) The asset method which utilizes the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the total end of year assets of the company. The average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of total end of year assets will be calculated by adding the actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the total end of year assets for each year and dividing by the number of years for which actual reportable unclaimed funds were identified. The total assets at the end of the year(s) corresponding to the reporting cycle(s) subject to estimation techniques, are then multiplied by the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the total end of year assets. The sum of the calculated amounts is the estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability for the examination period;
(b) The sales method which utilizes the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the gross end of year sales of the company. The average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of gross end of year sales will be calculated by adding the actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of gross end of year sales for each year and dividing by the number of years for which actual reportable unclaimed funds were identified. The gross sales at the end of the year(s) corresponding to the reporting cycle(s) subject to estimation techniques, are then multiplied by the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of gross end of year sales. The sum of the calculated amounts is the estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability for the examination period;
(c) Other estimation technique that is mutually agreeable to the holder, the state, and the contract auditor.
(3) The total unclaimed funds reporting liability of the holder for the examination period will be the sum of the actual annual reportable unclaimed funds involuntary examination findings plus the estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability using one of the methods described in this paragraph, if applicable.
(4) An annual holder report, reflecting the total unclaimed funds reporting liability or, if any amount thereof is disputed, the undisputed portion of the total unclaimed funds reporting liability, will be filed and the amount remitted by the holder or contract auditor within thirty calendar days.
(K) Pursuant to division (G)(7) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code, a holder may appeal the disputed findings of an involuntary examination. The appeals process may only be utilized by the holder after completion of the closing review. The purpose of the appeals process is to give the state administrator and the holder the opportunity to reach mutually agreeable findings. The following process will be used for appeals.
(1) The holder completes a notice of appeal in the form prescribed by the division and provided by the state administrator and submits the form along with all appropriate documentation to the state administrator; the notice of appeal must be postmarked or received within thirty calendar days of the closing review. Failure to file the notice of appeal within the specified time constitutes an acceptance of the total unclaimed funds reporting liability;
(2) The state administrator will contact the holder and the division auditor or contract auditor to schedule an appeal meeting at which the examination findings and holder's appeal will be reviewed. The appeal meeting will be scheduled at a mutually agreeable time within thirty calendar days of the receipt of the notice of appeal. The holder will be prepared at the appeal meeting to discuss the position of the holder and provide documentation supporting the grounds for the appeal. The division auditor or contract auditor will also be given the opportunity to support the examination findings. The state administrator may question both parties;
(3) The state administrator, within thirty calendar days of the appeal meeting or receipt of any additional documentation requested at the meeting, will render a decision in writing to the holder and the division auditor or contract auditor;
(4) The holder may appeal the decision of the state administrator, within thirty calendar days of the decision, in the manner provided in Chapter 119. of the Revised Code;
(5) Within thirty calendar days of the decision of the state administrator, unless the holder files an appeal of said decision pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, it is necessary for the holder to file an annual holder report reflecting the unclaimed funds reporting liability as determined by the state administrator subsequent to the appeal meeting and remit said unclaimed funds;
(6) During the appeals process, the holder will not be subject to interest on unclaimed funds found to be due and reportable, until expiration of the thirty calendar days referenced in this paragraph or thirty calendar days after a final decision has been rendered pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, whichever is later.
(L) Holder's release from liability
(1) Upon completion of an examination and payment of the total unclaimed funds reporting liability to the director, the holder will be relieved of further responsibility for the safekeeping thereof and will be held harmless by the state from any and all liabilities for any claim arising out of the transfer of such funds to the state.
(2) The state releases the holder from further liability for reporting and payment of unclaimed funds of those types of property reviewed during the examination, through and including the most current reporting cycle. Further, the holder will not be subject to an involuntary examination of the same types of property by the state for the reporting cycles covered in a prior involuntary examination.
(3) Upon receipt of the annual holder report and remittance of the unclaimed funds resulting from the involuntary examination, the state shall issue an examination closure letter informing the holder that the involuntary examination is closed.
(M) At any time before a holder is selected for an examination, a holder, at the administrator's discretion, may comply voluntarily with the reporting requirements of section 169.03 of the Revised Code. Holders participating in the voluntary compliance program will enter into an agreement with the state to report and remit all past and currently due unclaimed funds and comply with the reporting requirements of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code and agree to comply with the annual reporting requirements imposed by Chapter 169. of the Revised Code going forward. The administrator will not unreasonably withhold permission for a holder not selected for examination to participate in the voluntary compliance program.
Last updated September 8, 2023 at 11:28 AM
History
- Effective: July 10, 2023
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-2-03 Public notice procedures.
(A) The director of commerce shall follow the procedures set forth in Chapter 119. of the Revised Code in regard to public notice of the proposed adoption, amendment or rescission of any rule. The director of commerce shall follow the procedures set forth in Chapter 119. of the Revised Code in regard to public notice of all adjudication hearings.
Last updated February 10, 2025 at 10:51 AM
History
- Effective: September 5, 2002
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Chapter 1301:10-3 General Provisions
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-3-01 Search of records.
Any organization holding unclaimed funds shall make an examination of the records of its offices, including branch offices and various subdivisions, to insure that it has no documentation of the whereabouts of the owner, or that the owner has not transacted with regard to other matters with such organization.
Last updated February 10, 2025 at 10:51 AM
History
- Effective: July 29, 2002
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-3-03 Holder reports; enforcement.
(A) All information required to be reported to the director of commerce shall be reported on such forms, and in such manner, as prescribed by the director of commerce.
(B) If there are no unclaimed funds to report for the current period, the holder is required to file with the director a negative report, which must be certified by the holder, or an officer or agent of the holder organization.
(C) It will be permissible for holders to make copies of the standard forms provided by the director of commerce, provided the reproduction of the form is of substantially equal quality as the original. Computer printouts are also acceptable, provided they are in the same format and spacing as the reporting forms.
