Authorizing county treasurers to provide notice of unclaimed funds by using the Internet

If the money is not claimed within ten years, the money or property becomes the property of the county.

Also under current law, in every odd-numbered year, the circuit court clerk must provide a report to the county treasurer listing all money, securities, or funds in the clerk's possession for which no proceedings in the case have occurred for four or more years. One year after providing the report, the clerk must then turn over any remaining unclaimed funds to the county treasurer. After receiving the funds, the treasurer must publish a class 3 notice of the fact that he or she is in possession of the unclaimed funds. If no legal claim is made within 90 days of the last publication, the treasurer deposits the money in the county's general fund.

Under this bill, the county treasurer may choose to post on the county's Web site, instead of or in addition to the publication of a class 3 notice, the notice of unclaimed case-related funds received from the circuit court clerk. Also under this bill, the county treasurer may choose to post on the county's Web site and make a copy available at the treasurer's office the notice containing the names and last-known addresses of the owners of unclaimed money or security with a value of at least $10, instead of or in addition to the publication of a class 3 notice. If the treasurer elects not to provide the class 3 notice, he or she is required to publish a class 3 notice stating that the full notice containing the names and last-known addresses of the owners of the unclaimed money or security that has a value of at least $10 is available on the county's Web site and at the treasurer's office.