Sec. 7.

(1) Any demand, savings, or matured time deposit with a banking or financial organization, including a deposit that is automatically renewable, and any funds paid toward the purchase of a share, a mutual investment certificate, or any other interest in a banking or financial organization is presumed abandoned unless the owner, within 5 years, has met 1 or more of the following requirements:

(a) In the case of a deposit, increased or decreased its amount or presented the passbook or other similar evidence of the deposit for the crediting of interest.

(b) Communicated, in writing, with the banking or financial organization concerning the property.

(c) Otherwise indicated an interest in the property as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file prepared by an employee of the banking or financial organization.

(d) Owned other property to which subdivision (a), (b), or (c) applies and unless the banking or financial organization communicates, in writing, with the owner with regard to the property that would otherwise be presumed abandoned under this subsection at the address to which communications regarding the other property regularly are sent.

(e) Had another relationship with the banking or financial organization concerning which the owner has met 1 or more of the following requirements:

(i) Communicated, in writing, with the banking or financial organization.

(ii) Otherwise indicated an interest as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file prepared by an employee of the banking or financial organization and unless the banking or financial organization communicates in writing with the owner with regard to the property that would otherwise be abandoned under this subsection at the address to which communications regarding the other relationship regularly are sent.

(2) For purposes of subsection (1), property includes interest and dividends.

(3) A holder may not impose with respect to property described in subsection (1) any charge due to dormancy or inactivity or cease payment of interest unless all of the following requirements are met:

(a) There is an enforceable written contract between the holder and the owner of the property providing that the holder may impose a charge or cease payment of interest.

(b) For the property of a value in excess of $2.00, the holder, no more than 3 months before the initial imposition of those charges or cessation of interest, has given written notice to the owner of the amount of those charges at the last known address of the owner stating that those charges will be imposed or that interest will cease. However, the notice required in this subdivision need not be given with respect to charges imposed or interest ceased before the effective date of this act.

(c) The holder regularly imposes such charges or ceases payment of interest and does not regularly reverse or otherwise cancel them or retroactively credit interest with respect to the property.

(4) Any property described in subsection (1) that is automatically renewable is matured for purposes of subsection (1) 15 years after the expiration of its initial time period, but in the case of any renewal to which the owner consents at or about the time of renewal by communicating in writing with the banking or financial organization or otherwise indicating consent as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file prepared by an employee of the organization, the property is matured upon the expiration of the last time period for which consent was given. If, at the time provided for delivery to the administrator under section 20, a penalty or forfeiture in the payment of interest would result from the delivery of the property, the time for delivery is extended until the time when no penalty or forfeiture would result.

(5) The following types of accounts are presumed abandoned 15 years after the owner or the person entitled to the funds last communicated in writing with the banking or financial organization concerning the funds or otherwise indicated an interest as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file prepared by an employee of the banking or financial organization:

(a) An in trust for account described in section 2 of Act No. 248 of the Public Acts of 1909, being section 487.702 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.

(b) An account established pursuant to the Michigan uniform gifts to minors act, Act No. 172 of the Public Acts of 1959, being sections 554.451 to 554.461 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.

History: 1995, Act 29, Eff. Mar. 28, 1996