(D) If any person fails to file any reports, files a report in gross error or refuses to deliver funds to the director as required under Chapter 169. of the Revised Code, the director may bring an action in a court of appropriate jurisdiction to require the filing of the report and to recover the funds with interest and penalties due.
Last updated February 10, 2025 at 10:52 AM
History
- Effective: January 15, 2008
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-3-04 Examination of accounts.
(A) The director may, at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, examine or cause to be examined by auditors of supervisory departments or examiners of the divisions of the state, the records of any holder or person which could be the holder of unclaimed funds, to determine compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code. The director may enter into contracts, pursuant to procedures prescribed by the director, with persons for the sole purpose of examining the records of holders, determining compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code, and collecting, taking possession of, and remitting to the department's division of unclaimed funds, in a timely manner, the amounts found and defined as unclaimed. Said amounts due to the state will be remitted directly to the state by the holders subject to an involuntary examination initiated by the state. Said persons, hereinafter referred to as contract auditors, certify that they are knowledgeable of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code, relevant United States and Ohio supreme court rulings, generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS), and any relevant examination/auditing procedures promulgated pursuant to section 169.09 of the Revised Code, as they relate to the identification and collection of unclaimed funds from holders. Except as provided herein, a contract auditor conducting a state-initiated involuntary examination within the borders of the state of Ohio will not be compensated by the state on a contingency fee basis, but will be compensated pursuant to a fixed fee arrangement. State may compensate a contract auditor on a contingency fee basis when the state of Ohio has joined in an involuntary audit examination initiated by another state, regardless of whether the holder is incorporated in Ohio, or has its principal place of business or records within Ohio.
(B) The confidentiality of records and a confidentiality agreement
(1) Records audited pursuant to division (G) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code are confidential, and cannot be disclosed except as stated in section 169.06 of the Revised Code or as the director considers necessary in the proper administration of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code. The identity of a holder approved for an involuntary examination is public record pursuant to Chapter 149. of the Revised Code.
(2) The contract auditor and division auditor agree that they cannot disclose information obtained during the involuntary examination to anyone other than a participating state, unless pursuant to or required by law.
(3) The contract auditor, upon the written request of the holder, will sign a confidentiality agreement to which the holder is a signator. The confidentiality agreement will be entered into in the manner specified in paragraph (H) of this rule.
(C) Working papers and related documentation
(1) All working papers and other documentation prepared by division auditors or contract auditors during the performance of the involuntary examination will meet, at a minimum, professional auditing standards. The division auditor and contract auditor will comply with Rule 202 "Compliance With Standards" of the AICPA's (American institute of certified public accountants) code of professional ethics and adhere to generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) and the statements on auditing standards issued by the auditing standards board, as both relate to the identification and collection of unclaimed funds from holders. These standards include, but are not limited to, general standards, standards for field work, and standards for reporting.
(2) The documentation of such funds owing to the state will contain such information as may be needed by the state to collect the amount discovered by the involuntary examination. Such information cannot include trade secrets or proprietary data having no relevancy to the unclaimed funds involuntary examination.
(D) Holders of funds of such a nature as may potentially become unclaimed funds, are responsible for maintaining these accounts on the records of the holder in such an identifiable manner that, if they become unclaimed, they may be identified and reported in conformity with the law.
(1) The contract auditor and division auditor are authorized to review records in the course of an involuntary examination covering the records review period as defined in paragraph (J) of rule 1301:10-1-01 of the Administrative Code. The records review period may be extended to include any year subsequent to the years initially included if the involuntary examination is completed after additional reporting years have elapsed.
(2) If the holder consolidates check issuances for sums payable to suppliers, or for services rendered, with other dormant accounts in the same demand deposit or ledger account, the holder will have to maintain controls to identify each type of dormant account.
(E) The factors considered by the director in determining whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a holder has failed to comply with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code and, therefore, may be subject to an involuntary examination, include, but are not limited to the following:
(1) The asset size and/or the annual sales volume of the holder;
(2) The types and amounts of accounts reported by the holder to the director in the last five years;
(3) The past reporting history of the holder, relative to other entities of the same size or industry;
(4) Mergers, take-overs, and stock splits which the holder has incurred;
(5) Evidence or complaints of failure by holder to conduct due diligence pursuant to division (E) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(6) Evidence of failure by the holder to report complete owner information pursuant to division (A) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(7) Filing by holder of "none" reports in consecutive reporting years;
(8) The holder has never been subject to an involuntary examination by the state of Ohio or its contract auditors.
Holders will be selected for a state-initiated involuntary examination, conducted by a contract auditor or a division auditor, on a random basis and subsequent application of the above listed factors. Said random selection process shall be based on generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS). Holders may be subject to a state-initiated involuntary examination on a non-random basis solely if they are part of an examination initiated by another state in which the state of Ohio joins; the director initiates an investigation of a holder after receiving a complaint of its non-compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code; or a holder has records that are subject to the records review period, as defined in this chapter, and located outside the physical borders of the state of Ohio.
An auditor will be assigned a state-initiated involuntary examination of a holder selected by the above process. Should the auditor be a contract auditor that believes that it cannot conduct an assigned state-initiated involuntary examination due to a conflict of interest or other such reason, the contract auditor will notify the state of such. The state will then determine whether recusal of the contract auditor from the assignment is appropriate or necessary. If the contract auditor is recused from conducting the state-initiated involuntary examination of holder, another contract auditor will be assigned. If the subsequently assigned contract auditor is also recused, a division auditor may conduct the state-initiated involuntary examination.
(F) After selection of a holder for an involuntary examination, an examination entrance letter signed by the state administrator or the administrator's representative will be sent to the holder. The letter will contain the following:
(1) Notification that an involuntary examination has been authorized;
(2) Identification of the division auditor or contract auditor authorized to conduct the involuntary examination;
(3) Identification of the scope of the involuntary examination including the examination period;
(4) The identity of all participating states pursuant to division (G)(6) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(5) Disclosure that involuntary examination findings may be appealed in accordance with paragraph (K) of this rule;
(6) The name and telephone number of the compliance supervisor who is available to answer questions and address concerns of holders under an involuntary examination; and
(7) Notification that a copy of the contract between the state and the contract auditor is available upon request.
