(a) Subject to subsection (d) of this section and except as hereinafter provided, any sum payable on a travelers check that has been outstanding for more than fifteen (15) years after its issuance is presumed abandoned unless the owner, within fifteen (15) years, has communicated in writing with the issuer concerning it or otherwise indicated an interest as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file prepared by an employee of the issuer. No travelers check shall be presumed to be abandoned if the holder has sent a statement or other business communication concerning the travelers check to the owner by first-class mail and the statement or other business communication has not been returned for inability to make delivery to the addressee. The fifteen-year abandonment period shall begin to run when any statement or other business communication to the owner has been returned as undeliverable, or on the last date that the owner has communicated with the holder in any of the ways specified in this subsection, whichever is later. For purposes of this section, the issuer shall be the entity responsible for the payment of the travelers check.

(b) Subject to subsection (d) of this section, any sum payable on a money order or similar written instrument, other than a third-party bank check, that has been outstanding for more than seven (7) years after its issuance is presumed abandoned unless the owner, within seven (7) years, has communicated in writing with the issuer concerning it or otherwise indicated an interest as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file prepared by an employee of the issuer.

(c) A holder may not deduct from the amount of a travelers check or money order any charge imposed by reason of the failure to present the instrument for payment unless there is a valid and enforceable written contract between the issuer and the owner of the instrument pursuant to which the issuer may impose a charge and the issuer regularly imposes such charges and does not regularly reverse or otherwise cancel them.

(d) No sum payable on a travelers check, money order, or similar written instrument, other than a third-party check, described in subsections (a) and (b) of this section may be subjected to the custody of this state as unclaimed property unless:

(1)the records of the issuer show that the travelers check, money order, or similar written instrument was purchased in this state;

(2)the issuer has its principal place of business in this state and the records of the issuer do not show the state in which the travelers check, money order, or similar written instrument was purchased; or

(3)the issuer has its principal place of business in this state, the records of the issuer show the state in which the travelers check, money order, or similar written instrument was purchased and the laws of the state of purchase either do not provide for the escheat or custodial taking of the property or its escheat or unclaimed property law is not applicable to the property.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this act, subsection (d) of this section applies to sums payable on travelers checks, money orders, and similar written instruments presumed abandoned on or after February 1, 1965, except to the extent that those sums have been paid over to a state prior to January 1, 1974.

Added by Laws 1991, c. 331, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.