(G) The initial records request
(1) Following the notification referenced in paragraph (F) of this rule, the division auditor or contract auditor will supply the holder with an examination records request prior to or at the examination entrance conference for a state-initiated involuntary examination.
(2) The initial records request should identify records that the division auditor or contract auditor needs to review to determine compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code.
(3) The requested records to be made available for review by the division auditor or contract auditor within sixty calendar days of the date of the request. If the holder is unable to compile and make available for review the requested records within the sixty-calendar day period, it is necessary the holder contact the division auditor or contract auditor prior to the expiration of the sixty calendar day period to schedule a mutually agreeable time in which to make available the requested records. Said extension of time is not to exceed an additional thirty calendar days except at the discretion of the director. Holders that fail to provide the requested records within sixty calendar days of the date requested, or within the agreed upon extension of time, may be subject to penalties and interest as provided for in Chapter 169. of the Revised Code on any unclaimed funds identified as reportable during the examination. The penalties and interest will be applied from the date of expiration of the sixty-calendar day period or extension of time until the records are received by the division auditor or contract auditor.
(4) Attorney and law firm holders are permitted to redact, and should redact, from all records provided to auditors for review, the client name, address, tax identification numbers and other information that would identify the attorney's client in order to protect attorney-client confidentiality.
(H) The division auditor or contract auditor will conduct an examination entrance conference with the holder prior to the commencement of a state-initiated involuntary examination at which the division auditor or contract auditor will identify the examination period and describe the general examination methods, including estimation techniques that may be utilized during the state-initiated involuntary examination. The selection of the estimation technique to be utilized will be made prior to the closing review.
The contract auditor also will inform the holder that, pursuant to paragraph (B)(3) of this rule and at the option of, and upon the written request of, the holder, the contract auditor will enter into an additional confidentiality agreement for a state-initiated involuntary examination. The contract auditor and holder will be given thirty calendar days from the date of the examination entrance conference to reach and enter into a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement, a copy of which will be provided to the state. However, if the contract auditor and holder fail to reach and enter into a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement within the allotted time, and holder still wishes the contract auditor to enter into an additional confidentiality agreement, the contract auditor and holder will enter into the confidentiality agreement prepared by the state and to which the state will also be a signatory. Said confidentiality agreement will be entered into within ten calendar days of expiration of the original thirty calendar days given for the contract auditor and holder to reach a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement. Upon written request, the contract auditor shall provide the holder with the state-prepared confidentiality agreement which will first be signed by the contract auditor. If the holder intends to enter into the confidentiality agreement, it is the responsibility of the holder to sign the confidentiality agreement and forward the original to the state administrator within ten calendar days of expiration of the original thirty calendar day period. The state administrator will then need to sign the confidentiality agreement and distribute copies of the confidentiality agreement to the signatories. The aforementioned thirty-calendar day period for submission of a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement and ten-calendar day period for submission of the state-prepared confidentiality agreement shall run concurrently with the sixty-calendar day requirement, or extension thereof, for production of records as specified in paragraph (G)(3) of this rule.
(I) After the compilation of the preliminary findings from the state-initiated involuntary examination, the division auditor or contract auditor will conduct a presentation of, and provide a copy of, said findings with the holder at which the division auditor or contract auditor will do the following:
(1) Obtain the holder's signature on the receipt for the delivery of working papers to holder identifying the preliminary findings of dormant accounts. The holder's signature will not constitute agreement with the findings and if the holder refuses to sign, said refusal will be noted;
(2) Explain the due diligence requirement as set forth in division (E) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code;
(3) Advise how the current annual holder report of unclaimed funds and accompanying forms, instructions, and information can be obtained;
(4) Notify the holder that preliminary findings of dormant accounts may be eliminated from actual annual reportable unclaimed funds by providing documentation at the closing review that includes one or more of the following:
(a) Documentation of accounting error;
(b) Documentation that the last known owner address is in a non-participating state or that the owner address is unknown and the holder is not incorporated or formed in Ohio;
(c) Signed returned notice of unclaimed funds form;
(d) Other signed correspondence from the owner indicating knowledge of the dormant account and/or that the funds are not owed to the owner;
(e) Documentation of owner transaction on the account;
Said documentation is to be provided to the state auditor or contract auditor conducting the state-initiated involuntary examination within one hundred twenty calendar days of the presentation of the preliminary findings of dormant accounts;
(5) Inform the holder that within thirty, but no more than forty-five calendar days of the expiration of the one hundred twenty calendar day period referred to above in this paragraph, a closing review will be held between the division auditor or contract auditor and the holder at which time the total unclaimed funds reporting liability resulting from the state-initiated involuntary examination will be calculated;
(6) Inform the holder of the right to appeal the findings of the examination pursuant to division (G)(7) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code after the closing review.
(7) Notify attorney and law firm holders that they will not be compelled to identify their clients or to provide documentation that would identify their clients to eliminate or rebut the preliminary findings of dormant accounts. To enable attorneys and law firms to maintain the confidentiality of their clients prior to the determination of total unclaimed funds liability and the filing of the unclaimed funds report pursuant to section 169.03 of the Revised Code, attorneys and law firms may eliminate or rebut the auditor's preliminary findings by providing documentation at the closing review that will include one or more of the following:
(a) Documentation of accounting error;
(b) An original affidavit stating all relevant facts supporting the attorney's or law firm's request for elimination for each account included in the preliminary findings of unclaimed funds, signed by the sole practitioner attorney or managing partner of the law firm, and certifying that the attorney or law firm is in possession of one or more of the following:
(i) Documentation that the last known address of the client-owner is outside Ohio or that the address is unknown and the holder of the funds is not incorporated or formed in Ohio;
(ii) A notice of unclaimed funds form signed by the client-owner and dated after the applicable dormancy period specified in section 169.02 of the Revised Code;
(iii) Other correspondence signed by the client-owner indicating knowledge of the dormant account and/or that the funds are not owed to the client-owner, and dated after the applicable dormancy period specified in section 169.02 of the Revised Code;
(iv) Documentation of the client-owner's transaction on the account, dated after the applicable dormancy period specified in section 169.02 of the Revised Code.
The affidavit may be submitted by the attorney or law firm holder in lieu of providing records, with client identifiers redacted, and is to be provided within the time limitations otherwise specified in this rule for the submission of documentation at the closing review.
(J) The closing review and calculation of unclaimed funds
(1) A closing review conducted by the division auditor or contract auditor with the holder, at which time documentation provided by the holder, as outlined in paragraph (I)(4) of this rule, will be reviewed to eliminate accounts from the preliminary findings of dormant accounts and to calculate the total unclaimed funds reporting liability of the holder resulting from the state-initiated involuntary examination. The closing review may be conducted face-to-face, by telephone, mail or delivery service, or by electronic means. At the completion of the closing review, the auditor will inform the holder of its right to appeal the findings of the examination pursuant to division (G)(7) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code, and supply the holder with the notice of appeal in a form prescribed by the state. The holder may file an appeal of the audit findings only after completion of the closing review.
(2) The calculation of the holder's total unclaimed funds reporting liability may include the utilization of estimation techniques. Estimation techniques may be necessary if the examination of the records review period fails to identify dormant accounts reported or due in each year of the examination period and a review of the reporting history of the holder maintained by the state and the holder shows that the holder failed to report, or underreported, the type(s) of account(s) in question during the examination period. The selection of the estimation technique to be utilized will be made prior to the closing review. The division auditor or contract auditor will use one of the following methods to calculate the holder's estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability for those years requiring estimation:
(a) The asset method which utilizes the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the total end of year assets of the company. The average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of total end of year assets will be calculated by adding the actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the total end of year assets for each year and dividing by the number of years for which actual reportable unclaimed funds were identified. The total assets at the end of the year(s) corresponding to the reporting cycle(s) subject to estimation techniques, are then multiplied by the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the total end of year assets. The sum of the calculated amounts is the estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability for the examination period;
(b) The sales method which utilizes the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of the gross end of year sales of the company. The average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of gross end of year sales will be calculated by adding the actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of gross end of year sales for each year and dividing by the number of years for which actual reportable unclaimed funds were identified. The gross sales at the end of the year(s) corresponding to the reporting cycle(s) subject to estimation techniques, are then multiplied by the average of actual annual reportable unclaimed funds with Ohio addresses as a percentage of gross end of year sales. The sum of the calculated amounts is the estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability for the examination period;
(c) Other estimation technique that is mutually agreeable to the holder, the state, and the contract auditor.
(3) The total unclaimed funds reporting liability of the holder for the examination period will be the sum of the actual annual reportable unclaimed funds involuntary examination findings plus the estimated unclaimed funds reporting liability using one of the methods described in this paragraph, if applicable.
(4) An annual holder report, reflecting the total unclaimed funds reporting liability or, if any amount thereof is disputed, the undisputed portion of the total unclaimed funds reporting liability, will be filed and the amount remitted by the holder or contract auditor within thirty calendar days.
(K) Pursuant to division (G)(7) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code, a holder may appeal the disputed findings of an involuntary examination. The appeals process may only be utilized by the holder after completion of the closing review. The purpose of the appeals process is to give the state administrator and the holder the opportunity to reach mutually agreeable findings. The following process will be used for appeals.
(1) The holder completes a notice of appeal in the form prescribed by the division and provided by the state administrator and submits the form along with all appropriate documentation to the state administrator; the notice of appeal must be postmarked or received within thirty calendar days of the closing review. Failure to file the notice of appeal within the specified time constitutes an acceptance of the total unclaimed funds reporting liability;
(2) The state administrator will contact the holder and the division auditor or contract auditor to schedule an appeal meeting at which the examination findings and holder's appeal will be reviewed. The appeal meeting will be scheduled at a mutually agreeable time within thirty calendar days of the receipt of the notice of appeal. The holder will be prepared at the appeal meeting to discuss the position of the holder and provide documentation supporting the grounds for the appeal. The division auditor or contract auditor will also be given the opportunity to support the examination findings. The state administrator may question both parties;
(3) The state administrator, within thirty calendar days of the appeal meeting or receipt of any additional documentation requested at the meeting, will render a decision in writing to the holder and the division auditor or contract auditor;
(4) The holder may appeal the decision of the state administrator, within thirty calendar days of the decision, in the manner provided in Chapter 119. of the Revised Code;
(5) Within thirty calendar days of the decision of the state administrator, unless the holder files an appeal of said decision pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, it is necessary for the holder to file an annual holder report reflecting the unclaimed funds reporting liability as determined by the state administrator subsequent to the appeal meeting and remit said unclaimed funds;
(6) During the appeals process, the holder will not be subject to interest on unclaimed funds found to be due and reportable, until expiration of the thirty calendar days referenced in this paragraph or thirty calendar days after a final decision has been rendered pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, whichever is later.
(L) Holder's release from liability
(1) Upon completion of an examination and payment of the total unclaimed funds reporting liability to the director, the holder will be relieved of further responsibility for the safekeeping thereof and will be held harmless by the state from any and all liabilities for any claim arising out of the transfer of such funds to the state.
(2) The state releases the holder from further liability for reporting and payment of unclaimed funds of those types of property reviewed during the examination, through and including the most current reporting cycle. Further, the holder will not be subject to an involuntary examination of the same types of property by the state for the reporting cycles covered in a prior involuntary examination.
(3) Upon receipt of the annual holder report and remittance of the unclaimed funds resulting from the involuntary examination, the state shall issue an examination closure letter informing the holder that the involuntary examination is closed.
(M) At any time before a holder is selected for an examination, a holder, at the administrator's discretion, may comply voluntarily with the reporting requirements of section 169.03 of the Revised Code. Holders participating in the voluntary compliance program will enter into an agreement with the state to report and remit all past and currently due unclaimed funds and comply with the reporting requirements of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code and agree to comply with the annual reporting requirements imposed by Chapter 169. of the Revised Code going forward. The administrator will not unreasonably withhold permission for a holder not selected for examination to participate in the voluntary compliance program.
Last updated September 8, 2023 at 11:28 AM
History
- Effective: July 10, 2023
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-1-01
(A) "Intangible property" means unclaimed funds as defined in division (B) of section 169.01 and section 169.02 of the Revised Code, or a fixed and certain interest in intangible personal property, of every kind or description, that is held, issued or owed in the course of a holder's business, and all income or increments therefrom. The term "intangible property" includes, but not by way of limitation, property that is referred to as or evidenced by:
(1) Monies, checks, drafts, deposits, interest, dividends, and income;
(2) Credit balances, customer overpayments, security deposits, refunds, credit memos, unpaid wages, and unused airline tickets;
(3) Stocks and other intangible ownership interests in business associations;
(4) Monies deposited to redeem stocks, bonds, mutual funds, coupons and other securities or to make distributions;
(5) Amounts due and payable under the terms of insurance policies;
(6) Currency, coins, coin collections, precious metals, stamps and stamp collections, both foreign and domestic; and
(7) Amounts distributable from a trust or custodial fund established under a plan to provide any health, welfare, pension, vacation, severance, retirement, death, stock purchase, profit sharing, employee savings, supplemental unemployment insurance or similar benefit.
(B) "Finder's agreement" means all agreements to pay a fee, compensation, commission, or other remuneration to locate, deliver, recover, or assist in the recovery of unclaimed funds reported under section 169.03 of the Revised Code.
(C) "Director" means director of commerce or any division established as provided in section 121.07 of the Revised Code, in the department of commerce to administer the provisions of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code, or the superintendent of any such division.
(D) "Contract auditor" means any person or entity engaged by the director (state) to provide unclaimed funds audit examination services. Contract auditor includes its agents, employees, and any subcontractor engaged by the contract auditor or engaged by its subcontractors. The contract auditor will not enter into subcontracts involving the type of work or services set forth in rule 1301:10-3-04 of the Administrative Code without prior written approval by the state.
(E) "Holder" means any person that has possession, custody, or control of moneys, rights to moneys, or other intangible property, or that is indebted to another, as is defined in division (D) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code.
(F) "State of incorporation or formation" means the state under whose laws a corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or statutory trust is organized or created, or in the case of a sole proprietor, common law partnership, or common law trust, the state of principal place of business of the holder.
(G) "State administrator" means the administrator of the Ohio department of commerce, division of unclaimed funds or his or her designee.
(H) "Participating state" means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, that at the time of notification by the state of Ohio of an involuntary examination has an agreement with the contract auditor or the director to participate in the involuntary examination of the holder.
(I) "Involuntary examination" means an unclaimed funds examination of a holder, selected and authorized by the director and conducted by an auditor from the division of unclaimed funds, hereinafter referred to as division auditor, or contract auditor, to determine compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code. An involuntary examination can be an involuntary examination initiated by the state or an involuntary examination initiated by another state in which the state of Ohio has elected to participate.
(J) "Records review period" means the five years immediately prior to the date of notification of the involuntary examination, plus the relevant dormancy period as provided for in section 169.02 of the Revised Code, except as provided in division (G)(2) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code. If the records are not available for the applicable review period due to internal records retention constraints, one of the estimation techniques described in paragraph (J)(2) of rule 1301:10-3-4 of the Administrative Code may be used for the portion of the records review period for which records do not exist.
(K) "Examination period" means the last ten reporting cycles including the reporting cycle in which the involuntary examination is commenced.
(L) "Reporting cycle" means the period from July first of each year to June thirtieth of the following year.
(M) "Services rendered, in the course of business," or "services performed, in the course of business," as used in division (B)(2) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code, means services for which the business association purchasing the service or goods (buyer) has issued a purchase order to the business association selling the service or goods (seller) to perform the requested service or provide the goods. The seller then performs the service or provides the goods, and issues an invoice to the buyer who then makes payment to the seller and enters the payment as an expense in buyer's accounting records. The seller may enter the sale as income in its accounting records upon issuance of the invoice or upon receipt of the payment from the buyer. Any transactions for goods or services between business associations which do not meet this definition, and any wages, salaries, royalty payments, or commissions payable to any person or business association, are not eligible for an exemption contained in division (B)(2) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code.
(N) "State-initiated involuntary examination" means an involuntary examination initiated by the state of Ohio pursuant to division (G) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code, but does not include any examination initiated by another state in which the state of Ohio joins.
(O) "Finder" means any natural person who, on behalf of any other person, engages in any activity for the purpose of locating, delivering, recovering, or assisting in the recovery of unclaimed funds or the contents of a safe deposit box, and receives a fee, compensation, commission, or other remuneration for such activity. "Finder" does not mean any attorney whose performance of services to locate, deliver, recover or assist in the recovery of unclaimed funds or the contents of a safe deposit box is solely incidental to the attorney's representation of the attorney's client.
(P) "Owner-Generated Activity," or actions by the owner within the meaning of division (B)(1) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code, means any of the following: owner-initiated or authenticated transactions, account owner-initiated admnistrative activity, including but not limited to loan payments, ATM/debit card transactions, writing checks, buying or selling securities, transfer of securities, trading activity in the account, proxy voting, and depositing or withdrawing funds from the account, whether by ACH, wire, check, or other method; payment of safe deposit lease fees; any written or email correspondence from the owner to the holder; IRS form W-9 or equivalent tax form certifications; accessing the account through logging in on the holder's website or other electronic means, whether or not a transaction was performed or completed; incoming telephone calls or other communications to customer service or client interaction centers; communications to financial advisors or trust agents; contacting the holder by any method to discuss account-related matters; and any other interaction between the owner or his or her authorized representative and the holder that can be verified as having been initiated by the owner. Owner-generated activity on one account is considered activity on the owner's other accounts, whether linked by social security number or otherwise. If an account owner is deceased, owner-generated activity does include activity by beneficiaries and estate fiduciaries or other persons who have a legal or equitable right to ownership or custody of the account. Owner-generated activity does not include, without limitation, such activity as the holder crediting dividends, posting account fees, mailing account statements, the non-return of mail sent by the holder to the account owner, or automatic financial or administrative transactions or activity, such as automatic payments.
Last updated September 8, 2023 at 11:25 AM
History
- Effective: July 10, 2023
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-3-07 Lawful claims or charges by holder.
(A) A holder may deduct from unclaimed funds required to be reported pursuant to section 169.03 of the Revised Code a charge imposed due to the owner's failure to claim the property within a specified time only if a valid and enforceable written contract between the holder and the owner imposes the charge or a holder that is a financial organization properly discloses the charge to the owner in accordance with applicable law or regulations, the holder regularly imposes the charge, the charge is not regularly reversed or otherwise canceled, and the amount deducted is not unconscionable or otherwise prohibited by law.
(B) No holder may impose a charge to avoid or contravene the reporting requirements of sections 169.02 and 169.03 of the Revised Code.
Last updated December 16, 2025 at 10:07 AM
History
- Effective: July 25, 2014
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-3-08 Instruments representing ownership interest.
(A) An underlying share is a security, certificate or other ownership interest as described in division (E) of section 169.02 of the Revised Code, which may or may not be in the possession of the shareholder/owner, issuer, holder, transfer agent, broker or other person.
(B) An underlying share, security or other intangible instrument representing an ownership interest in a business association, which is a registered security, is unclaimed funds if the owner has not within five years claimed a dividend, distribution, or other sum payable, or otherwise initiated one or more of the activities set forth under division (B)(1) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code.
(C) The person, other than the owner, which has possession, custody or control of the underlying share, security or other intangible instrument representing an ownership interest in a business association is the holder required to report the unclaimed funds.
(D) At the time any underlying share or security is unclaimed funds, any dividend, distribution, or other sum then held or owing to the owner as a result of the underlying share or security, and not previously reported as unclaimed funds, will be presumed to be unclaimed funds, as well as all equity shares of the business association registered to the owner, whether or not in the custody of the holder.
(E) The five-year dormancy period for any underlying share, security or other intangible instrument representing an ownership interest which is non-dividend paying, or subject to automatic reinvestment as stated in division (R)(1) of section 169.02 of the Revised Code, commences from the date the second shareholder notification or communication mailing to the owner of the funds is returned to the holder as undeliverable by the United States postal service or other carrier, unless the owner has within five years initiated one or more of the activities set forth under division (B)(1) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code. The notification or communication mailing by the holder shall be no less than quarterly.
(F) Bearer bonds and original issue discount bonds are presumed to be unclaimed funds if not claimed five years after the owner's right to demand the property or five years after the obligation to pay or distribute the property arises, whichever comes first.
Last updated December 16, 2025 at 10:07 AM
History
- Effective: September 1, 2014
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Chapter 1301:10-4 Claims
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-4-01 Claim.
(A) Any person who claims a property interest in unclaimed funds paid or delivered to the director of commerce may file a claim to the funds under section 169.08 of the Revised Code. The claim will be on a form prescribed by the director and signed by the claimant before a notary when determined necessary by the director.
(B) The director completes an initial review of each claim within one hundred twenty days after it is filed. The director considers matters relevant to any claim and is authorized to subpoena witnesses and documents to effectuate proper payment of any claim. The director may hold a hearing pursuant to division (B) of section 169.08 of the Revised Code to receive evidence concerning any claim if the director considers such hearing necessary, and such hearing will be held if requested by the claimant.
(C) The director will give written notice to the claimant, stating the substance of any evidence received and the reasons for disallowance of each claim denied in whole or in part. The decision is a public record.
(D) Such notice may be given by mailing it to the address stated in the claim. No notice of denial need be given if the claim fails to state the address of the claimant.
(E) The director certifies the amount of all claims approved for payment to the office of budget and management for payment.
Last updated January 2, 2024 at 9:08 AM
History
- Effective: January 2, 2024
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-4-02 Authority to present claims.
(A) An individual submitting a claim for funds must establish ownership and/or proper authority to claim the funds.
(1) Ownership may be established by supplying the director with the claimant's name, address and taxpayer identification number (social security number). Where the address shown by a holder's report is not the current address of the claimant, the claimant may submit correspondence, statements or copies of other documents that were received at or addressed to the last known address reported. The claimant may also submit documentation substantiating a relationship with the reporting holder.
(2) A claim filed by an individual who purports to act by a valid power of attorney must present evidence of the existence of an agreement to claim the specific funds.
(3) A claim filed by an individual who purports to act for a partnership, association, limited liability company or corporation must be executed by an individual duly authorized to act on behalf of the partnership, association, limited liability company or corporation.
(4)
When a finder has entered into an agreement with a person to receive a fee, compensation, commission or other remuneration for locating, delivering, recovering, or assisting in the recovery of unclaimed funds, the finder or person with whom the finder has entered into an agreement must first submit the agreement to the division for review to determine if it complies with all the requirements of section 169.13 of the Revised Code and registration pursuant to section 169.16 of the Revised Code. Once it is determined the agreement is compliant, the division will issue a claim form to the finder or person with whom the finder has entered into an agreement.
(5) When an individual, partnership, association, limited liability company or corporation is in receivership or in bankruptcy, the receiver or trustee in bankruptcy is the proper claimant upon the presentment of certified copies of the entry of appointment. If execution has been levied on the unclaimed funds, a certified copy of the judgment entry or order of execution must be submitted by the creditor and properly served in accordance with the statutes governing the applicable execution procedure, before the processing of a creditor's claim.
Payment will not be made under this paragraph to the owner after due notice has been received by the director from the receiver, the trustee in bankruptcy or the court in which the execution has been levied.
(6) Where a partnership, association, limited liability company or corporation has ceased to exist, the claimant must file evidence of authority to make the claim and receive the funds pursuant to the dissolution agreement or under applicable state and federal statutes.
(7) Where unclaimed funds are reported to the director in the name of a decedent, the claimant must submit a certified copy of the probate court document showing the claimant's current status as executor, administrator or commissioner in the estate and under current date, or if the estate is closed, or if there was no administration of the estate, other appropriate documentation substantiating the claimant's right to the funds, including, in such circumstances, but not limited to, a valid death certificate.
(8) Where unclaimed funds are the assets of a ward, the guardian must present a certified copy of the appointment, under current date.
(9) Where unclaimed funds are reported in the name of a trust or trustee, the claimant must present a certification of trust meeting all the requirements of section 5810.13 of the Revised Code to certify that the claimant currently serves as a trustee under the trust agreement.
(10) Where unclaimed funds are reported in the name of a political subdivision, the claimant must present evidence of the authority to claim the funds on behalf of the political subdivision.
(11) When the unclaimed funds are reported in the name of an owner residing or located outside the United States, or if the claimant is residing or located outside the United States, the claim form, power of attorney, finder's agreement, or other original document signed by the owner or claimant and required to be filed with the division must be notarized and authenticated through the U.S. consulate in the owner's or claimant's country of residence or location, or notarized and certified by a Hague Convention Apostille.
(B) The criteria stated in this rule which is considered in the payment of claims is not all inclusive. Latitude may be provided in the claim paying process to allow for individual and unique situations which arise. The division shall exercise its sole discretion in determining the sufficiency of documentation to prove a claim and to allow for payment.
(C) Current date, for purposes of this rule, shall be no more than two years from the date the claim is filed.
Last updated August 4, 2026 at 10:07 AM
History
- Effective: August 1, 2020
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Chapter 1301:10-5 Disposition of Unclaimed Funds
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-5-02 Sale of property.
(A) All securities and other intangible property transferred to the director of commerce pursuant to section 169.05 of the Revised Code shall be sold by the director at such time and place and in such manner as deemed reasonable. Neither the director nor any employee thereof shall in any way be liable to any person for any claimed loss resulting from the sale of securities or other intangible property.
(B) All proceeds received from the sale of property under paragraph (A) of this rule shall be credited to the account of the owner of the property.
Last updated February 10, 2025 at 10:52 AM
History
- Effective: July 29, 2002
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-5-03 Safe deposit box contents.
(A) Every holder maintaining safe deposit boxes or other safekeeping repositories located in this state shall report to the director, under section 169.03 of the Revised Code, with an inventory of property in its possession which constitute unclaimed funds under division (I) of section 169.02 of the Revised Code, provided, however, that if the holder has sold such property, the holder shall report to the director any amount arising from the sale under division (I) of section 169.02 of the Revised Code.
(B) Such report of an inventory of property shall include a statement containing the following information:
(1) The name, last known address, and social security number or federal tax identification number, if available, of each owner whose lease or rental period has expired;
(2) The expiration date of the lease or rental agreement for such safe deposit box or other safekeeping depository;
(3) The date of opening of such safe deposit box or other safekeeping repository;
(4) The number or identifying description of the safe deposit box or other safekeeping repository;
(5) A list describing the items received; and
(6) The name and address of the holder reporting the property.
The report shall contain such further identifying data and information as shall be required by the director.
(C) The director designates the date and location to which the holder is to deliver the safe deposit box contents. Upon receipt by the director of the contents of such safe deposit box or other safekeeping repository, or the proceeds resulting from the holder's sale of such contents, along with the inventory report, an inventory of the property shall be performed by the director to determine any discrepancies with the report filed by the holder and to identify that property which the director is statutorily authorized to receive. A holder number and owner number shall be assigned by the director to identify the items received.
(D) The holder shall report only moneys, rights to moneys and other intangible property pursuant to division (I) of section 169.02 of the Revised Code. Intangible property is moneys, or other personal property evidencing moneys or rights to moneys, as defined in paragraph (A) of rule 1301:10-1-01 of the Administrative Code. Coins and paper currency having numismatic or collectible value above face value shall be remitted in their original form.
(E) Tangible property shall not be reported; provided however, that if the holder has sold such property as authorized by the owner, proceeds from the sale, less any lawful claims, shall be reported pursuant to division (I) of section 169.02 of the Revised Code. Tangible property is personal property that is not moneys, rights to moneys, or other intangible property as defined in paragraph (A) of rule 1301:10-1-01 of the Administrative Code, and includes, but is not limited to, jewelry, watches, precious stones, photographs, letters, passports or similar items.
(F) The name and address of the owners of items properly reported to the director shall be published pursuant to section 169.06 of the Revised Code. Any items which remain unclaimed after the owner's name and address has been published shall be converted to cash under section 169.05 of the Revised Code, with the proceeds credited to the account of the owner.
Last updated February 10, 2026 at 7:29 AM
History
- Effective: February 10, 2026
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
Ohio Adm.Code 1301:10-1-01
(A) "Intangible property" means unclaimed funds as defined in division (B) of section 169.01 and section 169.02 of the Revised Code, or a fixed and certain interest in intangible personal property, of every kind or description, that is held, issued or owed in the course of a holder's business, and all income or increments therefrom. The term "intangible property" includes, but not by way of limitation, property that is referred to as or evidenced by:
(1) Monies, checks, drafts, deposits, interest, dividends, and income;
(2) Credit balances, customer overpayments, security deposits, refunds, credit memos, unpaid wages, and unused airline tickets;
(3) Stocks and other intangible ownership interests in business associations;
(4) Monies deposited to redeem stocks, bonds, mutual funds, coupons and other securities or to make distributions;
(5) Amounts due and payable under the terms of insurance policies;
(6) Currency, coins, coin collections, precious metals, stamps and stamp collections, both foreign and domestic; and
(7) Amounts distributable from a trust or custodial fund established under a plan to provide any health, welfare, pension, vacation, severance, retirement, death, stock purchase, profit sharing, employee savings, supplemental unemployment insurance or similar benefit.
(B) "Finder's agreement" means all agreements to pay a fee, compensation, commission, or other remuneration to locate, deliver, recover, or assist in the recovery of unclaimed funds reported under section 169.03 of the Revised Code.
(C) "Director" means director of commerce or any division established as provided in section 121.07 of the Revised Code, in the department of commerce to administer the provisions of Chapter 169. of the Revised Code, or the superintendent of any such division.
(D) "Contract auditor" means any person or entity engaged by the director (state) to provide unclaimed funds audit examination services. Contract auditor includes its agents, employees, and any subcontractor engaged by the contract auditor or engaged by its subcontractors. The contract auditor will not enter into subcontracts involving the type of work or services set forth in rule 1301:10-3-04 of the Administrative Code without prior written approval by the state.
(E) "Holder" means any person that has possession, custody, or control of moneys, rights to moneys, or other intangible property, or that is indebted to another, as is defined in division (D) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code.
(F) "State of incorporation or formation" means the state under whose laws a corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or statutory trust is organized or created, or in the case of a sole proprietor, common law partnership, or common law trust, the state of principal place of business of the holder.
(G) "State administrator" means the administrator of the Ohio department of commerce, division of unclaimed funds or his or her designee.
(H) "Participating state" means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, that at the time of notification by the state of Ohio of an involuntary examination has an agreement with the contract auditor or the director to participate in the involuntary examination of the holder.
(I) "Involuntary examination" means an unclaimed funds examination of a holder, selected and authorized by the director and conducted by an auditor from the division of unclaimed funds, hereinafter referred to as division auditor, or contract auditor, to determine compliance with Chapter 169. of the Revised Code. An involuntary examination can be an involuntary examination initiated by the state or an involuntary examination initiated by another state in which the state of Ohio has elected to participate.
(J) "Records review period" means the five years immediately prior to the date of notification of the involuntary examination, plus the relevant dormancy period as provided for in section 169.02 of the Revised Code, except as provided in division (G)(2) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code. If the records are not available for the applicable review period due to internal records retention constraints, one of the estimation techniques described in paragraph (J)(2) of rule 1301:10-3-4 of the Administrative Code may be used for the portion of the records review period for which records do not exist.
(K) "Examination period" means the last ten reporting cycles including the reporting cycle in which the involuntary examination is commenced.
(L) "Reporting cycle" means the period from July first of each year to June thirtieth of the following year.
(M) "Services rendered, in the course of business," or "services performed, in the course of business," as used in division (B)(2) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code, means services for which the business association purchasing the service or goods (buyer) has issued a purchase order to the business association selling the service or goods (seller) to perform the requested service or provide the goods. The seller then performs the service or provides the goods, and issues an invoice to the buyer who then makes payment to the seller and enters the payment as an expense in buyer's accounting records. The seller may enter the sale as income in its accounting records upon issuance of the invoice or upon receipt of the payment from the buyer. Any transactions for goods or services between business associations which do not meet this definition, and any wages, salaries, royalty payments, or commissions payable to any person or business association, are not eligible for an exemption contained in division (B)(2) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code.
(N) "State-initiated involuntary examination" means an involuntary examination initiated by the state of Ohio pursuant to division (G) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code, but does not include any examination initiated by another state in which the state of Ohio joins.
(O) "Finder" means any natural person who, on behalf of any other person, engages in any activity for the purpose of locating, delivering, recovering, or assisting in the recovery of unclaimed funds or the contents of a safe deposit box, and receives a fee, compensation, commission, or other remuneration for such activity. "Finder" does not mean any attorney whose performance of services to locate, deliver, recover or assist in the recovery of unclaimed funds or the contents of a safe deposit box is solely incidental to the attorney's representation of the attorney's client.
(P) "Owner-Generated Activity," or actions by the owner within the meaning of division (B)(1) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code, means any of the following: owner-initiated or authenticated transactions, account owner-initiated admnistrative activity, including but not limited to loan payments, ATM/debit card transactions, writing checks, buying or selling securities, transfer of securities, trading activity in the account, proxy voting, and depositing or withdrawing funds from the account, whether by ACH, wire, check, or other method; payment of safe deposit lease fees; any written or email correspondence from the owner to the holder; IRS form W-9 or equivalent tax form certifications; accessing the account through logging in on the holder's website or other electronic means, whether or not a transaction was performed or completed; incoming telephone calls or other communications to customer service or client interaction centers; communications to financial advisors or trust agents; contacting the holder by any method to discuss account-related matters; and any other interaction between the owner or his or her authorized representative and the holder that can be verified as having been initiated by the owner. Owner-generated activity on one account is considered activity on the owner's other accounts, whether linked by social security number or otherwise. If an account owner is deceased, owner-generated activity does include activity by beneficiaries and estate fiduciaries or other persons who have a legal or equitable right to ownership or custody of the account. Owner-generated activity does not include, without limitation, such activity as the holder crediting dividends, posting account fees, mailing account statements, the non-return of mail sent by the holder to the account owner, or automatic financial or administrative transactions or activity, such as automatic payments.
Last updated September 8, 2023 at 11:25 AM
History
- Effective: July 10, 2023
- Promulgated Under: 119.03
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